The year is coming to an end and while we are still enjoying the Christmas parties, lights, and Holiday spirit, we are beginning to think about the next year. This is a great time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished, who helped you along the way, and any challenges that came your way. Annual Reports are the way to do that. When you hear Annual Report you may think of the 10+ page reports that are released by large companies. Don’t worry, you don’t have to put together anything of that scale if you have a small to medium sized nonprofit. Not sure where to start? Well, first of all, remember why you are writing the report.
Annual Reports are a great way for your donors, sponsors, volunteers, and other stakeholders to learn the impact of their investment of money and/or time. Think about what they would like to know. With a few exceptions, they don’t really care about your profit & loss statement or your balance sheet. Instead, they want to see how the community benefited from their generosity. That being said, there are a few items that should be included in any Annual Report:
- Annual accomplishments
- Participation rates
- Number of people/animals served
- Possible increase/improvement from previous year
- Other data that you track on a regular basis
- Impact in the community
- Why was it important that you served X number of people?
- How did the community improve?
- Financials
- What percentage of revenue came from your donors, sponsors, volunteers (in-kind), membership fees, or other sources of income?
- What did you spend the money on (I recommend using percentages and not dollar amounts)?
In addition to this longer report (up to a few pages), consider creating a one-page snapshot with graphs and other engaging information. This should be visually appealing and not take long to read through/look over.
If you need assistance creating an annual (or mid-year) report for your nonprofit organization, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. For only $69, we spend three hours working on your annual report, reviewing grant applications, brainstorming fundraising ideas, or discussing any other items that are important to your nonprofit’s success. We can even schedule a 30-minute free session during your 14-day trial. Sign up on our Courses & Services page!
