There’s nothing quite like an annual report to get the creative juices flowing. Or not.

Typically viewed as a tedious, mind-numbing exercise, when I was recently asked to help an organization produce theirs, the request was prefaced with an apologetic, “sorry, not everything we do is exciting.” The good news for the organization – and for me — is that reports have started to diverge from their traditionalist origins. Yep, no longer relegated to the time-honoured printed tome filled with financials and thank-yous, the perennial document and its purpose are being revisited by many.

For some, the environment is a primary motivator, influencing an organization to produce the report online. Once there, they realize the medium offers a host of additional creative options. Others, inspired by a renewed focus on storytelling and visual content, are intent on producing reports that make readers eager to turn its pages – be they online or off.

Why do it at all?

No matter where re-visioning has taken them, however, every organization must first answer one basic question: what’s the purpose of an annual report and are we meeting it?

For the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the question led to some real debate a couple of years ago – and an eventual shift in how the report was produced. Though the organization was already offering a visually impressive and prestigious-looking printed version, the report, handed out to every level of donor, was an expensive, time-consuming initiative that also proved heavy to mail. Those and other challenges — including the need to effectively represent all the regions in Canada — a difficult proposition when you’re working in print, brought a change in approach.

NCC’s new report is a stunning online magazine, interspersed with video, powerful photos and strong representation of their diverse efforts across the country. At the top of the 42-page e-book, there are separate links to “financials”, a “donor list”, a “partners list” and a “donate now” button. The change was timely as NCC was beginning to spread their online wings by launching a new website and re-thinking their secondary focus on the internet.

Chief communications officer, Jane Gilbert, was concerned about the next steps but always kept the report’s objective top-of-mind. “Our organization certainly prides itself on making responsible use of resources given by our supporters,” she explains, “so transparency and reporting back is paramount. That can’t be compromised, it could only be enhanced.” She was sure of something else too: the editorial needed to grow, “to give an even better idea of what we’ve done with gifts they’ve given us and the tangible results.”

That’s the core purpose of an annual report, after all, Gilbert says, alluding to the initial debate. “Some folks were calling it a report to our donors.” Others wondered: Is it also an opportunity to engage supporters? “Increasingly it can be,” she admits. “It’s an opportunity to recognize them.” There’s also the stewardship function, the need to report back.

Form of engagement

Consultant James Howe has a clear answer as to the purpose of an annual report. “It’s a marketing document, a piece of communication, where you can reflect upon and tell your organization’s story and indicate where it’s going,” he says. Problem is, it’s usually filled with numbers, reports from committees and lists of an organization’s accomplishments but “it doesn’t effectively reflect who they are and why someone should care about them.”

The report can achieve so much more, he adds, if it was used as a form of engagement. That’s one of the reasons Howe, a former communications director at YMCAs of Cambridge & Kitchener-Waterloo, adopted a very strategic approach when writing the nonprofit’s report, taking it from its PDF form and turning it into an e-magazine. “I really wanted to get some more of the stories and messages out to a broader audience,” he explains. The e-magazine made it a more user-friendly reading experience, inspiring other YMCAs across Canada to follow suit and leading his organization to win an international YMCA award.

The YMCA remains committed to its online format, adhering not only to its focus on storytelling but its stewardship to the environment. Still, 500 copies are printed for donors and funders each year, says the organization’s current director of communications, Taylor Weber. The current product is basically the same from the one Howe initially created (though it can now be flipped through like a regular publication), reflecting a progressive approach to fulfilling the report’s mission.

“There’s an expectation to be updated on what your activities are and the annual report is just one piece of the puzzle,” explains Weber. The message from our executive director and the financials are still there, he adds, but the brunt of the report is emphasizing program and services and tells stories they’re not otherwise able to share. “Being a good storyteller is paramount.”

The report as a story

Of course, storytelling takes many forms. As do annual reports, apparently. THEMUSEUM in Kitchener doesn’t usually put out an annual report, but a recent video it produced, titled “The Report to the Community” has received a lot of online buzz for its innovative approach to the conventional report. A fan of doing things differently and staying on the cutting edge, the video — posted on YouTube and viewable below — allowed the organization to kill two birds with one stone: Create a non-traditional direct mail piece and showcase their year in review in a compelling and entertaining way.

 

 

By way of interviews with staff, volunteers, suppliers — all of whom provided their personal perspective — the video was effective in boosting morale and garnering support. “It’s important to tell stories to all our friends, members, people in the community and to those who don’t know us as well,” states Derek Weidl, digital media and marketing coordinator, explaining the video’s purpose. “It’s an opportunity to talk about all the great things we get to do each year and all the reasons why we’re supported in the community.” For people who already knew THEMUSEUM, it re-enforced their affiliation. For those who hadn’t yet heard of them, “it got them curious,” says Weidl.

The video had over 3,000 views, resulted in some donations and was featured by prominent bloggers. What’s more, “a YouTube video can be shared unlike a letter; people respond to it differently,” Weidl explains. “It’s another opportunity to tell your story and to connect in ways traditional [platforms] may not allow.” It helps that the organization happens to have a strong online presence.

Taking an online gamble

But not every organization has supporters with such a strong web presence. NCC, for example, was very fearful about taking their online leap. So they decided to move there gradually. A detailed, rich media report was, therefore, developed online but, for those who preferred print (or for those occasions when having a print handout comes in handy), they created a “Slim Jim” – a small booklet, essentially an abridged summary of the report — including a message from the CEO, large colourful photos and condensed financials.

So far the response has been positive. The new hybrid form of annual report has allowed NCC to meet its challenges head-on, though Gilbert acknowledges the “Slim Jim” may soon end up as a postcard and, as people become more comfortable online, the online version will play an even more dominant role. “We can only grow from here,” she says. “I think we made the right decision [going online].” It is very doable, she adds. “It does give you a great deal of flexibility in terms of the material you can generate and the way you can display that content.”

According to Howe, the online gamble is one of many savvy initiatives that annual reports could facilitate. He recounts how he took advantage of the editorial content in the report by re-purposing the stories for the newsletter, giving them wider distribution. Other suggestions he offers include embedding video-recorded interviews into the e-report and using QR codes with the print version, especially if it links to videos. “They can give added value,” he offers.

As for the creative folks at THEMUSUEM, they’re discussing next year’s Report to the Community, which may or may not repeat its video format. There are many ways to recreate online experiences and THEMUSEUM is determined to explore. The main takeaway of the video, offers Weidl pensively, is to, “inspire people to think differently on how they approach their report.”

Elisa Birnbaum is a freelance journalist, producer and communications consultant living in Toronto. She is also president of Elle Communications and can be reached at: info@ellecommunications.ca.

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Photos (from top) via iStock.com. All photos used with permission.