Most nonprofit teams approach their annual report with a mix of urgency and pressure.

What often goes unsaid is this: An annual report is where your year’s work becomes something donors and supporters can believe in.

When it’s done with intention, an annual report becomes the foundation for year-round storytelling, stronger donor retention, clearer board communication, and internal alignment across programs.

When it’s done quickly or treated as surface-level design, even the strongest missions can end up looking standard, undifferentiated, easy to skim past, and easy to forget.

At Acton Circle, we design annual reports through BELIEF by Design™—our belief-building framework that helps your mission feel clear, credible, and emotionally grounded before a single paragraph is read.

BELIEF by Design™ is the lens that shapes every decision—from strategy and narrative to visuals and format—so your annual report builds trust.

B — Begin With the Soul, Not the Surface

Before we touch typography, color, or layout, we start with the emotional and strategic core of your work.

We ask questions like:

• What should a donor feel when they open this?
• What story is your data actually telling?
• Where is your organization headed, and how should this report reflect that future identity?
• What truth about your work needs to be seen clearly and honestly?

This first conversation feels less like a traditional kickoff and more like translation work. We’re listening closely, reflecting patterns back to you, and helping clarify what your year actually meant—so the design doesn’t just look right, it rings true.

This is where belief begins, with alignment.

E — Embody Who You Actually Are

Your year isn’t random. And your annual report shouldn’t read like a collection of disconnected updates.

Once we understand the heart of your work, we review your stories, numbers, milestones, challenges, and emerging identity to identify a unifying narrative thread. That thread becomes the foundation for the entire report.

Rather than relying on trends or default “professional” design cues, we create a system that reflects who you actually are—your values, your community, and the way your organization shows up in the world.

That theme quietly guides:

• Headline structure
• Visual direction
• Data interpretation
• Calls to action
• The emotional rhythm of the report

This is how annual reports stop feeling generic and start feeling embodied.

L — Lead With What Supporters Feel, Not Just What They Read

Spreadsheets don’t move people. But emotionally intelligent data storytelling does.

We translate your data into visuals that help supporters immediately understand:

• What changed
• Who experienced that change
• How donor support made it possible

Every chart, diagram, and pull-out stat is designed to reduce friction and increase understanding. Donors shouldn’t have to reread, decode, or overthink your impact.

Throughout the process, we’re asking one guiding question:

What is the emotional truth behind this information, and how do we help people feel it?

That’s how belief moves from comprehension to connection.

I — Invest in Design That Goes Deep

Most teams come to us thinking they already know whether they need a traditional PDF or a digital experience.

During our initial Fit Check, we talk through your audience, donor behavior, internal capacity, and long-term goals. From there, the right format becomes clear, and it’s often not the one teams expect.

We help you decide based on:

• How supporters actually engage with your content
• What can be repurposed year-round
• Whether analytics or interactivity matter
• What fits your team’s bandwidth

Whether we land on a traditional report, an interactive experience, or a hybrid approach, the goal is the same: design that supports belief now and over time, not just at launch.

F — Feel the Mission in Every Detail

Belief is built in the details people may not consciously notice, but always feel.

From pacing and negative space to photography choices and hierarchy, every design decision signals something before a word is read.

We prioritize:

• Real photography over stock imagery
• Clear hierarchy over visual clutter
• Thoughtful pacing over dense layouts

A Mission-Aligned Design Partner

Working with Acton Circle means working with a team that understands the stakes of your nonprofit's work.

You’ll have:

• Clear creative direction from the start
• Strategic guidance at every stage
• A design team that shows up with both craft and care

We don’t just design reports.
We translate your mission into visuals that help people understand it, trust it, and support it.

Kind Words From a Happy Client

"I had the pleasure of working with Olivia on our annual report, and I can’t say enough about her talent and professionalism.

She took my initial vision and elevated it, bringing a fresh, modernized look and feel that truly captured our brand. Olivia has an incredible creative eye and she just got it from the start.

What stood out most was her ability to take feedback and not just incorporate it, but enhance the work with each round. It took very few revisions to reach the final product. She was also very organized, responsive, and met every milestone and deadline ahead of schedule."

Koren P., Chief Marketing Communications Officer, Peninsula Family Service

View the full project

If You Want an Annual Report That Builds Belief

Your annual report is one of the few pieces of communication that brings together your programs, leadership, impact, and future direction in one place.

It’s your opportunity to show people what changed this year, why it benefits them, and what kind of organization you are becoming.

If this approach feels aligned with the level of intention and partnership you’re looking for, we’d love to learn more about your mission.

When you’re ready, book a call—and we’ll start where belief always does: with the soul of your work.