Level of difficulty: Advanced Cost to attend: free Award Winner: 2019
Project: The first annual report (marketing piece) produced by a shared interest group (the Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance – YANA). This 32-page pdf document was produced in electronic-only format.
Cover of the first YANA Annual Report
Lead time: at least 6 months Date of event: once a year, first issue January 2019
Resources:
5 to 7 volunteers, perhaps 8 to 10 hours each. The Executive Director, Rachel Littman ‘91, probably devoted 50+ hours personally. The team worked for months collecting facts, figures and photos.
Permissions required: nothing significant
Funds required: Financial support comes largely from annual dues paid by YANA supporters.
Results: Circulated to 6,000+ followers
Why a success?
An Annual Report helps connect Yale’s expanding social impact community, while keeping alums informed on the most relevant opportunities affecting their careers and aspirations. Every year, YANA holds dozens of person-to-person live or web-streamed events. This marketing publication captures the essence of all live events for alums unable to attend. In addition:
It forces a group to review their year for highs and lows, for what went right and what can be improved going forward.
It is an enriching team-building experience.
With desktop technology and graphics, a full color report can be produced for minimal cost by a volunteer staff.
Much of the Annual Report involved contributions from alums from recent classes
Details: The first Annual Report, included more history of the organization and its strategic plans than will subsequent issues. The next Annual Report will (a) highlight metrics from the year as to numbers and locations of chapters, members, events, event attendees, donations, and (b) member and organization stories that align with a chosen theme.
Essential elements of an Annual Report include: message from Board Chair or Exec Dir with summary highlights from previous year and goals for coming year: visualization of relevant metrics; member stories and organization highlights; call for support or volunteers; financial statement or simple graphs/charts showing sources and uses of funds; recognition of donors and sponsors. One could also highlight Board or staff contributions and successes.
If a SIG is already keeping metrics, then an annual report is a good way to showcase how the numbers look from across the years. If not, then the deadline of an Annual Report is a good way to instigate the leadership to pull together meaningful metrics and set goals for the coming year(s).
Annual reports are also good ways to highlight cumulative work of chapters that the entire network might not be aware of, or that were not highlighted in quarterly newsletters. Nonprofit Annual Reports are particularly important to show how funds are being used, whether from membership fees or additional donations.
Rachel Littman, Exec Dir. of YANA, has found suggestions on Annual Reports at Bridgespan and the National Council of Nonprofits to be particularly helpful.
YAA Excellence in Programing Award was given for the combination of this Annual Report and a quarterly global newsletter.
Possible improvements: Incorporate more voices, more perspectives, more diversity.
