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Wednesday, August 13, 2025

How To Create A Nonprofit Annual Report + Glorious Examples


Annual stories typically call to mind spreadsheets and dense monetary particulars, however your nonprofit’s report may be a lot extra. It’s your probability to speak your mission’s successes, share compelling tales, and thank those that made all of it attainable.

A nonprofit annual report isn’t only a assortment of economic knowledge—it’s the story of your group’s affect over the previous 12 months. For nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and entrepreneurs, it’s a novel alternative to deepen supporter engagement by showcasing not simply what you probably did, however why it issues.

So, how are you going to remodel pages of statistics right into a compelling narrative that conjures up continued assist? We’ll discover key methods to create a nonprofit annual report that informs and motivates supporters:

Let’s make your annual report an inspiring learn by ensuring it doesn’t simply verify a field however really engages your viewers.

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What’s a Nonprofit Annual Report?

A nonprofit annual report is a complete doc that gives an in depth overview of a nonprofit’s actions, accomplishments, and monetary efficiency for the earlier fiscal 12 months. It’s an affect report that blends knowledge with storytelling, visuals, and monetary milestones to convey the affect of the group’s mission.

When crafted thoughtfully, annual stories construct belief with donors, volunteers, companions, and the broader group.

Does a 501(c)(3) Want An Annual Report?

Your nonprofit isn’t legally required to supply an annual report in the identical means it should file a Kind 990 with the IRS. Nonetheless, creating an annual report is a finest follow.

A well-written annual report results in these advantages:

A list of benefits of creating a strong nonprofit annual report

  • Elevated transparency and accountability. Annual stories present clear details about how your group makes use of its sources to additional its mission. Monetary breakdowns, volunteer actions, and program progress point out that your nonprofit is reliable to donors, grantmakers, company sponsors, and the general public.
  • Enhanced supporter engagement alternatives. By highlighting achievements, your annual report exhibits the worth of supporters’ contributions. You may even use your report back to thank beneficiant donors and volunteers.
  • Clear efficiency analysis. By explaining your objectives and efficiency, you’ll talk strengths and areas for enchancment. This helps grantmakers and company sponsors see proof of your nonprofit’s reliability and effectiveness.
  • Compelling advertising and marketing alternatives. Nonprofit stories create highly effective advertising and marketing alternatives since they inform your group’s mission clearly and comprehensively. They tie collectively your affect, mission, and group contributions so others can higher perceive your distinctive goal.
  • Preparation for the approaching 12 months. Your report can present invaluable insights to arrange for the approaching 12 months. As an illustration, you would possibly discover that you want to reallocate funding to hit a time-sensitive program aim by the tip of the next 12 months.

Primarily, your nonprofit annual report can information your inside decision-making and be marketed externally to advertise successes and name supporters to motion.


Paper vs. Digital Annual Experiences for Nonprofits

The format of your nonprofit annual report will rely in your group’s dimension and engagement objectives. As an illustration, a smaller nonprofit could use a PDF one-page report for stakeholders to obtain and print. Alternatively, a extra established nonprofit ought to think about a digital format to make their report interactive and shareable.

The very best method? Provide each a printable PDF and absolutely digital model of your nonprofit annual report. This technique allows you to accommodate completely different preferences. You may print or electronic mail the PDF model for supporters to print themselves. That means, you possibly can nonetheless hyperlink to in-depth info, comparable to detailed monetary stewardship knowledge.

In the meantime, an interactive internet web page to your annual report can present a dynamic multimedia expertise. You may have interaction readers by together with branded movies, interactive charts, and navigation menus. The digital format additionally lets you attain a broader viewers by sharing the report through social media, electronic mail campaigns, and even digital adverts.

By providing each codecs, you possibly can cater to your viewers’s various communication preferences.


What To Embrace In Your Nonprofit Annual Report

In the event you search for “nonprofit annual report examples,” you’ll encounter an array of annual stories of various kinds, content material, codecs, and lengths.

The dearth of pointers could make it troublesome to know precisely what it is best to embody in your nonprofit annual report. That’s why, that can assist you get began, we’ve pinpointed just a few key components it is best to think about incorporating.

This free nonprofit annual report template consolidates these components:

A nonprofit annual report template that includes key elements that are explained below

A Brief Opening Message From Management

Embrace a brief message out of your board president or govt director. This introductory notice units the tone for the report, gives context, and provides readers a way of the group’s achievements over the previous 12 months.

Begin with a pleasant greeting, like “Expensive Pals.” You don’t must spell out every viewers.

Then, preserve your letter brief, that means half of a web page or 200-300 phrases. Brief is not asking your graphic designer to “make it match,” leaving audiences to squint at six-point font. Assume your reader is scanning, so hit the excessive factors.

Don’t be afraid to let some character shine via both. Conveying the director’s honest pleasure a couple of specific accomplishment, his or her humorousness, or a private notice makes the entire report extra partaking.

In the event you really feel like this letter is your one probability to say every part to everybody– revisit your communications plan. That feeling, and the ensuing letter that goes on endlessly, may very well be a clue that you just’re not repeatedly speaking with constituents the remainder of the 12 months.

A Desk of Contents

Create an accessible desk of contents to arrange your report and supply easy accessibility to sections. A well-structured desk of contents guides readers via the report and highlights key sections which may be of specific curiosity, comparable to monetary summaries or program affect. That means, readers can discover particular info with out having to navigate the complete doc.

Highly effective Visuals

Together with visuals in your nonprofit annual report conveys info in an interesting means. For instance, charts can breathe life into in any other case mundane monetary info, and images of beneficiaries alongside tales can drive emotional connections.

Listed here are some efficient visuals to incorporate:

  • Infographics, Charts, and Graphs: Use these visuals to current key statistics, monetary summaries, donor contributions, or program outcomes in a digestible format. Based on HubSpot’s Visible Content material Advertising Statistics, about 30% of entrepreneurs use infographics for this goal.
  • Pictures of Packages and Individuals: Showcase your nonprofit’s affect via high-quality images of your applications, occasions, beneficiaries, and volunteers. Embrace workers, board members, or companions to acknowledge those that work on the bottom.
  • Maps: In case your group operates in a number of places, embody maps to spotlight the areas you serve, serving to readers visualize the scope of your work.
  • Timeline of Milestones: Create a visible timeline for instance important achievements or occasions, displaying progress and key moments in a chronological format.
  • Movies: For digital nonprofit annual stories, embed brief movies to share private tales or footage from impactful initiatives.

In the event you don’t have an in-house designer, outsource the graphic design work to knowledgeable designer. They’ll be sure that your visuals are polished and aligned along with your model’s message.

Skilled designers like our mates at Kwala perceive find out how to successfully current knowledge and pictures in a cohesive, impactful report that resonates along with your viewers. Investing in skilled design can elevate your report, making it extra visually partaking.

Design a beautiful nonprofit annual report that communicates your impact. Work with our recommended designers.

Monetary Breakdowns

A nonprofit annual report is the right alternative to share complete monetary info with stakeholders. Embrace the next:

  • Assertion of Monetary Place: Present an outline of your group’s property and liabilities to provide a snapshot of its monetary well being.
  • Expense Allocation Graph: Present administrative prices, fundraising bills, and the way funds are distributed throughout applications to provide perception into useful resource administration.
  • Sources of Help Documentation: Embrace particulars about earnings streams, comparable to grants, particular person donations, company contributions, or income earned from providers, to spotlight your nonprofit’s monetary sustainability.
  • Main Fundraising Campaigns: Characteristic key fundraising efforts from the 12 months, together with objectives, achievements, and the affect of the funds raised in your applications.
  • Company Sponsorships: Acknowledge company companions who offered important assist, and exhibit how their contributions helped advance your mission. Contemplating that firms donate $20-26 billion yearly, you wish to present your sponsors that you just worth their assist.

Goal for transparency and acknowledge main sources of assist. Bear in mind, visuals like graphs and charts can successfully talk this info. Some organizations additionally record main donors to publicly acknowledge their largest supporters.

Achievements

Together with achievements in your annual report showcases the affect of your applications and initiatives over the previous 12 months. Spotlight key milestones and success tales from each new and ongoing initiatives, comparable to volunteer efforts and beneficiary applications. Sharing these accomplishments not solely celebrates your group’s successes but additionally reinforces your mission’s worth to stakeholders.

Challenges

You may spotlight the great whereas nonetheless being sincere about areas you understand want addressing. Your donors and different supporters wish to know that you just’re working to enhance and that their money and time isn’t being wasted.

Even when you had a fantastic 12 months, acknowledge different organizations’ challenges. In any other case, you miss the chance to point out camaraderie and gratitude. Phrases comparable to “Regardless of troublesome financial instances, we had been lucky to… ” can go a great distance.

It’s also possible to convey up anticipated challenges for the upcoming 12 months, indicating a necessity for elevated assist.

Compelling Testimonials and Tales

Individuals keep in mind tales 22 instances extra than details alone. Deliver your knowledge to life with compelling tales from beneficiaries, volunteers, and workers members. For instance, as a substitute of simply stating that 500 meals had been offered to households in want, share the story of a single mom who acquired these meals. Clarify the way it eased her burden and allowed her to give attention to caring for her kids.

A Name To Motion

Trace at just a few belongings you’re enthusiastic about for the approaching 12 months. Hold your ending hopeful however not synthetic, and invite readers to do one thing, like:

  • Observe your nonprofit on social media
  • Join your publication
  • Donate earlier than the 12 months ends
  • Volunteer at an occasion

Anybody who reads your annual report is eager about your trigger, so inform them find out how to become involved in supporting you.


How To Share Your Nonprofit Annual Report

You’ve created the right nonprofit annual report—what’s subsequent? Unfold the phrase via efficient promotion! Ship your report with a multi-channel advertising and marketing technique. Leverage these key advertising and marketing channels:

A list of ways to share your nonprofit annual report with supporters, written below

Your Nonprofit’s Web site

Add a banner or distinguished hyperlink in your homepage to encourage guests to take a look at your new report. Then, spotlight key insights out of your annual report inside weblog content material to replace anybody researching your mission. Hyperlink to the complete report in your article and promote your weblog publish throughout completely different channels.

Google Adverts

Do you know Google owns over 91% of the worldwide search engine market? Google Adverts can skyrocket content material out of your web site (like your nonprofit’s annual report) to the highest of search outcomes, connecting you along with your supporters. Though promoting may be costly, eligible nonprofits can reap the benefits of the Google Advert Grants program, which gives $10,000 in month-to-month advert credit free of charge.

Right here’s the way it works: you bid on related key phrases to focus on your best viewers. When your bid wins, your adverts seem on Google’s search outcomes pages, serving to you attain extra folks looking for subjects associated to your nonprofit’s mission and affect.

Our Google Advert Grant company might help your nonprofit maximize the worth of the grant by optimizing key phrase methods and creating advert campaigns that promote your most necessary content material. Our experience drives extra certified visitors to content material like your annual report and donation kind, rising visibility with out straining your sources.

Did you know Google Grants have the highest ROI of any digital marketing platform? Learn more about Google Grants impact.

Social Media

Fundraising analysis exhibits that 32% of donors are most impressed to provide through social media, making these platforms best for sharing your nonprofit annual report. Share teasers, testimonials, and analysis from the report back to pique your followers’ curiosity main as much as and following your report’s launch.

Right here’s how we suggest leveraging every platform’s distinctive options:

  • Fb: Utilizing your nonprofit’s Fb web page, share the complete report hyperlink, spotlight key sections with partaking visuals, and encourage sharing.
  • Instagram: Use images, movies, Tales, and Reels to showcase program highlights and add a report hyperlink in your nonprofit’s Instagram bio.
  • LinkedIn: Concentrate on skilled audiences by sharing posts about affect, monetary transparency, and main achievements with hyperlinks to the complete report.
  • X/Twitter: Publish bite-sized highlights or stats with a hyperlink to the report, utilizing a collection of posts to construct anticipation.
  • YouTube: Create a abstract video with testimonials, visuals, and program footage and hyperlink to the complete report in your YouTube video’s description.

By taking part in to every platform’s strengths, you’ll maximize your attain and engagement.

E mail

Nonprofit emails generate 28% of all on-line fundraising income, making them efficient for sharing your annual report.

Draft emails to spotlight your report’s launch and significance. This may occasionally embody particular person emails to tease info and announce your affect report’s publication. It’s also possible to replace a piece in your publication to spotlight the report.

Remember to section your electronic mail subscribers and ship emails on to related stakeholders comparable to main donors, group companions, or volunteer managers.

12 months-Finish Occasion

Flip your nonprofit annual report into a chance to rejoice your accomplishments with a year-end occasion. This occasion can function a launch to your insights and an opportunity to share successes with main donors and key stakeholders. Embrace a quick presentation highlighting key findings, and take time to precise gratitude to the beneficiant supporters who made the previous 12 months attainable.


Standout Nonprofit Annual Report Examples

Try these stellar nonprofit annual report examples to spark your creativity. For every instance, we’ve highlighted a standout function you possibly can incorporate into your technique.

World Wildlife Basis – Compelling Visuals

The World Wildlife Basis (WWF)’s visuals make it a fantastic instance of a robust nonprofit annual report. Every web page highlights completely different key initiatives, together with bettering sustainable fisheries, defending wildlife like rhinos, and safeguarding freshwater sources. For every initiative, there’s a compelling picture that represents WWF’s mission, comparable to forests, rivers, rhinos, and fishermen.

Most pages additionally function a compelling truth or statistic in a bigger font to emphasise the group’s affect and mission urgency, comparable to “Over 1.4 billion acres focused for defense by 2023 by WWF and companions via the Enduring Earth collaboration.”

World Wildlife Fund’s annual report.

In the event you click on via to the report, discover the way it kicks off with a easy cowl and opening message. Close to the tip of the report, take discover of the assertion of actions with infographics that designate monetary knowledge.

Public Radio Change (PRX) – Person Expertise

PRX, a nonprofit public media firm, helps impartial producers and organizations by connecting them with supportive audiences. They’re goal to convey significant storytelling into folks’s lives.

Their dedication to person engagement is obvious within the affect report’s interactive design. The “select your individual journey” format permits readers to observe a digital path that resonates with them, whether or not as networks, creators, or listeners. This modern method enhances the person expertise by catering to particular pursuits.

Screenshots of PRX’s nonprofit annual report.

You may obtain the same impact by segmenting your annual report based mostly on the expectations and pursuits of your audience.

CURE Worldwide – Storytelling and Digestibility

This nonprofit annual report does an exquisite job of bringing CURE’s affect to life via storytelling. The report options quotes from beneficiaries and affect tales about kids like Natnael whose leg mobility was restored by life-changing surgical procedure.

Screenshots of CURE’s nonprofit annual report.

This nonprofit annual report additionally options compelling pictures of beneficiaries in addition to workers and volunteers in motion. All info is offered in a digestible format with bulleted lists highlighting key details, a map indicating service areas, and infographics breaking down monetary knowledge.


Subsequent Steps

Consider your nonprofit’s annual report as greater than a abstract of the previous 12 months; it’s a software for shaping the long run. For govt administrators and fundraisers alike, it represents a chance to inform your group’s story and domesticate deeper connections with stakeholders.

By specializing in affect and weaving in genuine narratives, you possibly can flip this doc into certainly one of your simplest fundraising and advertising and marketing instruments. As you begin designing your report, try these sources:

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