Nonprofits spend too much time reporting to funders: a single universal template could help

What the report says

A commentary published by The Independent Uganda says nonprofit organisations around the world spend excessive time tailoring reports to different funders, often using separate formats that ask for largely the same information in different ways. The piece, written by Wayne van Zijl, draws on interviews with 21 nonprofit stakeholders from South Africa, the UK, the US, Sweden and Uganda to argue that the reporting burden can take time and money away from service delivery.

The article says the problem is not only volume, but fragmentation: donors often request their own templates, while existing financial accounting rules were designed mainly for profit-making businesses. It notes that a newer international non-profit accounting standard, launched in 2025, is a step forward but still does not fully meet the need for integrated financial and non-financial reporting.

To address that gap, the author and co-authors propose a Civil-Society Organisations Reporting Practice, or CORP, framework. The suggested model would combine financial and non-financial information, including a leadership overview, a regular flash report, a credibility statement and a summary of activities. The aim, according to the article, is to make reporting more consistent and useful without adding another layer of bureaucracy.

The piece also stresses accountability to beneficiaries, not just donors, and says nonprofits should be able to show outputs, outcomes and long-term impact in ways that are proportionate to their size and mission.