Annual Report Formatting for Nonprofits – Yearly

Have you been in the nonprofit world for ages? Or maybe just starting out? Either way, this blog will help guide you through easy annual report formatting for nonprofits, no matter their mission.

Every nonprofit organization is different. So every annual report will be different. But, most all annual report formatting for nonprofits will follow these steps.

5 Easy Steps for Annual Report Formatting and Design

1. Confirm medium

Annual reports can be created and shared through a variety of mediums. Usually, the medium is dependent on your organization’s mission, audience, and needs. Each medium comes with pros and cons. And, some are better suited for specific organizations than others.

Some common annual report mediums include:

• Postcards
• Brochures
• PDFs
• Web-based reports

For the sake of this blog, we’re going to focus on digital annual reports, which are becoming the most popular form of annual reporting. With digital, web-based software you can create your annual report with free tools, expert graphic design, and more.

2. Choose software

Once you’ve decided on the medium (and in this case, a digital, web-based medium), it’s time to choose the software you’d like to use.

There are plenty of graphic design tools on the web, ranging from Canva to Adobe. But, many of these platforms don’t offer nonprofit-specific help. And, they can get costly.

For nonprofits that are on a budget, Yearly is a great, free annual report builder option. Yearly’s free tools allow nonprofits to embed social media graphics, photos, videos, and more right into their annual report. Plus, the converter tool allows you to download your report as a printable PDF.

With Yearly, you can:

• Build charts and graphs
• Upload royalty-free photos from a built-in library
• Edit in real-time
• Chat with customer service that specializes in nonprofit needs

3. Gather and contextualize correct data

Once you’ve chosen your software, it’s time to start gathering the right data. Annual reports usually include impact measurement, financial data, testimonials, and more. So, it might take a while to collect and organize all this information.

Be sure to start this part of the process early, as you’ll most likely need to rely on other staff members and stakeholders to send you the necessary information.

Once you’ve collected the content, decide how you’ll use it. Will you want to show supporters how many volunteers you had at your events in the last year? The amount raised from peer-to-peer fundraising? Begin to comb through all this information and understand how it serves to tell your story.

4. Map out layout

One of the most important parts of annual reporting formatting for nonprofits is to start to visualize the layout. We suggest checking out some examples and then sketching out a map of your report.  You heard us right—sketching!

Take out a pencil and piece of paper and physically map out what the annual report will look like. How many sections will there be? In what order will they go? What visual elements will you include and where?

Once you have a working framework, it’ll be much easier to dive into the creation process.

5. Get creative

Lastly, get to designing!

Using your chosen software, start imputing information in the correct spots. Upload photos, embed graphics, and create financial charts. And, be sure to incorporate your nonprofit’s style guide for expert brand storytelling.

For more helpful tips for designing and formatting your annual report, check out these blogs:

• Back to Basics: 4 Tips for Expert Storytelling in Your Annual Report
• Back to Basics: 5 Best Practices for Writing a Great Annual Report
• Back to Basics: What’s in an Annual Report?