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Documentation toolkit info card: annual reports
An annual report is a documentation and communication product that provides a summary of an organisation's work, achievements and lessons during a year. Some organisations produce a report once every two years; these documents are called biennial reports.
An annual report:
- Provides a yearly comprehensive overview of an organisation's aims, activities, results, lessons and directions.
- Is an important public relations tool that can be used any time during the year to promote an organisation. .Is an official document and may need to meet specific requirements (e.g. a financial summary).
- Combines factual data with other information - such as photographs and quotations - that give a real impression of the organisation's work.
- Mainly targets external audiences (such as donors, government and other NGOs/CBOs), but can also benefit internal audiences (such as staff, volunteers and board members).
Key questions
Key questions to ask before developing an annual report are:
? How can your NGO/CBO get the most out of producing its annual report? How can it use the opportunity to reflect on its lessons and to improve its future work?
? Does the annual report need to meet any official requirements? For example, do you have to send a copy to a government department or include a note from the auditors with the financial accounts?
? When can you realistically produce the annual report? When will all the information you need - including the final financial accounts - be available?
Structure and content
These pages show an example of a structure and content outline for the annual report of an NGO/CBO working on HIV/AIDS. The outline shows what the product will contain and in what order. The boxes around it provide some key "dos and don'ts" about how to make an annual report as effective as possible.
1. Letter from the Chair of the Board
2. Letter from the Executive Director
DO use letters to provide a strong and inspiring start. Ensure that they: • Each say something different. • Complement each other. • Reinforce your key points. • Are written in a lively style.
3. Introduction • NGO's/CBO's mission statement • Aim and structure of the annual report • Overview of the year
DON'T try to cover every project in detail in the introduction, but provide an overview of the organisation's work. Encourage input from colleagues, but take editorial decisions based on what is right for the report.
DON'T make the introduction too wordy, but do include the basic information (such as your mission statement and the key highlights of the year).
4. Area of work 1: • Introduction • Summary of activities and results • Case study; photos; quotations
5. Area of work 2: • Introduction • Summary of activities and results • Case study; photos; quotations
6. Area of work 3: • Introduction • Summary of activities and results • Case study; photos; quotations
DO use the same basic format for each area of work, combining an overview with some real-life examples.
7. Resources and support • Donors • Income and expenditure
DO give credit and thanks to those who have supported you.
DO make your financial accounts as clear as possible, for example by using visuals - such as pie charts and graphs.
8. Governance and staffing • Board of Trustees • Staff and volunteers
DO include information about who is involved in the organisation and what they do. In particular, include information about the key decision - makers and senior management.
9. Directions for the future
DON'T try to cover everything about your plans. Instead, end on a positive note - by showing how the lessons and results from the past year will be used to strengthen your future work.
10. Contact details
DO ensure that all of your information is as accurate as possible. Ensure that the final report is proofread by at least two people - to check both the text and the design.
Style
This page looks at the style of annual reports - meaning how they are designed. It provides some ideas about how to make them as interesting and attractive as possible.
Ensure that the style of your textand images used complement eachother - so that your annual report reflects the tr ue natur e of yourNGO/ CBO and the range of its work.
Use a simple and positive style for your annual report - so that it is within your budget and successfully describes your organisation.
Use a style for your annual report that meets the needs of your audiences. For example, donors will want to see financial data presented clearly and transparently.
Use plenty of photographs, quotes and stories to illustrate your work - but ensure that their nature and balance reflects the true nature of your NGO/CBO and the range of its work.
Some organisations publish a biennial report that covers two years of their activities. Note how the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW) used three languages on the front cover of its biennial report to emphasise the international nature of their organisation. The photos show a network meeting and different activities carried out around the world.
Source: Documenting and communicating HIV/AIDS work
This is an extract from Documenting and communicating HIV/AIDS work: a toolkit to support NGOs/CBOs, published by the International HIV/AIDS
Alliance in October 2001.
To view the whole toolkit follow this link.
To download this card and three others, complete with graphics, in pdf format (which requires Adobe Acrobat software to read it) follow this link (file size 481kb).