Can one person really change the world?
I think it depends on what you count.
Some people are only impressed by massive reputations, millions of dollars, big programs, and culture-changing ideas.
But as nonprofits and social impact companies started to release their year-end reports over the last few months, my favorite ones to read are the creative reports that:
make tangible the intangible,
highlight the small numbers that represent a change in heart or thought for a few people,
share the seedlings of disruption that will shape a family's trajectory forever,
tell the David versus Goliath stories,
represent the optimistic beginnings of early-stage organizations,
sound more relatable to me.
It's the idealist in me, but these reports represent hope and what could be.
Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly in awe of the big nonprofits and social enterprises who make an impact that I could only dream of. But I think we often forget that everyone who tried to do something great had to start somewhere, usually with meager resources.
Even on a small scale, these reports are the testimony of how you've used your resources to do something worthy of your donor or customer’s investment in you—whether that be time, money, influence, or anything else. No matter how big or how little you feel your contributions are (and theirs in you), they deserve to hear the story of what you did together.
If you haven't done so already, I urge you create your own report—and I’ll talk you through it.
Why Do You Need a Year-End Report?
Here are a few reasons why having a year-end report benefits you and your nonprofit or social impact company.
Help your community understand what you did with their resources, which might encourage them to give more.
Show them where you're headed in the future, and how they can be a part of it.
Tell stories of the real lives that were affected by your mission and the shared belief that things can be different (and better!).
Reiterate their standing as an insider that will always be kept in the loop when you've been trying something new.
Thank your current large donors, partners, and sponsors.
Build trust in you, your work, and your vision for a new and improved future.
We are in need of more good news than ever before . . . and you are in a fantastic position to share it!
How to Easily Design Your Year-End Social Impact Report FOR FREE
Here’s what you need to know: Your social impact report doesn’t need to be fancy. It certainly can be, but don’t let that stop you from making it happen.
Canva
Canva is the (free) tool that I use to create pretty much anything visual on this website or my social media. There are thousands of free templates to utilize for pretty much every purpose, and it’s pretty easy to get up to speed. Canva lets anyone be a designer!
People Resources
If you have a limited budget but a pair of extra hands, put them to work! It could be an intern, volunteer, board member, or peer that you can barter with.
Yearly
Yearly is a tool I only recently discovered through a friend, but it looks user-friendly and like it could create a great social impact report.
Webpage
No eye for design or short on time? Simply add a new page to your website and list all the data there. Just try to compliment numbers with stories and information that bring the facts to life.
Marketing Your Social Impact Report
Once you’ve taken the time to create your year-end report, be sure to get the most mileage of it by promoting it everywhere you can.
Social media
Conversations with donors and customers
Direct mail
Speaking engagements and interviews
And anywhere else at your disposal!
Pssst—You can also promote it more than once! For example, you could even promote it to new donors and customers as they begin to interact with you over the course of a year.
Examples of Year-End Social Impact Reports
After everything we’ve discussed above, would you like to see some impact reports from small nonprofits and social enterprises like you?
Atlanta Dream Center (now Frontline Response)*
This incredible organization has been doing good in Atlanta and beyond for a couple of decades now. So, they have some pretty great numbers to tout. However, one of the things I love about their social impact report is their vision for the future. At the end they show a photo and blueprint for their new headquarters as well as the budget they need for it. This allows their current donors to understand future needs and make the investment.
Gifts for Good
When you don’t have a designer on standby, you can follow Gifts for Good’s example and simply add a new page to your website with all the relevant stories and stats. A few of the creative stats they included were hours of employment, gallons of water save by using recycled materials, and chemo rides for cancer patients.
Refugee Coffee Co.*
My friends at Refuge got super creative in 2020 by telling their story through the lens of a fairy tale. If you have talented artists at your disposal, this is a fantastic way for their skills to intersect with your mission. You’ll see that they included cups of coffee served, hours of training, mentor/volunteer hours, and reiterated that their customers and donors helped them fight injustice.
Love Not Lost
My friend Ashley and her team at LNL had a heck of a year trying to help us all process grief in the midst of 2020. But they showed up in the ways that only they could, and loved on their community at a safe distance. Their report is a terrific example of what happens when you don’t make your goal. They were honest, upfront, and showed their donors and supporters their vision for 2021 with gusto! I know anyone who received this wasn’t disappointed—only proud to be a part of their community.
Kula Project
My friends at Mad+Dusty created this beautiful report, and the design was inspired by the founder’s quote about seeing the light and continuing to follow it. As you can see in this piece, they kept written content to a minimum but used the opportunity to show off the amazing photos of their work in action.
Goshen Homes
Another Mad+Dusty special, this one isn't quite an impact report, but it is still certainly a great model. Even without the beautiful design, you’ll see the testimonials scattered throughout that reinforce the importance of their work. And I love that it also shows you clear steps to getting involved.
Partners International
A huge kudos to Partners International for including a video with their annual report! It’s really the icing on the cake, and sets the stage for their work and impact. And for those who don’t like to write or don’t think you have much to say, note that their report doesn’t actually include a lot of words, but still does an excellent job of communicating what happened through powerful language and a beautiful layout. You’ll also notice that they include the donate button right after the report, which is another great move!
Conscious Capitalism
I love that this report starts off with the title, “A Pivot Toward the Future.” It’s hopeful, shows they are still standing strong after a hard year, and points to their work moving forward. I also like that they counted the attendees for their online gatherings as a stat. Finally, I love that they dedicated several pages to thanking their major partners, event donors, board of directors, and team. You can never thank people enough!
To The Market
This report stood out to me for several reasons. First, I love that they reinforced their work with stats about why their mission matters to the public at large. Second, they showed their growth very simply and in a straightforward way on page 5. (And yay for utilizing interns!) And, third, you’ll notice that their case studies are short and so is their social impact report. This is a terrific example of how you can communicate impact in a compact way.
Bi-Bett Corporation
Full disclosure—I wrote this report! Bi-Bett is a substance use treatment center in California, and they’ve been doing incredible work for over five decades. However, this was their first impact report so they wanted a hefty mix of stories, hard stats, creative stats, and showing their gratitude for everyone who contributes to their success. I loved the way we ended up quantifying some of the more emotional parts of their work such as safe nights spent in their care, observations by staff, days people felt supported, and people who turned their lives around. They have a lot to be proud of!
Signify’s 2020 Social Impact Report
I’m one person, so my stats are meager at best. But, again, that’s not the point and hopefully you’ve seen that by now. I show mine to you not to say, "Hey, look at what I did!" Instead, I show it to you in the hopes that you'll create your own and share it with your community.
I really do believe that one person can change the world—when you know what's important and what to count.
You're the one.
Get out there.
Create your impact.
Share it with the world.
PS: Have your own awesome year-end report to show off? Link to it in the comments!
* Past or present Signify client
PIN THIS POST FOR LATER:
I’m Kristi Porter, and I help cause-focused organizations understand and execute effective marketing campaigns so they can move from stressed to strategic. Your resources may be limited, but your potential isn’t. Whether you’re a nonprofit, social enterprise, or small business who wants to give back, I’ll show you how to have a bigger impact.