The annual report in the non-profit sector is a comprehensive document that provides an overview of an organization's activities, achievements, and financial performance over a year. It showcases the organization's impact, goals, and plans to stakeholders, including donors, supporters, partners, and the general public.

Non-profit organizations prepare an annual report every year, which summarizes the results and activities of the previous year. Perhaps, depending on the donor and the activities you carry out, you sometimes work on more than one version of it.

The annual report plays a crucial role in demonstrating the organization's transparency, accountability, and commitment to its mission. The report instills trust and confidence in the organization's work by providing detailed information about its programs, initiatives, and financials. It also serves as a platform to recognize and thank donors and volunteers, fostering positive public relationships and potentially attracting new supporters. Overall, the annual report is a vital resource for stakeholders to assess the organization's effectiveness, financial health, and the tangible difference it makes in the community, ultimately strengthening its reputation and impact.

Organizations, in most cases, publish these reports on their websites or in printed form and in most cases, use their annual reports as communication materials.

However, errors often occur in that process because the reports are not adapted to different target groups, nor the general public, so we have too extensive, boring, and (most often) visually unattractive reports that (almost) no one reads and understands.

That is why we wrote a recent blog about how you can improve your annual report and use it in external communication as a helpful tool to help you present your mission and results in the best viable way.

Suppose you want to use it as part of promotional and communicational activities. In that case, you need to create a special version of your annual report intended for external communication, which will differ from the official one intended for donors, audits, or internal communication.

The content of the report should primarily communicate the mission

No one has the time or interest to read 30+ pages of your annual report, no matter how many quality things you do and how impressive your results are. Therefore, you need to shorten the text, highlight the most interesting facts and data, and adapt the language and tone of communication to the general public.

Forget about administrative details, redundant numbers, and boring details. Focus on the mission, and do not forget to use stories and quotes from your users, contributors, and donors. Show how you are improving your community and what positive changes you are bringing to the lives of those you work for and with. Even the stories of your programs or projects should communicate your mission and show why what you do matters.

It is less important and impressive how many aid packages you have distributed, how many beneficiaries you have helped, or how many trainings you have held than how you have brought positive changes into the lives of the groups and individuals you support.

The annual report is also an excellent tool for communicating key messages to target groups. If you want to use your work report for these purposes, pay attention to the content, messages you want to send, and the effects you want to achieve. Use storytelling – present the successful year behind you through a story that will present your organization in the best feasible way – both to those already familiar with your work and those who meet your organization for the first time.

The visual effect is important

Do not forget the visual moment. Use the opportunity to present the data visually interestingly through infographics, illustrations, and photos. This will not only give your report a nicer, more interesting, and warmer note, but it will help you bring data and information that may not be so interesting and attractive to your target groups.

While there is plenty of room for experimentation here, you should not overdo it – it is important to stick to the core elements of your brand and use colors, logos, fonts, and visuals to add to your organization’s recognition and strengthen your brand. In this process, you will need the help of a designer, team, or communications person.

In the online version of your report, which you will post on your website, you can also include links that will lead to important or relevant sources on your website and that will help readers of the report find additional information.

Show transparency – include financial information

An important part of your report should be the financial part. In this way, you show transparency and help supporters and donors understand how you spend the funds received and how the donations you receive affect the community or improve the life quality of your target group.

There is also space to show your data through tables and graphs, making them more interesting and understandable. If you have particularly important donors, this is an opportunity to thank them and highlight the importance of their support for your work.

It would not be a bad idea to include information about how all donors can support you in this part and for what purposes you will need the donation in the future.

Conclusion

Before you implement some of the tips we have outlined when working on your performance report for the previous year, consider how important that report will be to your communications.

If you believe that it will contribute to informing about your work and creating a better or clearer picture of your organization, then change your current approach and use the opportunity to create significant communication material with the help of which you will communicate the mission and activities of your organization.

This means you should forget short, dry, uninspiring reports composed in jargon, as they fail to create any meaningful impact.

Instead, engagingly tell your story supported by quotes and testimonials from your employees, donors, and beneficiaries. Highlight key achievements and successes by communicating your mission. Be open and transparent and clearly communicate financial activities from the previous year.

Use visual elements such as infographics, illustrations, and photos to give the story more impact. Create a report you would like to read, not a boring and impersonal text that repels readers after the first paragraph and is understandable only to people working in the organization or participating in its writing.

 

This article is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Catalyst Balkans and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

The Citizen Engagement Activity in Kosovo is a five-year initiative implemented by Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF) in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).