SOCIAL IMPACT DESIGN STUDIO

Design that honors your community and expands your circle of supporters

We design belief-building annual reports and fundraising materials for nonprofits and foundations who know their next chapter requires showing up differently, and are done waiting to look the part.

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Find your best-fit path

Brochure page titled 'Invest in a Brighter Future for San Francisco' with statistics and information about 10,000 Degrees college success nonprofit.

Open 2022-23 Impact Report booklet showing diverse high school graduates in blue caps and gowns on the cover and inside pages detailing student success statistics and college achievements with photos of students.

Smartphone displaying a webpage titled 'Five in Five: Our Strategic Goals' with a smiling woman in academic regalia and colored sections listing five strategic goals.

Two postcards featuring diverse students walking with text saying 'Back to school' and 'Back to college' from Making Waves Foundation and Academy.

Laptop on wooden desk displaying a webpage titled 'Tides by The Numbers' with statistics on grantees, projects, and assets under management, next to a lamp, a white plant pot with green leaves, and books.

Open booklet showing a woman standing on rocks in a river on the right page and text about supporting nature and communities on the left page.

Two-page brochure for Peninsula Family Service featuring their legacy and donation options including circles program, partnerships, planned giving, and stock gifts.

Open book showing text and a page section highlighting a report on social determinants of mental health with a city street photo and a circular chart indicating 60% health attribution to zip code.

Open booklet showing a table of contents, a photo of a graduate in cap and gown, and text on organizational mission, values, and staff fellowship statistics.

Open laptop on wooden desk displaying Tides website page titled 'Tides by The Numbers' with statistics and photos of diverse people.

The donors, funders, and partners you need to grow are already investing. Just not in you. Yet.

The organizations leading their sector aren't more deserving than you. They just look the part. And that visibility is what funds the next community served, the next program launched, the next life changed.

‍You've spent decades deepening your programs, building real community trust, and earning your place in this sector. The only thing standing between you and the funders, partners, and recognition you need to grow, is materials that finally match the depth of your work.

We close that gap with annual reports that reflect your real depth, open doors to the funders and partners you're ready for, and give your team a storytelling system that works all year.

It's time your annual report finally reflected the organization you've spent decades becoming.

start here

Wherever you are right now, there's a place to start

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Annual Report Review

A fresh set of expert eyes on your report.

Annual Report Deep Dive →

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Annual Report Design

We handle the strategy and design.

Annual Report Design Intensive →

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DIY Reports

Templates for teams building in-house.

DIY Templates + Planner →

We’re Acton Circle, the go-to social impact design firm

Trusted by nonprofits improving education, health, and community well-being.

Since 2019 we've partnered with 60+ nonprofits and foundations—designing annual reports, cases for support, strategic plans, and research reports to help supporters understand your work, feel compelled to support it, and keep coming back.

That’s BELIEF by Design™ in practice.

Annual Report Design Intensive

We take everything your org stands for and build something supporters feel before they finish page one.
The kind of report that makes funders lean in, leadership stand tall, and fundraising actually easier all year.

explore the Annual Report Intensive

“The visualized data and narrative were enhanced...”

A beautiful job bringing our foundation's report to life. The visualized data and narrative were enhanced by the very professional graphic design services provided by Acton Circle.

Kris L., CEO, Chiron Community Foundation

Open book showing a report page with text on mental health disparities and an urban street photo with overlay text about uninsured residents and poor mental health.

Open booklet showing sections on scholarships, long-term vision, mentorship, mental health workshops, and a testimonial from Maria with her photo.

Annual Report Template Kits

Your team is capable, they just need a real system, not a blank canvas.

These kits hand you the exact strategic foundation we use with 1:1 clients so deadline season feels less like survival mode and more like, "yeah, we got this."

explore diy tools

Annual Report Deep Dive

Something feels off about your report, you just can't pinpoint what.

We look at your current report through the lens of supporter trust and belief-building, then hand you a clear, prioritized action list.

check out the Deep dive

free resource

The Annual Report Checkpoint

A self-assessment to run before you invest time, budget, and team energy into your next annual report.

get the checkpoint

THE ACTON CIRCLE DIFFERENCE

Why nonprofits choose us as their social change design agency

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Because we only design for social change organizations.

We speak nonprofit and design. We understand multiple stakeholders, board expectations, and the weight of building public trust because we've been doing this work for over a decade.

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Because you'll never wonder what's happening next.

Clear timelines, proactive communication, and built-in review points at every stage. You always know what's coming, why it matters, and how it connects to your goals.

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Because we believe in depth over surface.

We're not here to make things look clean and professional. We're here to make supporters feel your mission. Every font choice, image, and layout carries meaning because it really is that deep.

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Because you should know exactly what you're paying before you say yes.

No hourly rates or surprise invoices. Just fixed pricing with clear deliverables and zero scope creep. You know exactly what you're investing and what you're getting. Period.

our clients

From the orgs we’ve partnered with

They were where you are. Here's what shifted.

WHO WE SERVE

As a social impact design studio, here’s who we work with best

If you’re expanding access, improving well-being, and strengthening communities... your story deserves to be seen, felt, and understood.

get started

view our work

about acton circle

Behind the design is a team that believes in your mission as much as you do.

Olivia founded Acton Circle because she couldn't stop thinking about all the nonprofits doing extraordinary work that the world was missing, and materials that didn't come close to telling the story.

She built Acton Circle to close that gap, for good.

MEET YOUR DESIGN PARTNER

on the blog

Is your annual report the foundation your story can grow from?

We guide you through what to say, how to design it, and how to turn it into materials that support your work year-round.

Annual Report Design

Your Annual Report Is Your Best Comms Asset. Are You Using It Like One?

Your annual report is the most content-rich thing your org produces all year. Stop letting it collect dust. Here's what it should be doing instead.

Read article

Annual Report Design

How to Build Your Annual Report Under Imperfect Conditions

Most annual reports aren’t built under ideal conditions. Here’s how you can navigate the process without losing the thread.

Read article

Annual Report Design

The Real Reason Your Annual Report Feels Like a Chore

Do you dread completing your annual report each year? Here’s why and how to fix that feeling before the next cycle.

Read article

Design that builds belief. For the organizations doing the most important work.

Subscribe to The Bold Print

Every week, Olivia shares what she’s learning from 12+ years designing hundreds of nonprofit projects and the storytelling systems behind them—the behind-the-scenes stuff that helps you show donors you mean what you say and create visuals that actually carry your message forward.

If you’re figuring out how to tell your story better (or wondering if we’d be a good fit to work together), this is where you'll find the good stuff.

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Design that honors your community and expands your circle of supporters

The donors, funders, and partners you need to grow are already investing. Just not in you. Yet.

Wherever you are right now, there's a place to start

We’re Acton Circle, the go-to social impact design firm

Annual Report Template Kits

Annual Report Deep Dive

The Annual Report Checkpoint

Why nonprofits choose us as their social change design agency

Because we only design for social change organizations.

Because you'll never wonder what's happening next.

Because we believe in depth over surface.

Because you should know exactly what you're paying before you say yes.

From the orgs we’ve partnered with

As a social impact design studio, here’s who we work with best

Community Strength & Voice

Health & Well-Being

Education & Access

Philanthropy & Funding Partners

Behind the design is a team that believes in your mission as much as you do.

Is your annual report the foundation your story can grow from?