By Their Fruits: Developing Mission-Driven KPIs

Written By Abby Sinnett

“By their fruits you will know them.” — Matthew 7:16

As mission-driven leaders, developing faith-based KPIs ensures our work produces tangible impact while honoring our stewardship in healthcare and nonprofit missions. The work we do touches lives and shapes culture—but how do we know it’s working?

This is where Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) come in—not as a sterile metric, but as a stewardship tool. KPIs help us ensure that our time, resources, and energy are bearing the fruit our mission was planted to produce.

Here we’ll walk through a framework for developing KPIs that are both strategically effective and spiritually grounded—because numbers matter when they’re in service of the Kingdom.

Begin with the Mission

Every KPI should point back to your why. Before identifying what you want to measure, revisit your mission statement. Ask:

  • What are the core outcomes our mission seeks to achieve?

  • What kind of transformation are we praying for in the people we serve?

  • What evidence would tell us that we’re being faithful and fruitful?

Write down 2–3 high-level goals your organization is striving toward. These will guide all KPI development.

Choose KPI Categories

For healthcare, nonprofit, and mission-oriented organizations, common KPI categories include:

  • Clinical/Service Outcomes – Are we improving health, healing, and wholeness?

  • Operational Excellence – Are we efficient, organized, and scalable?

  • Financial Stewardship – Are we using resources wisely and sustainably?

  • Mission Impact – Are we saving babies, evangelizing through our witness, reaching the underserved, restoring dignity?

  • Team Formation – Are we cultivating a healthy, mission-aligned staff culture?

Choose categories that matter most to your unique apostolate, practice or mission.

Develop SMART KPIs

Use SMART goals for mission-driven organizations to create metrics that are both measurable and spiritually grounded. Your KPIs should be:

  • Specific – Clear and focused (e.g., "Increase patient visits")

  • Measurable – Tied to a number or observable outcome (e.g., "by 15%")

  • Achievable – Realistic based on current resources

  • Relevant – Connected to your mission and goals

  • Time-bound – Set to a timeframe (e.g., "within the next quarter")

Example (Clinical KPI):
Reduce patient no-show rate from 18% to 10% within 6 months by improving appointment reminders and follow-ups.

Example (Mission KPI):
Increase the number of abortion pill reversal patients by 10% in the next year.

Discern What to Measure—and What Not To

Not everything that matters can be measured, and not everything that can be measured matters. Use prayer, consultation, and strategic reflection to discern:

  • What are the vital few KPIs that will truly move our mission forward?

  • Are we measuring to control, or to cultivate growth?

  • Do our KPIs reflect both effectiveness and faithfulness?

One point to remember as you develop your KPIs: they come in time. What is important today may not be import next year. Keep developing.

A dashboad can be a great way to start to develop your KPIs and SMART goals for your organization. From here you can develop 3-5 organizational department goals!

Create a Rhythm of Review & Discussion

Regular review turns data into formation. We have had a pendulum of discussion of KPIs… some seasons this was never, while other seasons it seemed like all the time.

KPIs are not a scorecard for success—they’re a map for stewardship. Use KPIs as a lens for both celebration and course correction. Find what works for your organization. Here is a rhythm that has seemed to work for us:

  • Monthly review with managers or leaders.

  • Quarterly for board members

  • Every 6 months with the full staff: YEP! It is good for everyone to know where things are at.

Closing Reflection

KPIs can feel like a worldly tool—but in the hands of a faithful leader, they become a holy instrument. Like the loaves and fishes, your resources are finite—but when measured and offered with intention, they can be multiplied for Kingdom fruit. When we measure with intention, our KPIs become tools of stewardship and mission impact, guiding our teams to bear fruit for God’s Kingdom.

Let’s be leaders who are not only compassionate and courageous, but clear-eyed and committed to excellence, all for the greater glory of God.

Together in Christ,
The Reclaim Healthcare Summit Team
Bella Health + Wellness

Abby Sinnett
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