Are you blowing the dust from your annual report as you sit down to think about what to do this year? So much time, effort, and money goes into producing the document, yet for many, it ends up being a functional, ‘just get it done’ process. But with a plan, you could be maximising your annual reports and the story of your impact.
The purpose of annual reports
Producing an annual report and accounts is a legal requirement, so specific information must be included. The necessary components of this document can feel at odds with how creative you can be with the report itself. But have no fear, there are still opportunities to make all that hard work work harder for your charity and use this as an opportunity to connect with your audiences.
Along with the Charity Commission, other people who will be interested in your charity’s performance over the year and how your finances have been managed include funders, partners, the people your charity supports, volunteers, staff and supporters or members.
A solid and compelling annual report can be a great influencing or promotional tool, showcasing the breadth and depth of your charity’s work and the difference it makes. The report can make people feel proud to be associated with you and it can attract more people to be part of your charity’s story.
Why you should get creative with your annual reports
The internet and social media have fundamentally changed how we design, consume and share information. With this said, the standard report could also change to help audiences connect more with the information you’re sharing.
Ways to get creative with your annual reports
Think about the story rather than the length
In today’s bite-sized world, less is more. But your annual report still needs to be meaningful. For time-poor audiences, it’s not necessarily a demand for less (or rather shorter reports) but a demand for better reports.
An annual report isn’t a shopping list; you don’t need to include details on every single activity, programme, or project that took place over the year. Look at your strategic objectives and share the best projects, case studies or statistics that illustrate how you are working towards these goals.
In other words, think about the overall story you want to tell about the year as a whole. By using the structure of a story to connect the different charity activities, you can create a report that is engaging for your readers.
Shapeshifter
Changing expectations can create interest and encourage people to pick it up and read it. For example, if you are producing a printed report, consider producing it in a different shape or form – square or landscape, or A5 instead of A4 portrait.
Step away from the printer
Better yet, instead of producing a printed report, consider a microsite or landing page with dynamic infographics and links to video content. You can make it interactive and even use videos of staff, volunteers and/or the people your charity supports to present some of the key messages.
Creating a digital version of your annual report also means it can be more accessible to a wider audience. Read SeeAbility’s blog on how they made their impact report digital by working with the functionality they already had on their website.
Order, order
Most reports start with the contents, followed by an introduction or message from the chair and chief executive. Finance graphs come towards the middle and so on. It doesn’t need to be this way.
As with social media, people tend to scan and dip in and out of reports. Think about what they want to know and give them this information first. Would a message from the chair really hook them in, or would they much rather know about the impact of your amazing behaviour change campaign or how much money you’ve raised and how you’ve spent it? Don’t bury your best stories on page 24 or further down the webpage – start with your lead.
Providing the information set out by the Charity Commission is contained within the report, what order you format the document is up to you.
Too much information
Concisely capturing a year’s worth of activity in one useable document is a tall ask, but with some forethought, there are ways to balance sharing information and minimising overload.
Consider the other ways you can present data other than written prose, for example, infographics, charts, diagrams and stories.
One graphic can convey a substantial amount of information. What can you present visually? Can you group similar trends, insights, or outputs into one infographic? Add one or two testimonials that capture the range of support your charity provides. You’ll find that data visualisations and storytelling techniques can compensate for the drier governance and financial pages required for annual reports.
Also, consider the accessibility of your report in how you present the information. You can find useful advice in the CharityComms accessibility resource.
Maximise exposure
You can repurpose the report’s content across your social media, newsletters and presentations. For example, you could break the document up and use it to create bite-sized posts for social media, share the infographics in your newsletters, or build quotes out into thought leadership pieces.
Keeping your whole team aware of the contents and data can help you create a full campaign around your charity’s impact, getting the most out of the work that goes into putting a report together.
Look and learn
Inspiration is all around you. Turning to other charities and reviewing how they deliver their annual reports can spark ideas you can use yourself.
UK Youth houses its annual review on a microsite. Easy navigation, good use of images and dynamic information make it an easy and enjoyable report to read.
WWF produces a summary document alongside its fuller annual report and accounts, getting two tools from one piece of work. Brilliant images, great use of colour, and good data visualisation make these reports a joy.
Dementia UK used the graphics from its annual report to create a short video to summarise the year and thank their supporters – a perfect output for its digital channels.
Whereas Oxfam opens with a story and follows this with the key numbers from the year before going into the main report. As with the WWF, good use of colour and page layout makes what could be a lengthy report feel easy to read.
Don’t relegate your annual report to the dusty bookcase, get creative and make it work for you.
Banner Image: Burak The Weekender on Pexels