Annual Reports: The Agony and The Ecstasy
For most nonprofits and foundations, the annual report is the flagship of communications. It allows an organization to tell its story, convey a professional image, educate readers about philanthropy, encourage new donors – the list goes on and on. “Let us send you a copy of our annual report,” is a phrase often heard by those making inquiries.
Although many of us look forward to our annual report’s release, few of us relish the hard work and long hours it can take to actually get there. Any project of this scale will have its ups and downs, its share of hurdles and headaches. But if you know where you’re going and how to get there, you can make producing an annual report a much more manageable task.
Before You Begin, Set Your Goals
What will make your annual report a success? That depends on what your goals are for the report. Just like any other initiative your foundation begins, you should always consider several important questions before beginning your annual report process.
- What does your organization want to accomplish with its annual report?
- Do you want to provide a general information piece? Use it as a fundraising tool?
- Do you wish to encourage and publicize the work of your grantees or volunteers?
Although your report can serve more than one purpose, you’ll find that the entire process of creating and disseminating the report much easier if you can identify a single guiding purpose. What is the ONE THING you want your annual report to accomplish? This is your primary goal. Be realistic. A printed piece can only do so much for you.
Take It One Step At A Time
Like any large-scale project, producing an annual report is much more manageable if you break it down into a step-by-step process. If you know and understand this process, you can set realistic goals for your annual report and manage the expectations of others in your organization who are anxiously awaiting your masterpiece. The annual report process also helps you avoid errors, oversights and last-minute surprises.
Generally defined, the steps in this process are:
- Targeting: Identifying your target audience and key messages.
- Creating: Developing a creative vehicle that will deliver your key messages to your target audience in a way that appeals to them.
- Producing: Writing, designing and laying out your annual report, including photography or illustrations as needed.
- Printing: Committing your creative ideas and execution to mass production.
- Distributing: Getting your finished annual report into the hands of your target audience.
Less = More
The average reader spends less than 10 minutes with your annual report. He or she looks mostly at photos or illustrations, captions, call-out quotes and short sidebars. Yet, writing the annual report is usually the most arduous task in the entire process.
There is no easy solution for getting those words down on paper, but there are several points you can remember to make them more readable. Write the way you talk, give your readers the ability to “self-select” information they would like to read, decide which details are most important and focus on those, keep internal details, politics and egos out of the report and spend more time on concept and less on writing.
The number one rule for gaining readers? LESS IS MORE! Every word added is a reader lost. Keep your audience in mind and tell them about topics in which they have an interest.
Once your annual report is delivered to your door – and sent right back out that door to its avid readers, it’s time to celebrate! Give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. Then, start thinking about the NEXT report!
This article is provided by WordOne, the first word in nonprofit communications. WordOne has more than a decade of experience producing communications pieces for nonprofits including annual reports, brochures, logos, Web sites, email newsletters and more for nonprofit clients. WordOne is located in Atlanta, Georgia can be found online at www.wordone.com.
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