Exploring different ways to do an annual report

Are you about to start work on your annual report? Whether you’re planning to create a digital version for the first time, or you’re looking to move away from a static PDF, this article contains ideas to help you do this. There are plenty of ways to get creative with a digital annual report.

 

Remember, as long as you have a separate trustees’ annual report and accounts – which is a legal requirement for registered charities – there is flexibility to do what you want with a digital annual report. For example, you don’t need to have lots of financial information.

 

You may also decide to call your annual report something different, such as an annual review or an impact report.

 

 

Why you should have a digital annual report

 

An article from Nicholas Carson-Ashurst, digital marketing manager at SeeAbility on the CharityComms website, says that you don’t need to store lots of physical copies of annual reports in your office. He says you can send a digital report to supporters on email, which they can easily look at on their phone or laptop.

 

Another CharityComms article says that having a digital annual report can help you to increase readership and form closer connections with people. This is because sharable content and search engine optimisation will help to increase the number of people who see your content. A print publication will only reach those people on your mailing list.

 

Another benefit of having a digital annual report is that you can measure its effectiveness using website analytics. This will help you to understand what content people are interested in and adapt what you do in the future.

 

Other benefits of a digital annual report are:

• You can change the content after it’s published
• It’s better for the environment
• You can integrate it with social media
• You can link it to your donate page on your website to encourage people to donate 

Here are some ideas to get you started on your digital annual report.

 

 

Video and animation

 

A short two-to-three-minute video or animation is a powerful way to get across your key messages. You could include case studies and strong statistics.

 

An example of this is the Look Good Feel Better impact film. The cancer support charity chose to produce a two-minute video sharing the voices of people with cancer and volunteers.

 

There’s also the Dementia UK video annual report. This three-minute video shows the charity’s key achievements through animated statistics. Girls Who Code also use animated statistics and illustrations in their digital annual reports to draw people’s eyes to the content.

 

 

Infographic

 

An infographic is information that is presented visually to help make it easy to understand. You could use statistics and facts to show your charity’s achievements.

 

For example, how many people used your services last year and how many volunteers helped you to do your work.

 

The World Cancer Research Fund used an infographic along with a video for its 2020-2021 annual report.

 

 

Microsite

 

You could create a dedicated website for your annual report called a microsite. Here, you could include video content, links to your charity’s website and images.

 

You could take different approaches with the structure. For example, you could choose a more traditional structure with digital elements, such as the online annual report from The Royal College of Pathologists. This includes sections on achievements and finances with links to the organisation’s website.

 

Or you could choose to show your charity’s achievements through stories and voices of the people you work with. For example, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ annual report includes case studies of members of the college.

 

There’s also the Malala Fund’s annual report which is on a microsite. The charity uses strong content and horizontal scrolling to create a storybook feel.

 

 

Putting your annual report on your main website

 

You don’t need to have a standalone website for your annual report. Instead, you could have it on your charity’s website, like SeeAbility and Anthony Nolan chose to do with their annual reports. Both annual reports contain video content, statistics and case studies.

 

For more information about annual reports, have a look at the following links:

 

CharityComms has a best practice guide called A year in the life: a best practice guide to annual publications.

 

Charity copywriter Jennifer Campbell has a blog post on innovative annual reviews, which includes examples of different digital formats.