Prerequisites
To assist with your learning, it is recommended that you look over the articles on the basics of Benevity Reporting in the following section:
Gauge visualizations
Turning the traditional report table into a gauge chart is a great way to present key reporting information in a more visually appealing style. You might use a gauge chart to display the total donation amount in a specific location or a count of volunteer opportunities created in a given year.
There are three types of gauge charts in Benevity Reporting: gauge, multi-level and arc. Below, we’ll go over the steps on how to create the basic gauge chart.
Select the visualization type
1. Create a new ad hoc view or open an existing ad hoc view that you would like to apply the gauge chart to.
2. If you create a new ad hoc view, choose the data set you want to use for the chart.
3. When you have your data set up, select the bar graph icon in the toolbar.
4. From the list of visualization types, select Gauge. Click Apply and Close.
5. Add into Columns all your fields and measures. You must add at least one measure for the gauge chart to work.
6. Your gauge chart will now show in the preview editor. In the example below, the chart displays the number of volunteer opportunities by city. Now we’ll need to edit the data values to make the data more meaningful.
Edit the data values
Depending on the type of data you’re reporting on, the visual cue of the circle, and how filled in it is, might not properly represent the value. By default, the entire circle you see on the screen is set to display data in the arbitrary value of 100.
You can customize this to a number better suited for your needs. An example would be if you’re displaying total donation values by country in a given year, and the maximum value you’d want to have room for in the chart is $500,000.
1. To edit data values, select the gear cogs symbol and then Chart Format…
2. Go to the Appearance tab.
3. Scroll down to the Gauges section and change the numbers listed in Min Value and Max Value.
4. Select Apply.
Customize the colors
Changing the colors of the arcs of the gauge chart can help emphasize high or low values of employee engagement in your program.
1. To customize the colors, select the gear cogs symbol and then Chart Format.
2. Go to the Appearance tab.
3. Scroll down to the Gauges section and change the values for Color Stop 1–4 for the different segments of the arcs.
4. Use the field to the right of the color values to decide where along the arc the colors will change.
5. You might not get the color patterns right on the first go. As you make your way through your choices, select Apply during the testing to preview what it will look like.
6. When you’re happy with the new colors, select OK. Your completed gauge chart will show in the preview editor!
You’ve created the chart, edited the data and customized the colors. Now you can save the ad hoc view as a report, schedule it, or export it into a different format like PDF or PPT.