This also entices donors to give AGAIN, which is what your primary goal should be! Nonprofit annual reports give you the opportunity to educate, attract and inspire donors. We like free, quick, and easy ideas to get your wheels spinning. Let’s face it, numbers can be boring or misinterpreted. Donors will want to assess the financial health of your nonprofit which is why it’s important to be transparent about your financial information in annual reports. As a best practice, Bentz Whaley Flessner recommends recording the DAF transaction on the record of the donor-advised fund (e.g., Fidelity). Rather than using expensive printed pages in the annual report some nonprofits photocopy the full list and insert it into the report that way. P.S. Annual Report Basics: Written Annual Reports Donors … Let’s take a critical look at it. How to Create a Donor-Centric Annual Report for Nonprofits: 6 Best Practices 1. Yes, Annual Reports are just that, reports. You need donors to return (something CauseEngine previously addressed with it’s “Donor Thank You Checklist and Toolkit”), learning more about your organization and getting involved in new ways. You … Be creative and have fun! If you have several donors who wish to remain anonymous, you can list “Anonymous” once as the first entry in the list or you can include a brief statement at the beginning or end of the list thanking all the donors who wish to remain anonymous… We can’t stress this enough. Sometimes this can be a difficult task — talking about where your efforts fell short — but this is your opportunity to give donors and stakeholders a peak behind the curtain of real-life nonprofit operations. Donor entities will be referred to as “donors,” and references to a particular type of donor … Set a clear objective, and then start your strategic thinking from the point of view of the donor. Design — there are so many ways to make an impact on your readers. If you’re thanking by name — corporation, foundation or individuals — PLEASE ensure you’re fact-checking and name-checking. $1-$999, $1000-$4,999, $5,000-$9,999, $10,000-$24,999 and so on. The first step of the fundraising cycle is to find individuals within your community that may be interested in donating to your organization! You clothed, you fed, you empowered, you supported. According to the Council of Nonprofits, annual reports can be used to: The idea is to make your donors and supporters the hero of your annual report by showing them the impact their donation has made. How do you do that? Don’t just frame it in terms of the nonprofit’s achievements. Threshold is generally driven by your largest gifts so at a … Once the theme is set, you can then begin thinking about design. Use visuals to make topline achievements clear, showcase where revenue is coming from, how you dispersed revenue to impact programs and what your goals are going forward. Keep it fun, keep it light and keep it succinct. recommending best practices. Did … Better yet, don’t do the list at all. Include real-life stories of people your nonprofit has impacted and let your donors see your work in action. 6. Take a look at DREAM’s annual report. More: How To Write The Perfect Annual Report (With Examples)3 Awesome Annual Report Themes with Examples, Copyright © 2020 Silent Partner Software Inc | Privacy Policy. And if you tier the donors by giving category, some may be motivated to boost their giving. Make them the center of your story that all impacts resonate from. Therefore, organizations should strive to make their annual reports readable and persuasive to maximize the report’s impact. When you segment your donors… Before creating your report, read 7 best practices to help you succeed. Share both the accomplishments and the shortcomings so you paint a transparent picture. Remember: the visuals you choose need to be functional and pleasing to the eye. ANNUAL REPORTS, do you need one?…the answer is a big YES…but where to start? Best Practices in Donor Recognition: Donor recognition, as a practice, offers three things to your audience of donors: (1) Access, (2) Information; and (3) Recognition. They’ve also color-coded the sub-headings which breaks down the information and makes it easier for people to interpret the data. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. What did the donors make possible this year? Read the OTA's previous Annual Reports. Headache gone. If you have questions about HOW to communicate shortcomings as an investment opportunity, give us a shout! 1. Organ and Tissue Authority 2018-19 Annual Report (7.65MB PDF) Organ and Tissue Authority 2017-18 Annual Report (7.48MB PDF) Organ and Tissue Authority 2016-17 Annual Report … Do your prior Annual Reports match your brand and impact or do they seem to fall short? Maybe your Annual Report this year includes a video, an interactive website report, a blog post or email with a downloadable PDF, a photo gallery slideshow highlighting key events. This makes it seem more authentic and real. It breathes life into your annual report while inspiring existing donors to continue their support and encouraging potential donors to get involved. Speaking of recipes, grab those lunch leftovers and let’s dive in! Communicate with design. Instead, consider using data visualization such as charts, graphs, tables, maps and infographics to present the same financial information in a more engaging way. It’s best to strike while the iron is hot — use this opportunity to encourage action and attract support. Above all, make sure your Annual Report reflects YOUR organization. If you started from scratch today, would you produce your annual report the same way you did last year? The annual report is also available in digital format on the Transparency Portal. Everyone loves infographics! The best way to draw readers in while communicating impact is by using visuals. Talk TO them, not AT them. Don’t worry about downloading a 20+ page document, we don’t like to read that much either. What donors and other stakeholders want to know is the impact your nonprofit is having. Here’s a letter from the board chair in my first annual report… BUT they are also sales and marketing tools for your the future so you MUST include a Call to Action for continued support. Ensure Your Essential Reporting Information Is Included. Be brutally honest with yourself. Soft credit may be given to the individual who advised the distribution, so that credit is reflected on the donor… Establish an overarching theme and let it reflect across the annual report in the color scheme, typography and visual elements used. Both your Donors & Board Members want to know their money is being put to good use and towards your IMPACT. CauseEngine helps organizations prioritize their efforts and focus on impact through storytelling to captivate your audiences — the perfect ingredient for this Annual Report recipe! Whatever your format, make sure it’s pumped full of visually compelling imagery that supports your mission, highlights your past year’s activities and is visually compelling. Lists give people an excuse to look -- if only for their own name. To wrap it up — Annual Reports don’t have to be daunting, but they do need to be thorough, well-designed, and must tell your best story. What makes a good letter from a director in your annual report? One of the most important design elements to consider while creating your nonprofit annual report is consistency. Use this easy formula to clearly illustrate the transition from contributions to impact: Answer these questions; “How many people did you impact or inspire? Make it personalized with clear narrative explaining who you are, what you stand for and the impact you create on a daily basis. At the very least, your annual report should … Check out our list of the best annual fund event fundraising ideas your nonprofit can put into practice. “We think this is the best way to summarize the last year.” “We’re required to do it.” Let me ask you a question. (something CauseEngine previously addressed with it’s “Donor Thank You Checklist and Toolkit”). Open up your organization to the masses. Don’t focus on operational improvements (computers, staff, ink for that printer) instead, your content should be MISSION-DRIVEN accomplishments illustrating donor dollars translated to impact and mission outcomes. Imagine this: a potential donor has just finished reading your annual report and is left impressed with everything you’ve achieved. Make the most of it by implementing these six best practices, enabling you to create a donor-centric annual report that captivates attention, gets read and leaves people impressed. An annual report is a communications tool that helps tell your nonprofit’s story to donors. Keep it clear and digestible. Frequently, this step includes searching for people who have a history of philanthropic behavior with other organizations. But if you’re including your financial statements as is, it may overwhelm the reader. By ending the annual report with a strong call-to-action that tells people what is expected of them. We’ve got expert copywriters, infographic wizards, and print layout gurus that can take your collateral from “just good enough” to breathtaking. All donor entities, individual as well as granting agencies, sponsors, corporations and foundations, etc., will be considered in these recommendations. You’ve shared the numbers behind your success but don’t stop at that. Identify what your future goals and needs are and SAY IT! Focus on their achievements. Call to Action — don’t forget to include your CTA. The Donor Relations Guru website was created to provide fundraising and nonprofit professionals with free samples, resources, and tips for creating a better donor experience and improving their … Prompting continued investment is a primary goal of your Annual Report. 4. An annual report is a comprehensive report on an organization’s activities throughout the preceding calendar or fiscal year. Some organizations are moving away from annual reports … I’m getting ready to teach a two-part webinar series on new and improved annual reports at CharityHowTo and I’ll show you how to produce a great annual report that doesn’t include a donor list. Are Spelling Errors Killing Your Profits? There should be a pretty equal balance between visuals and text — this helps the eye, intrigues the reader, and makes a greater impression. According to the National Investor Relations Institute, it’s a best practice for annual reports to include additional content elements, such as the following: CEO letter to shareholders… What is your organization’s return on investment?”. You’re building trust with your audience and connecting on a human-level with them. Reach out with your questions, frustrations or needs. While rely… You... Don’t Talk About Activities, Show … Keep notes on these details. Hats off to your Donors — after all, they’re the fuel to your cause. 1. Here’s an example of a nonprofit strategy map you can use in the annual report. A nonprofit annual report is not meant to be a list of activities you’ve carried out in the past year. Remember, if you need some extra hands to support, we’re here. Here are some action items you can leave readers with: Take a look at the last page of American Kidney Fund’s 2017 annual report that lists the various ways people can get involved and show their support. Annual reports … So first the $10,000+ donors, then the $5,000 to $9,999 donors, then the $1,000 to $4,999; and so on, ending usually with $1 to $99 donors. Who’s your Audience? Anonymous donors may want all their giving to be anonymous or they may indicate that only particular giving should remain anonymous. The Top 10 Benefits of Social Media Marketing, How Movember Raised Over $1 Billion Thanks to Walking Billboards, What Seth Godin’s Rerouted Flight Taught Me About Marketing, Before There Was Corona Beer, There Was Ayds Candy, 3 Reasons Why Micro-Influencers Must Be in Your Marketing Mix, Optimizing Your Content to Become the “Featured Snippet” in Google Search Results. An infographic is quantitative data in a visually evocative format. Misspellings and misrepresentation is inexcusable and literally costs you money whether that’s a reprint of your Annual Report to fix a mistake or a loss in donor contributions from those not represented correctly. No two donors are alike. If you’ve heard me on an annual reports webinar any time in the last decade, you’ve heard me say some version of this: It’s OK to go short and stop publishing the donor list.Seriously. Spreadsheets can be soul-crushing. But remember, don’t brag. Now that I am actively advocating for very short annual reports, I’m hearing that the donor list … From growing your donor base and meeting your fundraising goals, to making a difference to the community and reaping change, your nonprofit has had a successful year. They feature stories of the children they’ve impacted, along with their pictures and quotes. This Annual Report IS YOUR STORY so tell it and use this tool to make your appeals easier than the year before. Introduce Your Mission. Best Nonprofit Annual Reports 2019 Show Gratitude to Your Donors. Be honest and humble operators of good. Your readers want to know the RESULTS and that their money FUELS your impact. At … We offer all of these things to all … 5. 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