Tableau Software : Build your own Living Annual Report with this Tableau template

1. To be accountable and transparent to our nonprofit partners, Tableau employees, and the rest of the philanthropic community
2. To highlight organizations we're supporting and the amazing work they're doing
3. To drastically cut the amount of time required to answer questions (our own and others) with our data

Having this report always available and up to date has changed how our team works with this data in several ways. Prior to the living report, as the person managing this data, I spent a fair bit of my time each day answering ad hoc questions-not just for people I work with, but also for people who wanted an introduction to Tableau Foundation and our work. Having a Living Annual Report available means that we have a single source of truth to share with people, and we know it's current and accurate.

This has given Tableau Foundation's executive director easier and more reliable access to information about where and when we've worked, and in what capacity. For example, when talking with lawmakers about nonprofit organizations that are doing a great job using data to impact change in their legislative area, all he has to do is show them our Living Annual Report for a breakdown of organizations we're working with by region.

One of the biggest reasons we built the Living Annual Report was to save time and money on redesigning new reports and print pieces from the ground up each year-which would be out of date by the time each hit the printers. We've heard from some of our partners that they've spent nearly $100,000 each year designing, creating, and printing their annual reports. Maintaining a living report takes minimal effort, and we can change what's in it, who we're highlighting, and even the layout at any point throughout the year.