SOCIAL IMPACT DESIGN STUDIO

Annual reports that supporters actually understand, remember,
and trust

Small comms and fundraising teams are asked to translate complex work into something supporters can understand fast. We design belief-building annual reports that make your work easier to fund, share, and reuse.

start your annual report
Find your best-fit path
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.
Open laptop on wooden desk displaying Tides website page titled 'Tides by The Numbers' with statistics and photos of diverse people.

Annual reports put so much pressure on small nonprofit teams

When time, tools, and design support are limited, the report turns into a rush to fit everything in, and the story starts to fall apart.
That’s where BELIEF Audit™ comes in.
It’s our approach for turning mission-heavy info into visuals supporters can understand quickly and remember. You get a report that builds belief in your mission, supports your fundraising, and gives your team reusable assets for the rest of the year.
start here

Different teams need different starting points

Choose the path that fits your team right now:
Annual Report Design
We handle the strategy and design.
Annual Report Design Intensive →
DIY Reports
Templates for teams building in-house.
DIY Templates + Planner →
Annual Report Review
Identify what’s weakening your report.
Annual Report BELIEF Audit™ →

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 communications that help supporters understand their work and feel compelled to support it.

That’s BELIEF Audit™ in practice.

OUR MISSION
Turn one annual report into year-round trust
Your annual report is often the first impression funders, supporters,
and partners get.

We design digital-first reports—interactive, web-ready, and
built to stay visible long after launch.

You walk away with:
‍
→ A report built on BELIEF Audit™
→ Assets designed for repurposing
→ A system your team can build on next year
explore the Annual Report Intensive
“A beautiful job bringing our foundation's report to life.”
Kris L., CEO, Chiron Community Giving Foundation
Collage with CHIRON Community Giving Foundation logo, statistic highlighting 47% of Americans in mental health workforce shortage, images of children and community, and text about fostering healthy, safe, engaging communities.
Open report showing pages discussing social determinants of mental health with a photo of urban buildings and text highlighting uninsured residents and rates of poor mental health.
annual report template kits

Don’t DIY blind—
use a proven framework

If you’re creating your report in-house, our DIY tools give you the foundation already built.

→ Annual Report Planner
→ The Belief-Building Annual Report Playbook
→ DIY Template Kits
→ Free Thank You Templates

Built from the same system we use with 1:1 clients.

explore diy tools
Annual Report BELIEF Audit™

Spot the gaps before
they cost you

The Annual Report BELIEF Audit™ gives you a fresh, expert perspective of your current report before you invest.

We identify what’s working, what’s weakening trust, and what deserves attention next. You leave with clear takeaways and a priority action list.

check out the audit
Belief-building starts here

Belief-Building Report Playbook

A practical guide to planning and designing an annual report that people actually understand and remember.

get the guide
THE ACTON CIRCLE DIFFERENCE

Why community-centered organizations choose us
as their social change design agency

Because we only design for social change organizations.

We know nonprofit speak and design. We get the realities of
mission-driven communication: multiple stakeholders, high expectations, and the responsibility of building public trust.

Because our process is refreshingly straightforward.

Our process keeps you informed at every stage with clear timelines, proactive communication, and built-in review points. You’ll always know what’s next, why it matters, and how it connects to your goals.

Because we believe in depth over surface.

We’re not here to make things look “clean and professional”—we’re here to make donors feel your mission. Our process helps you shape and repurpose content strategically, turning your complex work into cohesive, belief-building visuals.

Because we’ve eliminated the pricing BS.

No hourly rates. No surprise invoices. Just fixed pricing that’s clear from day one—built for nonprofit budgets and designed to eliminate scope creep before it starts. You’ll know exactly what you’re investing and what you’re getting. Period.

When the visuals finally match the work

(Straight from our clients)

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.

Website section titled 'Supporting Reproductive Justice Advocates' with photos of six diverse women, and a sidebar titled 'Strategies to Move Forward In a Post-Roe World' with text and a video thumbnail of Lakeesha Harris from Lift Louisiana.
Open booklet and booklet cover titled 'Right to Know: Just How Hazardous are Fragrances?' with summary and images of perfume bottles, dated July 2025.
Open booklet spread showing Making Waves Academy's educational model, highlighting Richmond, California, and San Francisco Bay Area programs with statistics on graduation rates and college support.
Open report showing pages discussing social determinants of mental health with a photo of urban buildings and text highlighting uninsured residents and rates of poor mental health.
get started
view our work
about acton circle

Your design partner for nonprofits strengthening communities

We translate complex missions into visuals donors
can understand and believe.

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.

Impact Report vs Annual Report for Non-Profits

Confused about impact reports vs annual reports? Learn how nonprofits should use each, when to separate them, and how to avoid overcrowded, forgettable reports.

What Is a Nonprofit Annual Report & What to Include

Learn what a nonprofit annual report is, what to include, and how to combine annual and impact reporting into one clear, trust-building story for donors.

How to Write an Annual Report Without Oversimplifying Your Work

Learn how to write an annual report that builds trust without oversimplifying complex community work. Context matters more than clean stories.

Acton Circle is a design studio specializing in digital-first annual reports and the storytelling tools that extend their impact. We help nonprofits and foundations strengthening communities turn complex work into supporter-ready, participant-ready materials that build belief, drive engagement, and keep working year-round.

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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 the good stuff lives.

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Evaluate Your Report

Annual Report BELIEF Audit™

Design It For You

Annual Report Design Intensive

Build It In-House

Annual Report Template KitsAnnual Report PlannerHow Our Templates Work

Insights & Tools

BlogThe Belief-Building Annual Report PlaybookDonor Thank You Cards
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