Any organisation looking to grow and engage with its target audience needs an annual report. It is a simplified tool to build transparency about financial arrangements, credibility, and trust with stakeholders of all levels, and communicates goals throughout distribution pathways.
More importantly, an NFP’s annual report holds a team accountable to specific action items. It highlights what you’re doing, how you’re getting there, and why your organisation is making an impact on those you hope to serve.
With so much weight on one single report, it makes sense to turn it into a useful document you can leverage. The trick is to transform your report into something that breaks through visual, storytelling, and hard fact barriers, so those reading it will find it engaging.
What Goes into an Annual Report
You can build an NFP annual report around nothing more than facts or figures. It will read like a newsletter from the upper leadership of the team and likely be dry for others. To make a greater impact, you’re better off balancing information that is transparent and highly engaging. That would require sections like:
- Key metrics, including donator information, fund allocation, KPIs, volunteer hours, and client data, are helpful.
- Impact stories from beneficiaries, volunteers, or staff that convey more than statistics.
- Financials of every level, from basic income to where donator funds are allocated.
- A vision for the future so those invested in your journey can see where you’re going next.
All that data can feel overwhelming for even the most experienced industry insider. You need to find a way to transform raw information into visuals that effectively tell your story.
Quick Visual Tips on Reporting
Stick to higher-quality images of programs, events, and people that resonate with your target readers. Infographics are a good example as they convey a lot of information in a more accessible way using bar charts, icons, and timelines.
Don’t forget you have a brand to maintain as well. Be sure to include all your visual branding elements, such as colours, fonts, and logos, to ensure consistency. This is your big day out, and you want everyone involved to never forget who you are.
A good trick of the trade is to break up all the text with callout boxes that feature subtle logos or colour schemes, such as “Your donator funds helped us save 25,000 trees this year.”
The Versatility of Report Formatting
Once you’ve got your annual report well laid out, it’s time to think about how you’re going to deliver it to your target readers. Not everyone will open an email attachment or watch a slideshow, so you’ll need to “translate” your report into various visual forms. The most common are:
- PDFs: Great for preserving document layout across various device sizes.
- Microsites: Some NFPs will use a small, standalone site for a specific report so it is easy to access, focused on just that info, and mobile responsive for greater accessibility.
- Interactive Docs: Some PDFs or large-format documents will include clickable navigation and animations. Interactive elements generate over 53% more engagement with reports or documents.
Anytime you put your annual report in a cloud-based platform, you boost its ability to be translated into other languages and devices in real time. That increases your readability so more people are aware of who you are, what you do, and how you do it.
Don’t be afraid to have a little fun. Plenty of tools like Canva, Looker Studio, Adobe InDesign, and similar platforms will have templates and pre-filled examples you can use if design isn’t your natural talent.
If you are someone who loves AI and wants to use it to generate visuals or reports, remember to double-check all the data. AI sometimes misrepresents or misplaces data, making it less legible and accurate.
Where to Distribute Your NFP’s Annual Report
You’ve created the annual report of a lifetime, are ready to send it to the NDIS for verification and funding requests, but where do you distribute it to your stakeholders? The goal is to get the right eyeballs around your information. Start small with email and work your way up to more complex methods like:
- Controlled Email Campaigns: Take advantage of distribution lists and account segmentation to “light up” the inboxes of your stakeholders.
- Website Integration: Be sure to post a copy of your annual report in at least a PDF on your website. If you have a microsite, link to it from your main website.
- Social Media: Share a post about your annual report on TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and any other social media platforms you regularly utilise.
- Physical Copies: Odds are, you’ll have a formal meeting at some point or wish to include marketing materials on your intake desk. You can always place a physical copy with a nice cover to provide more information.
Another pro media tip for your annual report distribution is to include a professional press release with a press packet for your NFP’s annual report. Local media will likely pick up statistics or emotional stories about your successes.
Final Thoughts
It may not seem like it at first, but your NFP annual report is a powerful document that can generate significant engagement and motivate stakeholders to take action. Volunteers and donators, in particular, will appreciate feeling included when you highlight the critical role their hours and funding play in your community’s impact.
Take your time to create a visually appealing and easy-to-understand report. Have a little fun. After all, it’s your history you are writing.
If you’re in the market for an annual report microsite or to include a new website that launches alongside your upcoming report, contact our staff at Web 105. We are a professional team of website designers and developers specialising in Australian NFPs, government agencies, healthcare providers, and other organisations.
FAQs
What is the annual report of a nonprofit organisation?
The entire idea of an annual report is to communicate what your NFP has accomplished in the previous year and what the future direction looks like based on current or anticipated resources.
What is included in the annual report of a charity?
There is a lot you can pack into an annual report. Start with the financial info (income, balance sheet, audits, etc.), achievements, impact statements, personal stories, donator/volunteer accounting and recognition, leadership team notes, and anything else that signals how you’re looking ahead.
What is not included in the annual report?
The only thing you don’t want in the annual report is a press release from the past. You can generate a PR announcing your success or report data, but don’t put it into your actual report.