Make a Pie Chart in Excel 2007

When it comes to visualizing data in Excel 2007, one of the most effective and popular ways is through the use of pie charts. A pie chart is perfect for illustrating the relationship between different parts or categories within your data, making it an excellent choice for summarizing giving totals by level. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the steps to create a pie chart in Excel 2007.

To start, hover over one of the default chart options on the Insert tab to get a preview of what the chart will look like. Select the option that is closest to your desired chart type. Note that if your table includes a 'Grand Total' row, do not include it or it will be treated as a separate slice in your pie chart.

Next, select the range or table of data you want to illustrate in your chart. In our example, we are summarizing giving totals by level and want to show the relationship between different levels of donors compared to total giving. To follow along with this tutorial, download the Excel Pie Chart Tutorial.xlsx file.

Once you have selected your data range, insert the pie chart into your spreadsheet. In this example, we will use a pie chart to illustrate how our charity's giving totals are distributed among different donor levels.

Pie charts are particularly effective for showing how specific aspects or slices of your data contribute to the bigger picture. They are also an 'industry standard' for conveying the relationship between parts and the whole. When used correctly, charts can create a significant visual impact that not only conveys the data itself but also its relationships and meaning.

However, it's important to note that pie charts are not suitable for showing changes over time or comparing data that is not summarized into a grand total. In these cases, other chart types such as line charts or bar charts may be more effective.

By following these steps and considering when to use pie charts effectively, you can create powerful visualizations of your data in Excel 2007 and bring your information to life for others.

Make a pie chart in excel 2007