Design that turns belief into giving, growth, and partnership.

Helping nonprofit teams turn one annual report into a full year of donor-ready, stewardship materials that lead with narrative, not numbers alone.

Our narrative-first, supporter-centered approach to design has produced results like…

Used as a legislative hook

"I used the report as a major hook for four pieces of health-protective legislation in Congress."

Elevated the entire organization

"Acton Circle's work has earned us high praise and accolades for our materials."

Rave reviews from the board

"The end product was finished on time and received rave reviews from our team and Board leadership."

We run it a little different around here

Your annual report is only as strong as the thinking behind it.

Annual reports are our specialty.

Annual reports aren’t a side project for us, they’re our art form (and yes, we’re a little obsessed with making them amazing).

That depth shows up in every decision we make for your report.

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Experienced hands, every step of the way.

No hand-offs to junior designers. No extra-long timelines. Just fully custom, on-brand design held to a standard that matches your mission.

We're a little particular about it. And that care shows up in every file we deliver.

A report that keeps working long after launch.

We don’t treat your annual report as a finish line. It’s the foundation for what comes next.

It becomes a year-round storytelling system that keeps your mission in front of the right people long after the year closes.

Planet Women

A small environmental nonprofit's annual report that didn't end on launch day. It became their year-round storytelling system across email, social, and donor stewardship.

"We really loved the Annual Report that Acton Circle created for our small environmental nonprofit this year. They followed our direction really well and made a beautiful and fun report that highlighted our programs perfectly. We highly recommend them!"

Joanna M.

Director of Marketing, Planet Women

Peninsula Family Service

A family services nonprofit's milestone annual report and repurposed everygreen materials. Honors the legacy and signals what comes next, all in one editorial story.

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 T.

Chief Marketing Communications Officer, Peninsula Family Service

Making Waves Education Foundation

Annual reports and repurposed evergreen materials for an education foundation and its charter school highlight student stories and clearly show donors how their gifts made a difference.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with Olivia on a variety of design projects - from murals to impact reports to digital ads with lots in between. Olivia takes the time to really understand our nonprofit organization's mission as well as the goal, audience, and style for each project. In addition to being a very talented, thoughtful, and creative designer, she has strong organization and communication skills. I have really enjoyed collaborating with Olivia over the years and would highly recommend working with her if you have the opportunity!

Bonnie S.

VP of Storytelling + Marketing, Making Waves Education Foundation

Here’s what we know...

→ You've worked with designers who could make it look good but couldn't make it move supporters. Pretty doesn't translate to belief. Most of them didn't know the difference.

→ You've waited weeks for revisions. And you're pretty sure the senior team you hired handed the work off to a junior halfway through.

→ You spent months on a report that got used for one mailing, then sat on your website doing nothing. The data didn't make it into emails. The quotes didn't show up in the next case for support. A full year of mileage, used once.

→ You sent it out and heard back from... very few. No major donor saying "I didn't realize how much had changed." No foundation officer reaching out. No new partner showing up. Another year of people who almost believed.

Now you’re ready for an annual report that connects the data, story, and soul of your work.

You're tired of sending things out and hoping for the best (been there). You know that organizations doing important work shouldn't be the hardest to trust. Good news? This is fixable.

Plenty of agencies and freelancers can hand you a polished PDF (love that for them). We hand you a report that does the work.

We design for how people actually read annual reports: fast, distracted, halfway through their inbox. So every page is built to make sense on its own. The headlines are clear. The data is easy to follow. The captions close the loop.
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And we're with you the whole way (no ghosting). Clear communication from kickoff. Real time spent understanding your mission. Feedback that gets engaged with and applied, not glossed over and showing up in the next round. High-quality work you can count on.

Kind words from our clients

"Working in partnership with Acton Circle has been a wonderful experience. Olivia and the team are extremely talented and have crafted amazing collateral for my organization, East Bay Community Foundation. Working with them has been a smooth process from initial project intake to final design delivery. One highlight of working with Acton Circle is their excellent facilitation of strategy meetings. They thoroughly capture all the information needed and make translating project needs into a design look like magic."

Michele J.

Marketing Associate, East Bay Community Foundation

"Olivia was wonderful to work with and we were very pleased with the end-product. Highly recommend!"

Alissa T.

Senior Associate Director, University of Michigan School of Information

"A beautiful job bringing our foundation's report to life. The visualized data and narrative were enhanced by the very professional graphic design services provided by Acton Circle."

Kris L.

President + CEO, Chiron Community Giving Foundation

Working with Olivia at Acton Circle was a wonderful professional and personal experience. Her rare combination of marketing skill, insightful ideas, great patience, and playful interaction made the process successful and enjoyable. I had a lot of pressure on my end from many colleagues to get a great product in a certain time frame. My work with Olivia eliminated my stress and created a great plan and product. I don't have to think about who I will use in the future — it will be Acton Circle!

Matthew S.

Operations Manager, Making Waves Academy

"Olivia is extremely bright and had incredible ideas and insights for our project. Team was very responsive and easy to work with."

Jenny S.

Senior Creative Manager, Tides

The designers at Acton Circle are extremely creative, easy to work with, professional, flexible and timely with deadlines, and achieve results that have earned us high praise and accolades for our materials.

Alaina B.

Director of Marketing, 10,000 Degrees

start your project

Behind every report is someone who genuinely cares whether it works

I'm Olivia, and I started Acton Circle because too many nonprofits were doing great work and getting missed. Their materials weren't telling the real story. I built Acton Circle to fix that. For good.

The name comes from my grandparents. They lived on Acton Circle in Berkeley, CA. The font comes from my grandfather's handwriting.

They were the kind of people who loved big and served others faithfully. For decades. Without making a thing of it.

So no, this was never just about design. It’s about honoring a legacy and supporting the missions that are making a real difference.

THE ACTON CIRCLE DIFFERENCE

Some agencies and freelancers make the work harder. We make it easier.

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Because we only design for social change organizations.

We speak nonprofit and design. We get the board, the stakeholders, the pressure to build trust. We get the four different audiences you're trying to reach with one document (yes, four—we've had that exact conversation more than once).

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Because you'll never wonder what's happening next.

Clear timelines. Proactive updates. Built-in reviews. You always know what's coming, why it matters, and how it ties to your goals.

We know you're covering for two people and running point on three other things. You shouldn't have to chase us too.

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Because we believe in depth over surface.

We're not here to make things just look clean and professional. We're here so supporters really feel your mission. Every font, image, and layout means something. Yes, it's that deep.

The content that's 90% there... we know how to find the missing 10% and make the whole thing click.

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Because you should know exactly what you're paying before you say yes.

No hourly rates. No surprise invoices. Fixed pricing, clear deliverables, zero scope creep. You know what you're investing and what you're getting. Period.

It's the first thing most people want to know. So we just tell you upfront.

Forgettable PDFs out. Belief-building reports that fund in.

We’re creatives, but more importantly, we’re translators. We help turn the complexity of your work into clear messages your supporters can believe in. Our expertise includes:

Mission-First Design

We start with the heart of your work. Our approach prioritizes storytelling that helps donors feel the change you’re creating before they ever reach the numbers.

Year-Round Value

Your annual report becomes a system for campaigns, stewardship, board updates, and outreach. This keeps your mission top-of-mind long after release.

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Depth Over Decoration

Every choice, from hierarchy to imagery to typography, reflects your mission and audience. We create storytelling and fundraising materials that are credible and closely match your work.

No Settling

We aim to set a new standard with our work. Our design builds donor and supporter confidence and matches the excellence already within your organization.

If You Want a Partner, Not a Vendor...

You want someone who treats your mission like it's their own. Who thinks before they design. Who knows what your supporters need to see before they give again, or give more.

Someone who sticks around after the project wraps, not just until the final file is delivered.

Strategy and narrative behind every piece. Materials that don't just decorate the website. Materials that earn the next gift AND the credibility your work deserves.

If that sounds right, let's build something your team is proud to send. Something your supporters are excited to open.

BOOK A fit check CALL

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annual report design for nonprofits

Annual reports that earn the next gift and the next partner