A Message From Our Founder: A Look Back at 2023

Written by

Olivia Wheeler

/

Updated

December 20, 2023

Sitting at my desk, surrounded by post-it notes, motivational cards, and my fav little Funko Pop from a dear friend, I can't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude as I reflect on 2023. It's been a transformative year at Acton Circle, marked by growth, creativity, and resilience.

Our 2023 has been filled with challenges turned into opportunities, from brainstorming sessions to final touches.

Here's a rundown of some of our most fun and impactful projects from this year.

Featured Projects

Planet Women's Annual Report

For Planet Women, we took their environmental advocacy initiatives and transformed them into a clear and compelling annual report. Our focus was on making their message accessible, using design to highlight their work in empowering women and impacting communities. We created a digital and print report that showcased their achievements and positioned them to connect with their audience closely, ensuring their impactful work was both seen and understood.

Good Filling's Dispensing Machine Decals

With Good Filling, our mission was to make sustainability look good. We redesigned the decals for their soap and coffee dispensing machines, balancing luxury and eco-friendliness. Our designs were not just about aesthetics; they communicated the brand's core message of waste reduction in an intuitive and appealing way to consumers, enhancing Good Filling's presence in upscale locations.

Making Waves Academy Mural

In collaboration with Making Waves Academy, we designed a large-scale mural that was more than just decoration; it told the story of the academy and its values. Integrating images of graduates and faculty, we created a visual narrative that resonated with the academy's ethos. This mural became a source of inspiration and pride on campus, reflecting our ability to merge creative design with educational themes.

Reflecting on the past year at Acton Circle, I see that our highlighted projects with Planet Women, Good Filling, and Making Waves Academy pushed us to think outside the box, innovate, and make a difference through our designs.

Each project was a lesson in how design can inspire and drive change.

Industries/Sectors Served in 2023

We were fortunate to collaborate with clients in a variety of sectors this year.

Mental Health: We've supported organizations focused on public health and  advocacy, creating designs that emphasize the importance of mental health and wellness.

Education: Our work with educational nonprofits has been geared towards highlighting the value of learning and access to education.

Environment and Conservation: Collaborating with groups dedicated to environmental conservation, we've contributed to projects on sustainable development, wildlife protection, and climate action.

Philanthropy and Foundations: We've supported grant-making bodies and foundations in their mission to fund various causes and initiatives.

Public and Societal Benefit: Working with nonprofits focused on societal benefits, our designs have aided in policy research and community-building efforts.

We look forward to continuing to help clients make a tangible impact within these sectors as we move into 2024.

Most Memorable Lessons!

As we reflect on this year, it's clear that we learned a lot.

First, the importance of adaptability. Each project came with its unique challenges, and being flexible in our approach was key to our success.

Second the power of specialization. The more we learned about each project, the more we realized the importance of honing our skills. In 2024, we will continue focusing on specialization, particularly in report design.

Big News for 2024

As we head into 2024, I'm super excited to offer our monthly design support service. We're honing in on this service to help organizations like yours tell more powerful stories more consistently.

After years of crafting impact reports, campaigns, marketing collateral, and donor materials, we've refined our approach to deliver designs that don't just look good—they drive real results. Our streamlined process makes it easy to partner together to get the visuals you need while maintaining the highest creative standards.

We're focusing exclusively on nonprofits and foundations because we believe in going deep, not wide. This means you get a design partner who truly understands your sector's unique needs and challenges.

Want ongoing design support that turns your vision into compelling visual stories? Let's talk about making 2024 your organization's most impactful year yet.

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👋🏽 Hi, I'm Krista Reyes

I'm a writer and editor with almost a decade of professional experience. I spent most of my formative years working with local and international nonprofits, channeling my passion for worthy causes into written works with depth, value, and intention.

If I'm not working, you'll find me reading books, watching movies, playing chess, or bonding with my four dogs.

👋🏽 Hi, I'm Olivia Wheeler

I'm a creative leader with high standards for nonprofit storytelling. I work between homeschooling and gym sessions, obsess over typography, and believe your annual report should make supporters feel your mission in their bones.

I help nonprofits connect with new audiences and look like the org they're becoming, not the ones they were five years ago.

Annual report lessons most nonprofits learn too late

Why only 1 in 4 donor ever gives again

Your annual report is a stewardship and retention tool waiting to be used.

Most orgs treat it like a formality. Design it, ship it, forget it. Then wonder why the same donors don't show up again next year.

Donors leave because nobody showed them their gift mattered after they gave it.

First-time donors are THE MOST fragile group you have. One good report = a second gift.

We wrote about exactly how to use your annual report as a stewardship tool, not just a recap: Your Annual Report Is a Stewardship Tool. Here's How to Actually Use It That Way.

Why only 1 in 4 donor ever gives again

Great work along does not raise money

Programs don't fund themselves. Understood value does.

You can run the best program in your sector and still lose funding, because funders and donors don't fund what you did. They fund what they understood.

Most impact sections list activities. Meals served, kids reached, hours logged. None of that tells anyone what changed.

The gap isn't your work. It's the translation between your work and what the reader actually feels reading about it.

I broke this down here: How to Measure Your Nonprofit's Impact (And Make Sure It's Felt)

Great work along does not raise money

Where donors stop reading

Donors give you a few seconds before they decide if your report is worth their time.

Dense pages, no hierarchy, and nothing to pull the eye to what matters don't help.

I wrote about what actually earns attention in that window here: Annual Report Layout: Tips for a Report Donors Will Read

Where donors stop reading

A faster way to build your report

So you're doing your annual report solo again this year, huh? Same deal as last time: last year's PDF open in one tab so you can copy the bones, and a blank Canva doc that doesn't carry a single thing over.

A template is the thing that should've existed the first time you did this solo.

Here's a better approach to your report if you're handling it in-house: The Faster Way to a Beautiful Annual Report

A faster way to build your report

What you're not pulling from your own report

Your annual report is the most content-rich thing your org makes all year. And then it just sits on your website.

Real stories, real numbers, real proof your mission works, all sitting in one PDF that gets opened once and forgotten.

That same content could be twelve LinkedIn posts, three newsletter sends, a case study, a slide for your next pitch deck. Every one of those keeps your mission in front of donors between asks, not just during them.

More on how to make your report work past launch day: Simple and Flexible Annual Report Ideas for Busy Nonprofits

What you're not pulling from your own report

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