Progress Reports

Each year, as holders of chairs and professorships, you are required to create a progress report for the donors who funded the position.

These reports are a terrific way to maintain a donor’s interest in your program or field, and they are very helpful to our work. We’ve offered some guidance on writing them, below.

To submit your annual progress report, please see our “Progress Report Submission” page.

If you have any questions about this project, please contact medstew@uw.edu. Thank you for your participation!

Suggestions on writing your report

These letters can serve as a brief progress report on program activity. Or, if you’re a relatively new holder, you might want to focus on the year ahead. Here are some things to consider as you write.

Language. Unless your donor is a scientist in your field, please use layperson’s language to explain your work.

Thanks. The report is, in part, a thank-you vehicle. Start and end the report with some expression of gratitude, or a phrase that indicates that the donor’s support is helpful. As you write, think about the impact the donor has had on your work. What did the gift make possible?

Purpose and leverage. Remember that chairs and professorships are usually intended to fund compensation, research or other costs that contribute to your productivity. In addition, donors are interested in knowing if the chair or professorship allowed you to secure other funding or grants.

News and context. Did you or your lab have any interesting findings this year? (And how did your results compare to your objectives and/or expectations?) Were you part of any new initiatives? Did you win any awards? When you talk about your work, provide enough context to show the reader why the work matters.

The future. What are you planning next year? How will the chair or professorship help?

Stories. A good story grabs attention. Did you or a colleague have an “aha” moment? Can you tell an anecdote that will make your work come alive?

Patients and students. Patient and student stories can be vibrant — but please don’t use any names or any details that might allow the patient or student to be recognized. Err on the side of caution.