If I’ve persuaded you that your nonprofit needs an annual report and that you can afford to produce one, your next question is probably what to put in it.
I have two suggestions:
- Tell stories
- Radiate gratitude
Today I’ll show you why you need to put stories into your annual report. Not statistics. Not glowing descriptions of your wonderful programs and the wonderful staff who implement them. Stories about the people you have helped.
Which of these paragraphs appeals to you more?
Option 1:
When Marisol came to the afterschool program at Historic Settlement House, she spoke hardly any English. She wolfed down her snack and accepted any and all leftovers from other students. When asked, she admitted she was hungry but wouldn’t say when she had last eaten. Today, Marisol eats the snacks she prefers and leaves the ones she doesn’t–just like most seven-year-olds. The difference is that Marisol’s father now has a job, thanks to the English classes and job training programs at Historic.
Option 2:
Getting students into the afterschool program at Historic Settlement House is often a first step toward providing comprehensive services for the whole family. The 224 students who attended the program at least once a week in 2013 represented 181 households. Adults in nearly half of those households also received services including free health screenings, referrals to food pantries and other community services, English classes, and/or employment assistance.
Of course the first one is more interesting. Human beings love stories, always have and always will. Stories tell us who we are and how the world works. The second paragraph speaks to the mind. The first speaks to the heart – and the heart is what we need to reach in order to inspire people to give again and again.
Your annual report needs to tell the story of how your donors and funders have changed the lives of people like Marisol and her family. Even financial pages can be part of that story, as you’ll learn in the e-course Your Nonprofit Annual Report: The Basics and More!
I know, you have objections:
- We don’t have photos / stories / families’ permission to use either one.
- Our clients’ situations are sensitive; we can’t publicize them.
- We have to use statistics to demonstrate our impact.
- We don’t do direct service.
- We don’t want to be sappy.
I’m out of time and space to deal with these objections, but, believe me, you can overcome them. I’ll show you how – and give you the tools to tell compelling stories that will open donors’ hearts and wallets – in Your Nonprofit Annual Report: The Basics and More!
This four-week e-course I’ve developed with Pamela Grow is packed with information and resources to help you produce an attractive, cost-effective annual report that will give your nonprofit the legitimacy it deserves. Learn more or sign up now.
Next week I’ll share why your annual report (or any nonprofit communication, for that matter) should radiate gratitude.