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Effective Marketing
Critical Components of a Winning
Annual Report
by Meg Phee
The Communications Network featured the topic of
"Winning Annual Reports" as part of
its monthly professional development
Ongoing Learning Workshop series. The conversation
centered on exploring different methods organizations
use in producing annual reports that successfully
communicate the mission, value and work of a group.
The workshop was led
by two organization representatives who operate at
opposite ends of the non-profit sector– one, at a large
agency with a dedicated team of nearly ten individuals
who work full-time on the report with a generous budget
and another with a very limited staff and scarce
resources who must stretch every dollar to ensure an
engaging and notable report.
Remarkably, although each entity executes the
development of their report from different
circumstances, the methodologies practiced are in fact,
quite similar. This was discovered as the discussion
leaders walked participants through the step-by-step
process of creating a distinctive annual report by
exploring such issues as how to decide upon a theme and
message to establishing distribution strategies which
reach critical audiences. No matter what the staff size,
assets, or goals of the group, it is imperative that
each organization follow tried and true methods to
create a dynamic report that supports organizational
objectives.
DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE
The first step necessary in generating a high-impact
annual report is performing a thorough examination of
the multiple audiences you want to reach. The report is
one of the most widely-circulated communications tools
at your disposal. So who is reading the annual report?
There is a long list of potential audiences who may be
interested in capturing the information in your report.
A partial list includes:
•
Current Grantees
•
Lawmakers
•
Reporters
•
Other Funders
•
Peers and Colleagues in
the field
•
Consultants
•
Government agencies
•
Partner Agencies
•
Donors
To find out who is reading your report and how to tailor
it to meet their needs, do some quick research on your
mailing list and profile the readers in your database.
It is likely that a core base of constituents already
consists who receive your report on a yearly basis.
While it is important to continue to nurture this
audience, a targeted approach should be developed to
release the report to newly identified audiences. By
working with foundation staff, you can identify these
fresh audiences on an ongoing basis and ensure that the
report falls into the right hands.
MESSAGE MANAGEMENT
Now it is necessary to take a deep breathe and sit down
with your staff to begin the process of deciding what
the organization wants to convey to its various
audiences. Sure, certain information such as staff
listing and assets will be included in the report, but
the group will want to move beyond providing this basic
information and differentiate itself by communicating a
message that highlights the mission and successes of the
non-profit.
A discussion with the leadership of the organization
about the messaging and theme of the report can be very
useful in laying the framework for the report. No matter
how big or small your non-profit, the best resource you
can put into your annual report is some detailed
thinking about what you want to accomplish through the
report.
Here are some key questions to answer when thinking
about the message of the report:
•
What are the priorities of the non-profit?
•
What does the leadership want to communicate?
•
Is there some new aspect to your work that you want to
acknowledge?
•
How do we best illustrate the ideas and information to
be shared?
By answering these important questions, you can ensure
that the leadership is on the same page as the
communications staff to prevent any snafus down the road
that will create a disorganized and confusing report
with potential mixed messages.
While the central theme of the report changes from year
to year, there are key messages that remain consistent
-- such as showing that the foundation is coming up with
good, useful, practical projects that are changing
people’s lives, demonstrating that the foundation adds
value to the community, and forecasting future work.
PUTTING PEN TO PAPER
Once the theme and messaging of the report has been
decided, it is time to turn this information into a
narrative where the organization can communicate and
promote their work.
It is important to recognize that few people will read
the report cover to cover, so the written pieces must
capture the attention and interest of readers from the
beginning and “sparkle.” Most readers will skim through
the report and merely read the headlines – viewing
captions and photos and reading snippets of information.
Therefore, the text should be concise and conversational
in an informative way that shows passion about the work
of the group and demonstrates the impact issue areas.
There is a standard format that most groups practice in
arranging their annual report. It is common practice for
the report to begin with an introductory letter from the
chairperson of the board, the CEO, or the president that
reflects the personality of the both the leadership and
the organization. A total of 750-1,000 words should
suffice to communicate the theme of the report. Often, a
writer will work closely with the leadership to put
their ideas on paper and best articulate the message of
the report. This sets the theme and tone of the report
an communicates the value of the organization.
A PICTURE IS WORTH A
THOUSAND WORDS
While the narrative provides the details and context
of a situation, a photo can evoke emotion and capture
reader interest in the topic. Photos included in an
annual report help put a public face on the work of the
non-profit by illustrating how the organization
influences communities on a daily basis.
Planning is the key to gathering the images you want to
include in the report. While it may seem like common
sense to just send a photographer to capture the people
and places behind the work, it’s extremely important to
do your homework and outline your objectives before you
begin snapping pictures.
An example. In attempting to chronicle work with a local
school, one organization made a decision to feature a
classroom of adolescents. This seems like an easy
process – showing the students absorbing knowledge in
their classroom. Sounds like a great idea, right? Well,
not so if the idea is suggested during the summer when
the students are in recess. Advance scheduling will help
eliminate this problem and keep the process flowing in a
forward direction.
DESIGN ON A DIME OR A DOLLAR?
Most non-profits try to hire an outside designer to
construct the layout and design of their annual report.
Those who are lucky have identified a good designer who
grasps both what a non-profit is and what it does – and
hopefully, they continue to work with them year after
year.
Designers are in essence, artists. They create “art”
when designing these reports and work to effectively
translate the message of the organization. If there is
one piece of advice to stress over and over, it is that
the theme of the report must be firmly established
before discussion with the designer begins. Otherwise,
the designer may start adopting and implementing one
theme while the group continues to debate the message
and there is no integration between the two parties.
It is also easy to fall into the trap of adopting the
intense ideas of a graphic designer. Take for example a
designer proposing a report that had no page numbers.
While this may be a fresh and innovative idea to
incorporate into the design, the report must have a
basic organization and feel so users can obtain the
information needed. It must be a publication that people
can easily use and reflects the character of the
organization.
When designing an annual report, a good adage to follow
is, “less is more.” A strong simple design that shows
credibility is the goal in reflecting the work of the
organization.
HOW TO SPREAD THE WORD
Now that the pieces for creating a comprehensive annual
report have been identified and considered, the report
will not serve its purpose unless the proper
distribution methods are implemented to reach your
readers. As you decide how you want to dispense the
report, you must consider multiple factors.
The size of your budget not only determines how many
reports you will produce, but how you will produce them
and how you will deliver them. Non-profits with limited
resources may decide to only offer their report on their
website which can reduce the cost by up to 1/3 saving on
printing and mailing.
CONCLUSION
Producing an annual report simply requires a thorough
mix of knowledge, determination and common sense. No
matter the size, format, or style of your report, your
goal is to leave a lasting impression with your readers.
By learning some fundamentals and following some basic
guidelines you can help ensure successful results. The
goal is to adopt marketing and communications angles
that are able to help produce an annual report that
connects with audiences, fosters relationships, and
demonstrates transparency. Following the steps outlined
above can help ensure a smooth process and procedure in
translating your work into an attractive layout. This
will create a "Winning Annual Report."
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