Posted February 3, 2010

Top 5 Ways to Maximize Your Annual Report as a Communication Tool
Indiblu Helps Nonprofits Get More Out of Annual Report

Charlotte, NC –Many nonprofits are in the process of creating their annual reports at this time of year. But, Indiblu Creative recommends that before you get started, you need to stop thinking of an annual report as a financial report. And, start thinking of it as a way to connect with the very people who support your organization.

There was a time when a nonprofit annual report consisted of little more than a two sided sheet of paper littered with numbers and graphs - hardly an interesting or inviting piece of reading. Yet, this piece is widely distributed among sponsors, donors, volunteers, and the community. With limited marketing dollars and the need for an annual report, Indiblu Creative suggests nonprofits use this piece as a marketing tool. In our current economy, this makes as much sense as ever.

Try following Indiblu Creative’s Top 5 Tips for Your Annual Report:

Stay True to Your Mission

Inspire supporters with stories of personal success and responsible use of funds. True stories add a human element and remind the reader that the mission is not about money. Stay away from details like a new software program in purchasing or remodeling of the offices– this has nothing to do with your mission.

Use Pictures to Tell a Story

For those who have neither the patience nor the time to read the full report, photos with captions provide a quick glimpse of your efforts. There are many ways to use images even if the photo library is limited due to privacy issues. Stock photography or carefully used images can be used to tell a story.

Do Not Focus on Past Fundraising/Focus on Future Advocacy

While you are expected to successfully raise money, this is not the core of your mission. The money simply helps to make your mission possible. Your reader would rather hear how you responsibly and effectively put that money to good use. This is where the personal stories do the work. Keep the specific numbers to the financial pages of the report. On the other hand, this is a good place to show thanks to your supporters and to ask for their continued support going forward. Now that you’ve inspired them with the good that you do, tell them how to get involved and help going forward. Be clear with exact details about how to help and provide an easy to use online link. Do you need time and/or money? Do you offer planned giving options? Do you accept gift cards or stock? Can donors contribute monthly with a credit card debit? Make supporting your organization easy and show your appreciation as often as possible.

Make the Financials Easy to Understand

Most of us are not accountants or tax attorneys. Either we will not know how to read the report or won’t want to bother. Keep it simple, easy to read, and where applicable, show visually through graphs and charts. Explain the numbers with call outs, small notes, and even put in a highlight about fundraising strategies or cost-savings tactics.

Triple Check Everything

“I distinctly remember being at a fundraising lunch where everyone received a printout of the financials to review. The executive director then proceeded to launch into a campaign for donations expressing how desperately they needed the support of the attendees to continue their mission. Upon a close review of the financial sheet, it appeared that they were quite well off with more than a million dollars that were unaccounted for in any budget. The mistake was a typo, but it left many with an uneasy feeling about how the organization functioned,” shares Kimber Flynn, President and Creative Director at Indiblu. The moral of the story, check the numbers, the donor list, the facts, and every detail more than once and with multiple parties.

The addition of relevant content to the annual report and a call for action moving forward will no doubt make an impact on your audience. The stories and articles are a fresh reminder of the very core of what nonprofits do. After all, the work you do is not simply about money – it is about people, health, animals, the environment, or another cause of great importance to the community.

Indiblu Creative is an award-winning firm in Charlotte, N.C. which specializes in branding, marketing, print design, web design, and social marketing for nonprofits, organizations, companies and causes that make a difference in the world. To learn more about how Indiblu is “creative with a cause,” please call (704) 587-3625, find us online
at www.indiblucreative.com

 

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