How is this different from the community health audit?

The two are complementary. The community health audit is a deep, strategic review, typically done quarterly or semi-annually. It looks at the big picture, assesses progress against your community strategy, and sets the high-level direction. This 'State of the Community' report is a more frequent, tactical check-in, usually monthly. The audit sets the destination for the next quarter; this report is how you check the compass and adjust your steering week by week.

How do you gather the qualitative stories for the report?

You make it a constant, low-effort habit. Keep a simple document, spreadsheet, or dedicated notes file open on your desktop at all times. As you go about your day—reading forum posts, checking in with members, attending virtual events—and you see a great interaction, a powerful quote, or receive positive feedback via email, immediately copy and paste it into your 'stories' document. Don't wait. By the end of the month, you won't be staring at a blank page; you'll have a rich list of authentic moments to choose from.

Who should receive this report?

Keep the audience tight and purposeful. This is not for mass distribution. The ideal recipients are the people who are actively involved in building and running the community. This includes your direct team (community managers, coordinators), your immediate manager, and the chairs or leaders of your key volunteer groups (e.g., chapters, special interest groups, committees, key moderators). It's an internal alignment tool for the operational team, not a broadcast for the entire membership or the board of directors.

Creating a 'State of the Community' Report

Go beyond board reports. Learn how to create a monthly or quarterly 'State of the Community' report to align your team, empower volunteers, and focus on what matters.

Published: 1 September 2026
Topics: community health, reporting, volunteer management, community strategy, member engagement

Your monthly community report should be a tool for alignment, not a document for compliance. It is a living, breathing check-in designed for the people doing the work alongside you. It is not another spreadsheet destined for a board pack, never to be read again. This is your chance to focus your team and volunteers on what matters.

By Francisco Opazo · Reviewed by the Led by Community editorial team

Most community reporting is broken. It’s a performance. We pull vanity metrics, package them in a PDF, and send them ‘upstairs’ to justify our existence. The report is a sigh of relief when sent, and a black hole thereafter.

We’re going to fix that. Forget the board. Forget the C-suite, just for a moment. This report is for your crew. It’s for your community coordinators, your moderators, your chapter chairs, and your special interest group (SIG) leaders. It’s for the people in the trenches.

What is a 'State of the Community' Report?

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