The exception to the rule is when you issue a “Progress Report” that summarizes recent achievements without assigning them to a standard timeframe. In that case, it is acceptable to use the year the report was issued in, e.g., 2008 Progress Report.

We are often asked for annual report templates or sample annual reports. If you are looking for a new annual report design or format, we recommend that you look at what others are doing to get some ideas.

Below are links to recent annual reports from some of the largest nonprofit organizations in the United States. Most are PDF files. Please note that many of these files are large and may take some time to download. These links are for informational purposes only. Inclusion on this page does not imply any type of comment, positive or negative, by Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com.

Academy for Educational Development
2008-2009 Annual Report

ALSAC – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report

Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association
2008-2009 Annual Report

American Cancer Society
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

American Diabetes Association
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report

American Heart Association
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

American Lung Association
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report

American Red Cross
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report

AmeriCares Foundation
2009 Annual Report

Art Institute of Chicago
2003-2009 Annual Reports

Arthritis Foundation
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Boy Scouts of America
2008 Annual Report | 1997-2007  Annual Reports

Boys Town
2008 Annual Report

Brother’s Brother Foundation
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

CARE USA
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Catholic Charities USA
2008 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report

Catholic Medical Mission Board
2008 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Catholic Relief Services
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Child Fund International
2005-2009 Annual Reports

City of Hope and Affiliates
2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report

Compassion International
2007-2008 Annual Report | 2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report

Covenant House
2005 – 2007 Annual Reports

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
2006 – 2008 Annual Reports

Direct Relief International
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Disabled American Veterans
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Easter Seals
2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report
2004-2005 Annual Report

Educational Broadcasting Corporation
2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report
2004-2005 Annual Report | 2003-2004 Annual Report

Feeding America
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Food for the Poor
2005 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Foundation
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Gifts in Kind
2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report
2004 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report

Girl Scouts of the USA
2007 Annual Report

Girls Incorporated
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report
2004 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report | 2002 Annual Report

Goodwill International Industries
2007 Annual Report

Institution of International Education
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report” | 2005 Annual Report
2004 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report

International Rescue Committee
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report

Junior Achievement, Inc.
2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report
2004-2005 Annual Report | 2003-2004 Annual Report

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
2007 Annual Report
2006 Annual Report Part 1 | 2006 Annual Report Part 2
2005 Annual Report Part 1 | 2005 Annual Report Part 2

Local Initiatives Support Corporation
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Make-A-Wish Foundation
2005 & 2006 Annual Reports

March of Dimes
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report

Mercy Corps
2007 Annual Reprot | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Muscular Dystrophy Association, Inc.
2007 Annual Report

National Multiple Sclerosis Society
2007 Annual Report

National Mental Health Association
2004 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report

National Public Radio, Inc.
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report
2003 Annual Report | 2002 Annual Report

Northwest Medical Teams International, Inc.
2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.
2006-2007 Annual Report

Project HOPE
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report
2004-2005 Annual Report | 2003-2004 Annual Report

Samaritan’s Purse
2007 Annual Report

Save the Children
2007 Annual Report

Smithsonian Institute
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report

Special Olympics, Inc.
2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
2003-2004, 2004-2005, & 2005-2006 Annual Reports

The Carter Center
2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report
2004-2005 Annual Report | 2003-2004 Annual Report

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
2006-2007 Annual Report | 2005-2006 Annual Report
2004-2005 Annual Report | 2003-2004 Annual Report

The Nature Conservancy
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

The Salvation Army
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

United States Fund for UNICEF
2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report | 2003 Annual Report

United Negro College Fund, Inc.
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

United States Olympic Committee
2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

Volunteers of America
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report

WGBH Education Foundation
2007-2008 Annual Report | 2006-2007 Annual Report
2005-2006 Annual Report | 2004-2005 Annual Report

Wildlife Conservation Society
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report | 2005 Annual Report

World Vision International
2007 Annual Review | 2006 Annual Review
2005 Annual Review | 2004 Annual Review

Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc.
2007 Annual Progress Report | 2006 Annual Progress Report
2005 Annual Progress Report | 2004 Annual Progress Report

Young Life
2007 Annual Report | 2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report | 2004 Annual Report

YWCA of the USA
2005-2006, 2004-2005, 2003-2004, & 2002-2003 Annual Reports

Lists of donors, board members, and sometimes staff are usually included on the annual report’s final pages. Below are answers to five frequently asked questions about these lists.

Do we need to list absolutely everyone who donated any amount of money?

No. Many organizations set a minimum dollar amount for inclusion in the annual report to keep the donor list to a reasonable length (one or two pages in an 8-12 page report, three-four pages in longer reports). Smaller donors can be recognized publications like a newsletter. Rather than using expensive printed pages in the annual report some nonprofits photocopy the full list and insert it into the report that way.

How should the donor list be organized?

You can either organize the list alphabetically or group donors according to the level of contribution and alphabetically within those categories.

Seven of our donors want to remain anonymous. How do we recognize them?

If you have several donors who wish to remain anonymous, you can list “Anonymous” once as the first entry in the list or you can include a brief statement at the beginning or end of the list thanking all the donors who wish to remain anonymous.

Should we list non-voting, honorary, or advisory board members?

The main list under your “Board of Directors” heading should include only the voting members. If there is space, you can list other categories of board members under an appropriate heading, but don’t mix the two. It should be clear to readers who the legal directors of the organization are.

Which staff members should we list?

Always list the executive level staff (e.g., executive directors and depending on the size of the organization, the next layer of management below the executive director). Many organizations list all staff. It’s up to you and dependent on how much space there is.

According to a Writing911.com web poll, the executive message, which is the letter at the front, is the most difficult to write. The message took 39% of the vote, followed by “the whole thing” at 26%.

Bluntly speaking, most annual report executive messages are dreadfully boring or irrelevant. On the other hand, the best executive messages are more like summaries of the annual report.

Further, the message should make an emotional connection with the readers by reminding them of the good work you are doing to ultimately make the world a better place. Use the letter to set the tone or theme for what you are sharing in the rest of the report.

If you treat the message like an executive summary, your letter can look something like this, with each line representing one paragraph.

* Overall focus of last year
* Accomplishment #1
* Accomplishment #2
* Accomplishment #3
* New emphasis for the current or coming year

Following the above model, your letter will have five paragraphs. Keep your paragraphs to three to four sentences each, with the total length of the letter no more than 500-600 words

Many nonprofits organize their annual reports to reflect the set up of the organization. If three different programs were implemented last year, your annual report would need to include three sections describing those programs. Though that is one of the easiest ways to structure an annual report, it’s not one of the most compelling methods of telling your story.

Developing a theme for the year is a better way to organize an annual report. The theme must flow throughout the document and it can also appear as the title on the report’s cover.

Ideas for Nonprofit Themes

Here are three themes that any nonprofit could adapt for its annual report:

Results that Speak for Themselves. Having people who greatly benefit from your work talk about your accomplishments is much more effective than speaking about your accomplishments directly. The inclusion of personal profiles or anecdotes is a great way of showcasing how your accomplishments are improving lives.

Step by Step. Showing annual progress is important even if the goals of your organization will take years to actualize. You want to showcase how all of your achievements, even small ones, are stepping stones along the path to something greater. Using text and graphics are an excellent way to highlight achievements, no matter how small.

Reaping What We Sow. A creative approach is to use a garden analogy to describe your accomplishments, from planting seeds (the origin of projects), to pulling weeds (overcoming obstacles), to harvesting the fruits of your labor (enjoying your achievements).

This will be our first annual report. Where should we start?

Writing an annual report can feel overwhelming and daunting, especially for first-timers. Perhaps that’s why you haven’t written one in the past.

Always begin with your key message and your achievements. What three things are you most proud of from last year? What aspects would you emphasize if you only have five minutes to tell a stranger about your nonprofit’s good work? Your annual report should flow from the answers to these questions.

If your organization has been around for several years, but this is your first attempt at an annual report, you may be tempted to talk about all of your accomplishments over the years. In this case, we recommend that you call the document a “progress report” that spans a certain timeframe, e.g., 2004-2007. At the end of 2008, you would write an annual report for that year alone.

Should we talk about current activities and the future, or just the past year?

Annual reports summarize what has already happened. Don’t treat your annual report as a summary of your current workplan. You can talk about the present or the future in the executive message or in a small section near the end of the report. Readers will expect to read about recent accomplishments, not current activities or future plans.

If we only highlight our biggest accomplishments, won’t those staff members whose work is left out be upset?

The purpose of an annual report is to highlight the organization’s accomplishments as a whole, not the work of particular staff members or project teams. So it doesn’t seem like the annual report is the only place where good work is publicly recognized, look for other ways recognize the contributions of all of your staff members.

Writing an annual report for your nonprofit organization is a great idea. Annual reports can help in many ways. They can

• communicate not just your activities, but your accomplishments during the past year;
• convince existing supporters that their funds are being well spent and help you raise money by attracting new donors;
• educate community leaders and influential decisionmakers about your work on important issues;
• recognize special people including donors and volunteers; and
• serve as a historical record of your progress.

Here is a rough outline of that talk, full of questions you should ask yourself as you create your fall email campaign.

The Goal: Increasing Giving in December

If your goal is take advantage of December giving trends, use the fall months to start working up to your big December ask. How? By inspiring your donors and by reinforcing how important your donors are to your success.

Step 1: Think about Your List

What percentage of records in your database include email addresses?

What can you do now to increase the number of email addresses you have?

How can you segment your list so that you can personalize your messages?

Step 2: Think about the Schedule

How many emails can you reasonably send out in October and November, leading up to an appeal in December? One or two or three per month?

How will this special fall campaign mesh with what you are sending via email now? In addition to or in place of a newsletter, for example?

How will the email campaign mesh with any direct mail you are sending or telephone calls you plan to make?

Are there any bonuses you can offer this fall (e.g. special events, time with the executive director, special downloads, etc.)? Get in the gift giving mode yourself!

Step 3: Think about the Content

If you are saving the appeals for December, what will you be asking for then? Be clear and specific. Make sure that your fall emails build up to and support the ask.

What types of messages will you send this fall? Give some thought to messages that

• share success
• thank donors for past support
• create emotional connections between donors and the people you help
• position your organization as helpful, friendly, and effective — in other words, worthy of the trust that comes with a donation
• If stuck, play off the holiday/seasonal themes (e.g. Halloween, Fall Leaves, Thanksgiving, Cooler Weather, etc.)

What kind of tone will you use (fear, desperation, hope, love, etc.)?

Who’s the best messenger? Can a client tell a story in their own words?

Step 4: Think Beyond Hitting Send

What changes can you make to your website to ensure that it reinforces what’s in the email?

Do your landing pages match up with your email messages?

Is your donation process as easy as possible?

Does your website answer the question “Why Give to This Group?”

What stats will you review and what will you do with that information?

How will the results of the email campaign affect your print or telephone follow-up?

What does your thank-you follow-up look like?

Do you have a plan to convert first-time donors into monthly givers?

Conclusion

Remember to ask youself, “Why are these people important to us (other than receiving financial support from them) and why are we important to them (other than as place to give money)? Use your email and other communications programs to create a long-term conversation with your supporters.

We’ll post a link to the recording/transcript when Network for Good makes it available.

1. A Well-Understood Niche

When people are seeking out experts, they are looking for answers to very specific questions. Experts on broad subject areas are a dime a dozen. What’s more valuable are experts on very specific niches within a larger field.

Let’s take animal rights for example. Say you are a reporter working on a story about how animals are treated in circuses and other entertainment venues. You wouldn’t be interested in talking to some general animal rights advocate who would give you broad quotes and statistics about animal rights. You also wouldn’t be interested in talking to someone who focused on protecting cats and dogs from abuse, or someone who advocated vegetarianism to protect farm animals.

You’d want to talk to someone who knew something about elephants, tigers, and sea mammals in captivity, and specifically about how those animals fare when they are performers. Therefore, you’d look for someone who made it known that they worked on those specific issues.

At the same time, you shouldn’t define your niche so narrowly that people outside your field don’t understand the distinctions you are making.

2. A Solid Track Record

Can you back up what you are saying with a description of your experience, research, or training? Do others in your field consider you a leader – and if so, how do you know that? Sometimes a good title is all you need to be deemed credible, but more often than not, you’ll also need some kind of track record to back you up. A list of publications you’ve written, conferences you’ve spoken to, and articles where you’ve been quoted previously can all demonstrate your track record.

3. Trustworthy

No one likes to be misled with bad information or an incomplete story. Always tell the truth. If you don’t know an answer, it’s OK to guess, but make sure the person you are talking to knows you are guessing.

It’s also important to be upfront about any biases your organization has. If there’s a broad range of opinion on your issues, be clear about where you fit on that spectrum. It’s OK to have strong opinions and to advocate for them, but you’ll win points if you are transparent about your bias, acknowledge that you represent one particular point of view, and even point a reporter to someone who can offer an opposing perspective.

4. Accessible

You are no good as a source if people can’t reach you when they need you. Put your contact information out there. Reporters are often working on deadlines that fall outside normal business hours, so give them your mobile number and take calls in the evening and weekends if that’s when they need you (it’s OK to ask if the call can wait until a better time, and if not, to say you only have a few minutes). Check your messages regularly and return calls and emails promptly.

5. Cooperative

Being a genius or a great speaker doesn’t make you a great source unless you give people what they really need. If a reporter only needs a soundbite or a few short quotes, think and speak in bullet points; don’t ramble on. If someone asks about an issue you find boring or inconsequential, don’t blow off the question and start talking about what you care about. Answer the question first, then suggest a few additional points.

Want More? Nonprofit Marketing Guide offers a webinar on “How to Position Your Nonprofit as an Expert Source.” Check the webinar schedule.

Here are my top five tips for writing the best possible subject lines for your email newsletter.

1. Describe the Candy, Not the Wrapper

Tell us what goodies are inside this email, not about the packaging. In other words, don’t put “Go Green Association Newsletter, Volume 5, Issue 7″ in your subject line. Instead, tell us what’s in this edition of the newsletter, such as “How to Live in Harmony with Backyard Wildlife.”

Here is another wrapper: “Agency Schedules Series of Parenting Workshops.” What we really want is the candy: “How to Discipline Your Child, Pack Healthy Lunches.” Even if you have multiple topics in your newsletter, experiment with subject lines that emphasize only one or two topics.

Always change your email subject line from edition to edition, too. “Simple Tips to Save Money and the Planet” may be a good subject line for one newsletter, but don’t use it over and over. Instead, provide that consistency by using the same name/organization in the “from” field for each edition.

2. Emphasize the Personal Value of Your Content

It’s the old “what’s in it for me?” question. Why should I take precious time out of my busy day to read your email? I will, if you are providing information I want, need, or am curious about, or if reading your email will help me do something faster, cheaper, easier or otherwise make my life more pleasant, enjoyable, or meaningful.

Subject lines that make readers think “This is useful” or “This is timely” or “This is about me” will always work. For example, an environmental group might send out a message with this subject: “States Challenge Federal Drinking Water Regulations in Court.” This may be an important public policy issue, but the subject line doesn’t grab me. This, on the other hand, would: “Is Slightly Dirtier Drinking Water OK with You?” Now I immediately see the impact of this policy on me.

One study says the first two words of your subject line should convey that personal value. Questions can also make great subject lines, because they imply that you’ll be answering that question and giving me information I want to know.

3. Don’t Tell People What to Do

While I always recommend that you include a call to action in every email (and with every email article), some research shows that telling people what to do in the subject line itself can hurt your open rates. This is particularly true when asking people to “help” or “donate” or “register.” Specific calls to action are great within the body of the email, but lean toward the “personal value” words for the subject line. For example, “Where to Dance All Night with Your Best Friends” will work better than “Register for Our All-Night Dance-a-thon Fundraiser.”

4. Keep It Short

You’ll find all kinds of advice on just how many characters are optimal for email subject lines. Some go as high as 60 characters, including spaces. Somewhere around 35 characters seems to be the ideal now, but some people argue that even shorter is better (more like 20 characters). You can play with subject line length and see what works for you, but do try to keep it under 60 characters tops.

5. Piggyback on Hot Topics and Brand Names

Think about what’s hot in the news right now. What products and services are people talking about now? How can you relate your work back to big brand names?

The Humane Society of the United States uses this tactic often, as they did with a December 2, 2008 email subject line: “Will Obama create an animal-friendly administration?” Obama is a huge hot topic (and a hot “brand” too) – and the question format is especially intriguing. The body of the email urges supporters to write President-Elect Obama about his picks for Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Agriculture, both of which oversee federal regulations affecting animals. Note how that call to action was wisely not in the subject line.

Want More E-Newsletter Tips?

Check our webinar schedule for upcoming training on email marketing and fundraising.

Also see these articles:

• Steps for Creating a Nonprofit Email Campaign or E-Newsletter
• Quick Tips for Better Nonprofit Email Newsletters
• 12 Easy Ways to Build Your Nonprofit’s Email List
• Interview Questions to Help You Write Great Donor, Volunteer and Client Profiles for Your Newsletters
• Online Writing: Your Top Five Questions

Read through some other articles I’ve bookmarked on writing email subject lines.