In today’s fast-paced environment, we want everything now. Instant gratification is the name of the game — so why should it be any different for someone who might want to know more about your organization? Taking a key marketing and fundraising piece of any nonprofit’s communication plan and turning it digital couldn’t be easier!
Let’s backtrack a bit and recap what the purpose of an annual report is. Annual reports serve as an organizational governance tool. They ensure fiscal transparency, highlight key experiences from the previous fiscal year, and serve as a snapshot in time of where your organization was during a particular moment. Done right, they can be an effective tool for recruiting new board members and spurring individuals, foundations, and other organizations to provide donor support.
(Wondering what belongs in an annual report? Check out our blog on the 6 key sections here!)
While annual reports are commonly sent to a print house and mailed to a large distribution list, more and more nonprofits are uploading them online as a downloadable PDF resource. Why not take it one step further and turn your entire nonprofit annual report digital!
The benefit of creating a digital annual report means more people can discover your nonprofit. It can drive traffic to your site and encourage visitors to browse around to learn more about your programs and services, along with who you support and how you do it. Calls to action can be embedded within every feature, such as a signup form to volunteer, a page to make a donation, a number to call for more information — all done from a single click within the digital annual report.
Conversely, a printed annual report is more likely to have multiple calls to action that require more manual labor. Someone has to take out a phone or sit at a computer to look things up. It comes down to how a person prefers to absorb information and take action — and offering both a digital and print version gives you the best of both worlds.
One thing to keep in mind when creating a nonprofit annual report is that you will want to make sure the content is well-optimized for online viewing. Along those lines, check to make sure that the annual report can be viewed on various mobile devices since so many people turn to mobile devices first when looking up information.
If the bit about converting your print annual report to a digital one seems daunting, consider partnering with a creative agency that specializes in digital nonprofit annual reports! They can introduce you to best practices and help you brainstorm ways to incorporate meaningful calls to action that’ll invite your readers to participate. They can also help convey information visually in an interactive and engaging way, such as through a timeline, a flipbook, or with videos. You can also use the digital annual report as a valuable stewardship tool and list every single donor since page constraints aren’t a concern like they are with print pieces!
No matter how you choose to share your nonprofit annual report, make sure you are thoughtful and intentional about making it accessible with clear calls to action. Need help in building a digital annual report? That’s what we’re here for! Contact us to learn more about how we can help you create and organize your content.
Sources:
https://www.qgiv.com/blog/nonprofit-annual-reports/
https://cornershopcreative.com/blog/nonprofit-annual-report/
https://nonprofithub.org/5-goals-of-a-great-nonprofit-annual-report/
