Three Questions to Ask When Preparing Your Next Annual Report

Essential preparations to maximize impact

You’re charged with handling the company’s annual report and want to make it count. Summarizing a year’s worth of activities—in a way that makes people want to actually read it—can feel like a daunting task.

Before you begin: Take time to consider purpose, format and timing.

Why do you need an annual report?

A thoughtfully developed annual report creates an opportunity to share stories of impact instead of solely focusing on the year’s activity.

An annual report should:

• Communicate the ministry’s unique vision.
• Bring statistics to life, creating an emotional connection with otherwise anonymized or dry data.
• Enhance financial transparency, build trust and strengthen the ministry’s reputation.
• Keep the ministry connected to key stakeholders, ministry partners and partner organizations.
• Inspire staff members, ministry partners and volunteers.

What is the best format for an annual report?

There is not a one-size-fits-all option. Consider what format best fits your needs:

Print

A beautifully written and masterfully designed report can be incredibly powerful:

• Provides weight and importance to the impact you’ve made.
• Creates a narrative experience similar to a traditional storybook—turning each page, feeling ink and paper.
• Cuts through the distracting noise of online channels.
• Connects with traditional ministry partners who may expect and enjoy a print experience.
• Captures imagery and messages in a timeless fashion.

Digital

A digital report offers unique opportunities not available in print:

• Enhances online access beyond a static PDF.
• Provides an engaging experience with audio, video and animation capabilities.
• Allows for easy sharing without distribution costs.
• Offers flexibility for edits/adjustments.
• Helps fine-tune ministry goals through the ability to track analytics on reach and readership.

Check out this digital example from Girls Who Code .

Hybrid

A hybrid print and a digital experience can be the best of both worlds:

• Provides an annual report experience that offers something for everyone—a standard practice in recent years.
• Gives traditional donors a personal experience, while also showcasing your commitment to innovation and creativity.
• Takes advantage of the flexibility offered by each medium: a bigger digital experience with a smaller printed companion piece or a longer written report with a smaller digital footprint.

Check out this hybrid (print and digital) example from Habitat for Humanity.

When is the best time to start?

Gathering information, stories and visual assets for an annual report takes time. Put a system in place to capture examples of ministry impact throughout the year. Then, begin the process of creating your annual report a few months before the end of the year you want to capture. Best practice is to make your annual report available to the public by the end of the following quarter.

Need more guidance? Drop us an email .