Post-Event Impact Report Template¶
After your hackathon ends, send a short impact report to every sponsor, your school administration, and any external judges. This single document is the most important thing you can do to:
- Get sponsors to return the following year (they want to see ROI)
- Convince admin to fund year 2 (attendance + outcomes = institutional value)
- Build your personal reputation as a capable organizer
Send it within 72 hours of the event while the energy is fresh.
What to Include¶
The Numbers (always lead with data)¶
| Metric | Your Number |
|---|---|
| Total participants | |
| Schools / grades represented | |
| Projects submitted | |
| Judges / mentors | |
| Sponsors | |
| Total prize value awarded | |
| Duration (hours) |
1-2 Standout Project Descriptions¶
Briefly describe 2 winning projects in plain English — what they built, what problem it solved, who built it (first names only). This is what sponsors screenshot and share internally.
Example: "First place went to 'SafeWalk,' a mobile app built by three 10th graders that uses real-time crime data to recommend safer walking routes home. The team had never used an API before this weekend."
3-5 Participant Quotes¶
Text or DM participants the day of or the day after asking: "One sentence — what did you get out of today?" Collect 3-5 and include them verbatim.
Photos¶
2-3 action photos (teams working, award moment, opening crowd shot). If you don't have a photographer, screenshots from participants' Instagram stories work fine.
Email Template¶
Send this within 72 hours. Personalize the [BRACKET] fields.
Subject: [HACKATHON NAME] Results — [N] students, [N] projects, thank you
Hi [First Name],
Thank you again for supporting [HACKATHON NAME]. Here's a quick look at what happened:
By the numbers: - [N] participants from [schools/grades] - [N] projects submitted in [N] hours - $[X] in prizes awarded across [N] categories
Winning project spotlight: [1-2 sentence description of the first-place project]
What participants said:
"[Quote 1]" "[Quote 2]"
[Optional: attach 2-3 photos]
We're already planning [HACKATHON NAME] [YEAR+1] and would love to have [COMPANY] involved again. I'll be in touch in [MONTH] to discuss sponsorship options.
Thanks for believing in what we're building.
[Your name] [School / club name] [Email]
Impact Report One-Pager (for admin)¶
If your school administration requires a formal report, use this structure. Keep it to one page.
[HACKATHON NAME] — [DATE] — Impact Summary
OVERVIEW
[2-3 sentences: what was the event, who participated, what was the theme]
OUTCOMES
• [N] students participated (X% from underrepresented groups, if tracked)
• [N] functional projects built in [N] hours
• Skills used: Python, web dev, hardware, data analysis, etc.
• [N] first-time hackathon participants
SPONSOR SUPPORT
[List sponsors and their contribution level]
STUDENT FEEDBACK
[2-3 quotes]
NEXT STEPS
We plan to run [HACKATHON NAME] again in [MONTH YEAR]. Budget request: [$ or "same as this year"].
Prepared by: [Your name], [Grade/Role]
Date: [Date]
Tips¶
- Don't wait for perfect photos. A blurry action shot is better than nothing.
- Track the number during registration, not after — it's hard to count retroactively.
- If sponsors gave swag/prizes (not money), estimate the retail value and include it in the "total prize value" line.
- For Columbia/university applications: This document becomes your evidence of civic impact. Save a copy.