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Annual report season always seems to arrive faster than expected, and for many nonprofits, it comes with a familiar feeling: you're racing the clock, juggling content drafts, and trying to find good photos.
Sound familiar?
When your message matters (and it does), rushing through the annual report design process is a missed opportunity. Great design helps your story connect, resonate, and inspire action.
At Acton Circle, we’ve so many nonprofit annual reports—fast, focused, and aligned with your mission. We typically work on a 2–3 week timeline, but the smoother the start, the better the finish. So let’s talk about what to prepare before we begin.
1. Organize Your Annual Report Content
Before design starts, you don’t need everything to be perfect, but you do need a clear sense of what you want to include. A solid content foundation helps us shape layout, pacing, and the overall story.
What to prepare:
- Final (or close-to-final) written content
This includes your main sections, headlines, calls to action, and any narrative elements.
- A central message or theme
Think big picture. What ties this year’s report together?
- Key statistics or impact data
Even if still being finalized, we can start mapping layout if we know what’s coming.
- Leadership list and titles
These often go in the back or in the acknowledgment section—best to confirm early.
Starting point: A Word or Google doc with outlined sections helps us visualize structure before design begins.
2. Gather the Right Visual Assets
We don’t need a studio photoshoot (though we’ll take it!), but we do need images that reflect your community and story. High-quality photos are key to making your annual report feel authentic and engaging.
What to gather:
- Photos of your programs, people, and events
Even cell phone images can work for smaller placements.
- Brand assets
Include your logo (in PNG or SVG), color palette, and any fonts.
- Past reports
These are helpful references for tone, layout, and evolution.
- QR codes or campaign elements
If you’re driving traffic or donations, we’ll need them up front.
Starting point: Use folders labeled by section or asset type in a shared drive. A little organization goes a long way.
3. Clarify Project Details and Key Decisions
Even with a short design timeline, it’s the early decisions that make everything move smoothly. These help us hit your deadline without last-minute rushes or misalignment.
What to confirm:
- Distribution method
Are you printing it? Sharing digitally? Both?
- Donation strategy
Remit envelope, QR code, or both? Let’s plan space accordingly.
- Key stakeholders and approvers
Who gives the final green light? Knowing that upfront avoids bottlenecks.
- Design preferences
Any inspiration? Specific colors or styles to avoid? Tell us now, not in review round two.
Starting point: Have a 30-minute internal check-in before kickoff to align on these items.
Checklist: Before You Kick Off Annual Report Design
✅ Final (or nearly final) content
✅ Program stats, donor and leadership lists
✅ Theme or message for the year
✅ Brand assets, logos, and past reports
✅ Quality images (labeled by section, if possible)
✅ Decision on print vs. digital
✅ Donation method (remit envelope, QR, etc.)
✅ Final approver confirmed
A Little Prep Makes a Big Difference
Strong annual report design starts before the first layout draft. With a few key elements in place—from content to images to decisions—you’ll get a more focused, collaborative process (and a much stronger final piece).
At Acton Circle, we’re here to make this feel doable. You’re already doing important work. Your report should reflect that without adding stress.
Learn more about our annual report design intensive service.
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