Most Reports Fall Flat. Here Are 4 Ways to Make Them Pop

When was the last time you were completely happy with your organization’s annual report?

If you’re like most of the communicators we talk to, the answer to that question is “never.”

Most organizations spend inordinate amounts of time producing annual reports and impact reports that fail to fully connect with their audiences.

They might look nice. They might feature a well-constructed narrative.

But they fail to capture the imagination of most readers.

Often, it’s because the reports themselves are too concerned with propping up the organization that is authoring the report. As a result, they read like pages and pages of marketing copy.

There is a better – and more engaging – path.

And it involves creating reports that give readers something meaningful – something that both showcases your brand or mission but also addresses the challenges you face and why those challenges should matter to them.

If you’re a nonprofit, you’ll still need to list your donors and sponsors.

If you’re a company, you’ll still want to talk about your growth and provide assurance to your shareholders.

But if you approach the project as a storytelling exercise that is designed to educate your audience about an issue and drive individuals to take action, you have a chance to turn your report into something that is more than just a vanity branding exercise.

We recently took this approach with a report we developed in partnership with The New York Community Trust on the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund.

And we were happy with the results.

Here are four reasons why it hit the mark:

It shared the spotlight with its partners – The Trust was clear that it wanted to make sure the report included the voices of its partners in the effort – which included a number of other big New York foundations. Yes, it was done under The Trust’s branding and intended to speak to its donors. But we were deliberate in including the voices of those who contributed to a successful effort – not to praise The Trust but to tell the story of the fund and what it hoped to accomplish.

It showcased those who are impacted – We interviewed and profiled a number of nonprofits who received funding through the effort to show how they used their grants and the challenges they face moving forward.

It acknowledged challenges – While the report chronicled a successful effort to raise and distribute $73 million in grants in an amazingly short time frame, it also acknowledged the fact that many nonprofits were left out because of the great need that existed – and still exists. It also spoke to the fact that its process wasn’t perfect. This honest approach gives the report added credibility.

It charted a path forward – The report ends with a sober assessment of the challenges facing New York in early 2021 – and also includes some perspectives on how the city’s nonprofits will look post-pandemic.

Ultimately, we wanted readers of this report to learn something.

Of course, we hoped they would be inspired to continue to support The Trust.

But the final goal was to share credit and provide a perspective that was more about education and transparency than it was about branding.

By deflecting some of the spotlight away from your organization and focusing more on your readers, you can create a report that helps reinforce your value.