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How to write an annual impact report for a small charity – part 1
Anita Holford Freelance communications practitioner at www.writing-services.co.uk Posted 5 years ago
If you know your last annual report didn’t do you justice, there are a few simple steps you can take. This is part one of a three-part guide. In the second part, I look at how to write persuasively and in the third, how to brief a copywriter if you decide not to do it yourself.
1. Find a designer and think about your audience
Before you do anything else, find a designer. Great design makes all the difference between a report that’s read and one that stays in someone’s reading pile. Ask around for recommendations.
Next, put together your distribution list. This will help you to think about who you’re writing for, and have them in mind throughout the writing process.
It helps to look at annual reports from other charities which you think are effective. You can then share these with your designer (and copywriter/editor if you’re using one).
2. Write a brief for the designer
Your brief might include:
- Number of pages – the fewer the better – think about the minimum your readers need to know. If you’re not sure of paper size, use A4/equivalent for working out the brief.
- Format and paper type - a designer can advise on this once they have your copy
- Any logos/ graphic design assets, corporate colours, design style guide
- How you’ll be distributing (ie electronically, by print)
- Number of copies if printing
- Deadline for electronic version, and print version (usually a week or two later)
- Budget - this can involve a bit of to-ing and fro-ing to get a price that’s acceptable for everyone. It’s worth asking around. I’ve had quotes from £800 to £2,000 for a 4-8 page booklet.
3. Arrange a briefing call and do some planning
Once you’ve agreed the brief and the price, and contracted the designer – arrange a call so that you can discuss the project and answer any questions.
In the meantime, set yourself a deadline for sending the copy to your designer – if you don’t, your designer may not be able to deliver on time.
Identify what images you’d like to use – ideally, strong images that tell a story and reinforce your messages.
4. Map out the content
Write a list of headings or do a mind map of all the sections your report needs to contain.
These should guide the reader through why you exist, and why they should care – ie how you’re making a difference and how you’ve done that this year.
I’ve created a download that outlines the sections you might want to include which is included in a communications tips & templates bundle.
5. Think about your key messages
If your organisation doesn’t already have a set of key messages, it’s worth drafting a set of 3-6 short statements which summarise what you want readers to notice and remember, and answer their question ‘so what’? They should appeal to your audiences by focusing on ‘what’s in it for them’, and talk about benefits, rather than features.
Need some inspiration? See Girlguiding’s key messages.
If you’re aware of any misconceptions about your organisation or myths you want to bust, they should form part of your key messages – and they don’t just have to be addressed through words: images or charts (eg for financial information) could help.
6. Flesh out the sections
Once you have a framework, you can then begin to flesh it out.
Think about each section from a reader’s point of view – what is the most important information they need to know, what are the key pieces of evidence that back this up?
Aim for a mix of statistics, anecdotes/quotes, and stories/case studies.
This process may show you that you don’t have all the information you need. You may need to do some further analysis of data, do a follow-up interview with someone, write a story/case study, or get quotes from people who’ve benefited from your work.
If you’re pushed to the wire, you may not be able to get the information in time but at least you’ve done the thinking and will know for next year.
Is there anything else you’ve found that you need to do or include that’s not listed here? Do comment in the box below, I’d be interested to hear your top tips and experiences. Next week I’ll be publishing Part 2: persuasive writing and the following week, Part 3: Key messages.
This is an edited version of a post that first appeared on the Writing Services blog.
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