Snapshot
Audience: Longtime supporters, new donors, and new audiences
Challenge: A gap in the understanding of what they do and past reports that focused only on numbers
Solution: Digital annual report + four-page impact brief
Result: Story-first assets that communicated their mission clearly and made their impact shine
Where They Started
The National Center For Teacher Residencies (NCTR) has been a champion for education since 2007, supporting teacher residency and apprenticeship programs nationwide.
Over the years, they have influenced the lives of around 2.2 million students and over 16,700 teachers. In the past, they communicated this impact with reports that were “all data and no stories.”
This year, they needed something more.
They realized that many people still didn’t fully understand what they do. Either they didn’t know what teacher residencies are or didn’t see how NCTR fit in the picture.
It was time for a report that could change that.
What Was Getting in the Way
The organization has the data and the stories. What they didn’t have was the internal lens and expertise to visualize and present them effectively.
They needed something that could:
- Explain the organization’s role and impact
- Humanize the work they do
- Highlight teacher resident stories
- Showcase real program photography
- Present numbers clearly with strong data visualization
- Maintain its appeal in a polished, digital-only format
And with a busy team and packed schedule, they didn’t have the capacity to achieve what they truly envisioned for their annual report.
They also grappled with timing and process hurdles. Their team expected the complete data to arrive late this year, so they wanted a design partner who could facilitate a smooth experience.
In other words, they were looking for a flexible partner that could make their stories and data shine.
What We Built
We created a 40-page digital report that made their data pop, supported by teacher stories that grounded their work and impact.
Numbers were brought to life, paired with quotes and relevant graphic elements. Charts visualized some of their most valuable stats. And photos of events and participants reinforced the real human value of NCTR’s mission on every single page.
The report maintained the organization’s brand and identity while elevating its visual presentation.
Our collaboration was built not only on what they wanted the design to look like but, more importantly, on what they wanted the report to achieve.
Deliverables included:
- A digital report PDF
- A four-page impact brief
What Changed
The organization went from annual reports that simply listed numbers to one that fully communicates the value of their mission.
The 40-page report is perfectly designed to be reshared in donor meetings, repurposed for board presentations, and referenced for giving campaigns.
Meanwhile, the 4-page impact brief is a great way to share their impact more widely. It’s an excellent resource for newsletters, social media posts, and event flyers.
NCTR now has assets that shine a light on what they do, how they do it, and why it matters.
