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Yearly, a fun way to design awesome digital annual reports

Self — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 12:34:52 GMT

For 15 years, I’ve been running my own agency; it’s been a dream of mine to launch a digital product. Today, the dream is a reality.

Introducing Yearly, an online platform to create beautiful, interactive, and engaging digital annual reports.

How did this product come about?

Our team at ignite: action spent nearly a year doing research and talking to nonprofits, associations, and foundations. We learned that nearly everyone was looking for a solution to turn the static annual report into a digital experience.

“The process is tedious. And it’s the same stuff every year. Does anyone read it? So many end up in the trash.”

This is what we heard. Over. And over. And over again.

So we came up with a solution… Yearly.

Yearly saves organizations time, money, and resources. Moreover, the finished product is sleek, inviting, and perfect for desktop, tablet and mobile viewing.

We wanted to change the way annual reports are created and experienced. Yearly aims to break the mold and disrupt the age-old annual report.

What makes Yearly different?

Yearly makes the process easy for marketing and fundraising professionals. It’s digital, so the report can be updated at any time. Misspelled a donor’s name? Change it instantly. Need to add some impact statistics? Go for it. Just save and publish.

Furthermore, organizations can now add media to their annual reports like video, audio, image galleries, and other interactive elements. The report becomes an experience rather than a flat publication.

What are some of the cool features? Yearly allows organizations to:

Include polls to generate feedback and learn from your audience
Add a donation form link to increase online fundraising
Take advantage of the power of digital storytelling
Integrate with social media accounts to keep your report fresh and current
Easily add charts and graphs to highlight financials and other key stats

The journey ahead

It’s day one at Yearly. We’re thrilled to share our new product with the world. We have a phenomenal team of customer service specialists, designers and marketing professionals to help each and every organization reach success with Yearly.

We’re helping the environment.
We’re helping brands promote their cause and show their impact.
We’re doing our part to make the world a better place.
One organization at a time.
One digital report at a time.
You never know what will ignite a donor to give.
A member to join.
A volunteer to take action.

We built Yearly to give organizations the tools to tell powerful stories.

So, what’s your story? Schedule a free demo today.

Jeff Rum, Co-Founder
Yearly LLC

Nonprofit Event Marketing: Finding Your Audience

Self — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 12:31:01 GMT

In addition to digital reports, we have a long history at Yearly of working with nonprofit organizations that plan a lot of events, ranging from formal galas to outdoor festivals. There are always two questions I ask them during a planning session:

Who is the audience you care most about reaching?

What action do you want that audience to take at or after the event?

Just like any good marketing plan, defining a clear call-to-action is important, but you can go beyond asking your key audience to respond to a request at your event and have multiple opportunities to ask.

Figuring out how to do that and building those marketing tactics into your strategic plan to have your audience respond to what you need them to do, gives you a better chance of a higher success rate, similar to the idea of having to see an advertisement multiple times before you purchase a product for the first time.

To do so, I recommend a “Before, During and After” approach involving an event marketing plan that includes identifying your audience, the outcome you want and then determining how you can reach that group before, during and also after the event concludes…

Identifying your audience

Breaking down your various audiences by segments is a good first step. For instance, a client of mine that works in fundraising for their nonprofit was planning a formal event that would be attended by staff, volunteers, government partners and sponsors. While you may or may not want to focus on every type of event attendee, you’ll want to start by knowing who is there.

What action should your audience take

It’s good to recognize that different event attendees might require different messages you want to put infront of them, because you might want them to take different actions. You may want all attendees to take the same action. Whatever you decide, this is the time in your planning to map out which attendees require which messages.

Using the same example from the nonprofit above, they want attendees to sign-up to volunteer, register for new programs, and donate money to the cause. Not all attendees are fit to take action on all three of those actions, and you wouldn’t want to put out an offer for so much at once either, because it could be overwhelming and then no action is taken.

So, focus on which attendees should take which actions. In this case of this client, they might decide that they will promote volunteering to existing volunteers at their event, in effort to ask them to go home and start to recruit new and qualified volunteers, and so on. How you can do that comes next:

Marketing before your event

This begins the “how” in terms of deciding just how you can communicate specific actions you want specific event attendees to take. Start by thinking of the methods of communication you have already planned, such as invitations.

With an invitation for example, you can promote a live auction if your goal is to have have all audience members donate money. You can promote by using copy that gets the audience excited, so in this case if you have a famous person’s autograph to auction off, don’t leave out those excited details on the invitation. If you happen to know that just a portion of your audience follows sports, select those individuals to promote that item to.

Social media is another tool that is easy to accomplish this with, and you can get more specific with your audiences by using pictures and videos of that auction item, or whatever you have at the event that you want to promote, and then tag certain people, groups or audiences that you know might be apt to donate.

Marketing during your event

If you’re event is in-person, working your communications to various audiences into speeches and physical signs are a good place to start. Demonstrating your value through content at the event in any shape or form will grab their attention. You can also talk to them at registration or by having staff members strategically placed around the room.

There are a lot of variables here but the most important take-away is that different attendees might have different actions you can have them take. If your event is online, such as an auction designed to be a fundraiser, you can use social media and email campaigns to reach your audiences and promote specific themes, days, events or items that audience might gravitate towards.

Marketing after your event

It’s likely that some of your audience attended your event but has not yet taken an action to donate, volunteer, provide their email address, or whatever it is that you want that segment of your audience to do. Sending an email or handwritten note to thank them for attending is the most direct way to continue the conversation. Within that, you can remind them that it’s not too late to take action. You can also prompt them during or after the event to follow you on social media, where you can continue to show the value of your unique content. That can be in the form of storytelling, sharing pieces of your annual report, or sharing photos or videos from your event.

Once your new audience from your events are following you on social, you can promote the actions you want them to take in the form of announcements of new opportunities to get involved.

How can your organization put themselves in the best position to have attendees take the actions you need, before, during and after your event?

We built Yearly to give organizations the tools to tell powerful stories.

So, what’s your story? Schedule a free demo today.

Three Ways to Get More Out of Your Nonprofit Annual Report

Self — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 12:29:20 GMT

You created an annual report for your nonprofit, foundation or association because you had to. That’s fair. You don’t want to miss your deadline and it’s definitely nice to have a summary of your past fiscal year.

Even if put in an effort to making the report look really nice, so many times the document ends up sitting on your website either as a technicality or you are not sure what to do with it. That’s fine, but you might be leaving fundraising dollars on the table.

Consider letting your report become a marketing tool for your fundraising efforts instead of a static and lonely…technicality.

Here are 3 ways to leverage your annual report as a marketing tool and assist with fundraising:

Use Your Board’s Contacts: You probably already share the report with your board members, but don’t be shy to specifically ask if they can utilize their network as a distribution channel targeting prospective donors. While board members are often on the lookout for new individual and corporate donors for your organization, you can arm them with the powerful tool that is your annual report, to help them start conversations and open doors. Your goal here should be to ask for introductions.
Social Media Announcement Using Storytelling: Sharing your annual report over social media is a great way to get exposure, but make sure you spend your efforts targeting the right audience. There is value to posting it on LinkedIn and using hashtags like #annualreport or #impactreport, but if you want to reach an audience of potential donors, use your posts to highlight specific stories about your impact, rather than relying solely on the fact that you published your report. For instance, did a person tied to your cause do something with or for your brand that differentiates your organization from others? Did you have a record breaking year? Share those stories with a teaser and allow readers to click a link to read more within your report. You might be able to generate multiple pieces of social media content and post about this once per week.
Email Campaign to Existing Donors: As one tactic in your promotional strategy to earn individual giving dollars from donors, send them an email directing them to view your report on your website. It gets them involved, excited and keeps them informed. It can even compliment other updates you provide that audience through efforts like your end of year campaign or upcoming events they could attend, that they might find on your website once you drive them there.

Don’t let your hard work sit there, make it work for you and try to get more out of your nonprofit annual report. Are there other tactics you can think of?

Charity Charge and Stephen Garten’s quest to help non-profits

Self — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 12:26:27 GMT

Yearly’s Co-founder, Jeff Rum, recently sat down with Stephen Garten, the founder and CEO of Charity Charge, to talk about Why—Why we do what we do and Why we’re both on a mission to help nonprofits work better and smarter. Though our Whys share much in common, we’ve gone about our work in very different ways. Jeff, through Yearly, an interactive annual report development tool, and Stephen through Charity Charge, a financial services company helping nonprofits make better financial decisions. Below is a bit from their conversation.

Jeff: For those who don’t know, what is Charity Charge?

Stephen: Charity Charge is based on the idea that traditional credit cards are designed for individuals and businesses, not nonprofits. In fact, because many don’t operate above the $250,000 annual revenue threshold, most of the two million registered nonprofits don’t even qualify for a robust business card of any kind. To try and address this, we created a new kind of credit card—one designed for nonprofits, with no personal guarantor, no annual or per card fees, and automatic cash back generation.

Jeff: Oh that’s interesting, I definitely know a few people who have used their own credit to underwrite a company card. Why is eliminating this process (of a personal guarantor) so pivotal for the nonprofit industry?

Stephen: Often the case, this idea was truly a product of feedback. Charity Charge began as a consumer-facing card that enabled individuals to automatically give to the nonprofit of their choice with each purchase (think: Amazon Smile). When the consumer facing card hit the market, CFOs and nonprofit directors started requesting cards for their organization and employees. They were either using debit cards, despite the known risks, or traditional credit cards, paying annual fees and relying on employees to personally guarantee cards, which entangles a person’s professional and personal financial identity.

Now, the great thing about those who work at nonprofits is the passion and dedication they tend to exhibit toward that work. That being said, it still seems unfair (and potentially dangerous or discriminatory) to ask them to open credit cards in their own names. In addition, nonprofits have above average turnover rates, and that can get pretty complicated when transitioning between employees and leadership. So, its essentially a win-win-win.

Jeff: This seems like a no-brainer, and yet I’ve never thought or heard of it before. How did the idea come to you?

Stephen: I suppose it’s a classic social entrepreneurship story. Like many of us, I moved to a new city to launch my career. Early on, I began volunteering with Hill Country Conservancy, a local conservation non-profit based out of Austin, TX. As the year was coming to a close, I realized I couldn’t use my cashback points for travel as planned and didn’t want any more stuff either. In that exact moment, I got an email from Hill Country Conservancy announcing their end-of-year fundraising campaign. I thought to myself: instead of using this credit card to reward myself, what If I could use it to reward an organization?

Jeff: Smart. So much of entrepreneurship seems to be noticing when something that should be simple is actually pretty hard to do. So, for our clients, which run the gamut in terms of size and budget, what do they need to know or do to get a Charity Charge card?

Stephen: Generally speaking, nonprofits need two years of operating financials to quality for a Charity Charge business card, but they can also start with a personal card and upgrade once eligible. We’ve got an incredible range of nonprofits, from those with $50K to $100M in annual revenue. The great thing about Charity Charge is that its success is cyclical: when large organizations join, it motivates a wave of smaller organizations to do so as well, and those smaller, local organizations make up the foundation of Charity Charge and allow the company to be more than a credit card. The common thread, is a commitment to impact.

Jeff: I like that. At Yearly, we’re also all about impact and empathy. How do you integrate empathy into your approach to business?

Stephen: That’s a good question. In our early days, I would get on the phone and actually guide organizations through setup. At the end of one call, a client who was surprised to be talking to the CEO thanked me profusely for my direct support and passion. She said: ‘you won’t always be able to do this, but it’s really great that you’re doing it now.’ I return to that when I think about how to differentiate my company. It’s all about people in the end.

—

In an effort to maintain Jeff’s own New Year’s resolutions, he asked Stephen about his goals for 2020. A true testament to Stephen’s character, he believes that his purpose lies beyond Charity Charge. He’s driven by a greater mission to inspire more products and services that add rather than extract value from non-profits. He’s excited to continue what they are already doing: helping nonprofits achieve financial stability, and inspiring other business to operate with a purpose. Check out Charity Charge when you have a chance.

—

You can also listen to Stephen and Jeff in conversation on the Charity Charge podcast. Jeff loves connecting with fellow social entrepreneurs, so shout out to Brian Levenson for making this introduction!

Our gift to the world

Self — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 12:25:07 GMT

Last year we launched our first product, Yearly, a web-based application to create interactive, digital annual reports.

Our goal from the outset with Yearly is to help purpose-driven brands tell powerful stories. Today, we continue our own story with some big news:

Yearly is now free. Forever.

Developed as a storytelling tool, Yearly allows nonprofits, foundations, and associations to engage their audiences and build support from stakeholders, donors, and community members.

As we approach Yearly’s one-year anniversary, we recognize that the world is not as it once was. Organizations of all sizes and types are facing an uncertain future. Quite frankly, the rules have changed.

So we’ve changed a few rules of our own.

Any organization or individual can now sign up for Yearly and gain full access to create unlimited digital reports.

We’ve shifted our business model to allow for free use while still offering premium services like concierge support, custom visual design, copywriting, and editing, as well as a digital launch package.

Today is #GivingTuesdayNow and this is what we’re giving to you.

We’re excited to share this gift with the world. We also want to thank our Yearly customers who have published incredible stories of impact through digital, interactive reports.

I look forward to continuing this journey with you. Have any questions? Get in touch.

Visit yearly.report to sign up for your free account today.

10 Minutes Today

Self — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 12:22:22 GMT

We’ve been in your shoes. We know an annual report doesn’t happen overnight. That said, a few 10 minute tasks can make a huge difference in the long run. Our 10 Minutes Today series is designed to help you take gradual steps toward the annual report finish line.

Artist in Residence

Self — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 12:19:45 GMT

Yearly was built with storytelling and design top of mind. Our tool enables anyone to create beautiful, engaging and effective reports whether they have a design background or not. We realize that the hardest part is generally getting started, so we’re excited to offer you tips straight from our Artist in Residence, Adina Moses.

Tips for creating a dynamic nonprofit annual report

Self — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 12:17:30 GMT

Annual reports of the past were static, lengthy documents written in a language only insiders could comprehend. Now, annual reports speak to a broader audience, engaging readers through a narrative-driven approach complemented by engaging images.

But we said, “Why stop there?” So, we took the new annual report a step further. With our dynamic toolbar, you can produce a report that speaks directly to your nonprofit stakeholders.

Meet the Yearly toolbar. For inspiration, view religious, educational and healthcare annual reports created by our users.

To get started, explore some of these unique features:

Text: Cut through the clutter in your writing. Use inviting, digestible language to engage readers.

Story: A wise man once said, “Storytelling is the key to fundraising and friend-raising.” With a narrative-driven annual report, you can showcase your far-reaching impact.

Gallery: A picture is worth a thousand words. When you create a Yearly account, you’ll have access to more than one million engaging stock images to help you convey your purpose-driven mission.

Chart: Foster transparency and goodwill with your stakeholders by sharing your financials in the form of line, bar and pie charts.

Video: Ramp up your storytelling efforts through video. Did you know 57% of potential donors make a donation after watching a video?

Donate: Increase your fundraising efforts with the click of a button. Because our digital annual reports are interactive, you can receive donations from readers in real time.

Number: Measurable results are trending. You can share data-driven information to help readers understand your overall impact.

Donors: Extend your gratitude for your donors with list categories. Expressing appreciation goes a long way.

Social: Some of the most powerful statements have been said in 140 characters or less. By embedding social media feeds into your report, you can strengthen engagement with your audience.

Are you ready to leverage the Yearly toolbar? Create a FREE account today.

Three ways engaging images bolster storytelling

Self — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 12:16:00 GMT

Every nonprofit has a dynamic story. However, conveying the emotional, human side of your organization in an annual report can be a tricky feat. You need to show your readers, not just tell them. Photos can make or break your annual report. With compelling visuals, you can share your powerful story, one that inspires compassion and donations. To begin, start with these tips:

1. Ready, set, action!

Never underestimate the raw emotion of a candid image. These photos capture authentic, unexpected moments. By incorporating more of these images into your annual report, you can connect with your audience and inspire them to act. For example, the latest annual report created by University of Maryland Hillel, winner of our “Best Use of Images” award, uses engaging images to capture attention.

2. Use natural light.

Lighting is a crucial factor in photography because of its strong influence on tone and mood. For instance, hard light creates a more dramatic photo whereas soft light creates a more inviting photo. As you craft your annual report, beware of photos with inadequate lighting. Otherwise, your final product may include blurry or distorted images with little emotion. Remember, you need to show your impact to stakeholders. Crisp and clear photos capture attention, ensuring your donors have a comprehensive understanding of your purpose-driven work.

3. Keep it simple.

Overcomplicating your scene with dramatic colors and bold tones can detract readers from your message. In other words, less is more. You can start by highlighting your subject using neutral tones and colors, such as gray or black. By infusing your images with a sense of simplicity, you allow the scene to speak for itself.

Is your organization lacking images? We’ve got you covered. With Yearly, you can access over one million engaging stock images. Create a FREE account today.

Everyone needs an editor. Don’t publish before proofreading.

Self — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 12:15:09 GMT

What’s the secret sauce to writing effective content? A keen editor.

Everyone needs an editor, even the most skilled writers. Recognized as “the last line of defense,” editors are charged with catching poor grammar, careless typos, inaccurate information and other errors before a piece of content is published for all to see. Because mistakes can have a lasting impact on a brand, we encourage our users to throughly review their content before publishing an annual report. To begin editing, focus on these areas:

1. Spelling

Although spellcheck is a helpful tool, you can’t solely rely on spellcheck for a mistake-free report. For example, if you spellchecked this sentence, “Amid a year plagued with uncertainty, our nonprofit has been their for each and every community member, ensuring they have the necessary resources to whether this crisis.” Spellcheck wouldn’t have been able to change “their” to “there” or “whether” to “weather.” To ensure a comprehensive review of your report, reread each sentence carefully. You should also have another pair of eyes read your content. Try seeking help from another coworker or utilize our editorial services.

2. Grammar

Annual reports riddled with grammatical errors can distract your readers and harm your credibility. Remember, the ultimate goal is to publish a top-notch report with clear messaging. So, ample time and steady patience are key. Step away from your desk if you notice your eyes are beginning to glaze over after hours of writing and rereading. When you feel reenergized, try printing your content onto a physical page and completing a line-by-line edit, circling any remaining errors with a pen.

3. Voice

Strong, consistent language differentiates your brand. To help you identify awkward phrasing or abrupt sentences, try reading your text out loud. This strategy will help you make the necessary changes you need before hitting publish.

Remember, words matter. If you’re strapped for time, explore our editorial services.