It’s July—have you thought about your annual report yet?
I know this might feel like a coach urging you to start training while you’re still savoring the off-season, but a bit of early preparation can make all the difference (and save you from last-minute stress in the fall).
This year, PPR is doing a summer series on annual reports! We will help you plan your report and share tips on maximizing the impact of your hard-earned work. Annual reports vary from industry to industry, which is why these tips are broad strokes that can apply to a wide range of organizations!
Let’s get the ball rolling on your annual report! Starting with tips to take now to simplify the process later.
1. Keep a running record of major projects, events, and partners.
Save everything your team does! If your organization doesn’t create monthly or quarterly reports, keep a running list of important organization milestones, initiatives, events, and other crucial information that is a “must include” for an annual report.
Whether it’s an Excel file, email chain, or a folder of flyers and reports, having a record of all your accomplishments this fiscal year will make crafting your annual report much easier than starting from scratch when it comes time to draft!
P.S. Don’t forget the pictures! When it comes to annual reports, pictures draw your reader in and help illustrate all the amazing things you’ve done in the past year! Have a team member who loves taking photos? Ask them to be your team’s designated photog! Get some snaps at all your big events, business visits, meetings, and other important days. Create a shared folder for all team members to contribute.
2. Start looking at statistics NOW.
Collecting impactful data can be one of the most effective ways for your organization to show its impact to readers, but it can be challenging if you wait to pull the data all at once. Monthly data pulls can not only help your team prepare for your annual report but also help your team track the results of their efforts on a shorter-term scale.
At PPR, we keep a running Google sheet on all our top stats, metrics, and projects. This way, we can easily track and show our progress when writing our annual report.
3. Make sure your website is up to date.
For many readers, your annual report is a gateway to your website, where they will learn even more about your organization and connect with your team. It’s crucial that the information on your site is accurate and complete! This includes staff and board members, your mission, vision, values, current projects, and more.
4. Think through your team roles.
An annual report isn’t just a marketing or executive director’s responsibility. Engage every member of the team to help pull data, write sections, and put together info.
When determining who will compile information for your annual report, consider dividing the work based on each team member’s familiarity with different topics. By taking a “divide and conquer” approach, you can ensure that the sections are covered by the most knowledgeable individuals and help share the workload needed to pull all the data together.
5. Consider your digital strategy.
Before you kick off the project, brainstorm how you will share your report. Are you going to a conference? Consider making print copies! Looking to gain widespread reach online? Designate a page on your website where the current and future digital reports can live. Coming up with an effective plan is vital to strategizing where and when to share.
6. Consider extra help.
No organization is an island. Pulling in an outside partner can help you streamline all this information into one beautiful, concise document that allows your EDO to tell its story with impact and energy!
Don’t have time to plan? Our next blog might include a helpful “no frills” checklist for you to use!
Need a partner to help you navigate the process? Contact PPR Strategies and let’s get the conversation started.
