Six Steps to Supercharge Your Next Annual Report (Originally published at Nonprofit Information, 3/22/19)

This article was published on 3/22/19 at Nonprofit Information.

Trouble sleeping? Read an Annual Report.

If your Annual Report is filled with corporate jargon, stock photos and confusing “Tables” and you’re tired of the same old, same old, read this article to discover six steps that can help ensure your next Annual Report resides in the “Read File” rather than the “Round File.”

Neither the IRS nor any government agency require Annual Reports. Because few hard and fast rules dictate their contents, Annual Reports offer creative communicators some editorial freedom to share the stories that define your organization.

The best Annual Report tell stories and lead readers on a multisensory, multimedia tour through your nonprofit. Professionally designed for print and online dissemination, these storytelling platforms favor photos, infographics and white space over charts and corporate doublespeak. 

This article includes links to Annual Reports (like the Cleveland Boys & Girls Club’s) that show some of these six steps in action.

Dump (or Delay) your “Letter from the CEO”.

Imagine if the Bible’s first page was a “Letter from the Creator”:

“Welcome to this Annual Report about the creation of the World. This was a very active and productive period in the rich history of our organization. I’m proud of the work of our dedicated and resilient staff, who handled many unanticipated situations…”

Instead, “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth” promises a story. Naturally inquisitive, we yearn to learn what happens next. Similarly, in the first line of The Odyssey, Homer appeals to our inquisitiveness:

SPEAK, MEMORY— Of the cunning hero, The wanderer, blown off course time and again After he plundered Troy’s sacred heights.

While you don’t need to write like Homer (nor, alas, is your Annual Report likely to rank among history’s great literature), your first sentence can spark readers’ curiosity and promise them a journey through a year in the life of your organization. Pledge that trip and guide them through it in the ensuing pages.

While the opening sentence will be different for every organization’s Annual Report, it should at least convey a measurable and meaningful achievement that the readers’ support helped make possible:

“Last year, . Discover how your support helped transform our organization.”

Bonus: A concise first sentence helps you storyboard the rest of the report’s content.

PRO TIP: If your CEO insists on a “Letter from the CEO”, suggest placing it later in the report, where real estate is more plentiful. “Your letter can be longer if we put it a little later in the report, boss!” is a compelling offer to a wordy leader.

Use Infographics.

Three words to ban in your next Annual Report: “See Table #__”. Instead, use infographics, short quotes, and brief explanations to communicate the impact of donor dollars. Dropping numbers into a program like Infogram lets you format them in unique ways and supports the story you’re telling.

Free programs (for basic functionality) like Infogram, Canva and Pixlr can supercharge the visual appeal of your numbers and other graphics. Complement your infographics with two-three sentence captions so readers understand how the numbers relate to the story you’re telling.

PRO TIP: “Package” your most impactful infographics by offering readers more explanatory content online (Step Four).

Pass on Passive Voice.

Mistakes were made when passive voice was used in your Annual Report.

Passive voice kills active storytelling.

The voice in which you write influences the tone of what you write. Too much passive voice makes your writing seem dull and listless. Active voice makes sentences shorter, clearer and more direct.

PRO TIP: Don’t rely on grammar check features to save you from the perils of passive voice. Programs such as Microsoft Word don’t recognize all instances of passive voice.

PRO TIP: Allocate some funds for a meticulous proofreader to review the final proposed draft.

Make It Digitally Interactive & Accessible.

Three ways to maximize the visibility and appeal of your Annual Report:

1. Share excess content online.


2. Post interactive graphics online (Infogram’s upgraded platform makes this easy).


3. Make it mobile friendly.

If you have too much content and not enough physical pages (or if you just need to cut print costs), use your print version to direct readers online where they can engage with “the rest of the story” (a la Paul Harvey). With a little planning, you’ve already posted the extra content on your digital and social media.

Girls Who Code offers a great example of an online-friendly and interactive Annual Report. Mouseover some of their graphics and you’ll journey deeper into the heart of their story.

Given the vast percentage of people who access information via smartphone, you’d be wise to make your Annual Report mobile-friendly. That doesn’t mean “our Annual Report is available online via .pdf.” In the very least, format the copy and condense the graphics so they load quickly.

PRO TIP: Use your nonprofit’s digital and social media to “tease” the contents of your Annual Report in the days or weeks before you publish the print version.

Repurpose Content.

Use the contents of your Annual Report to fill in gaps in your social media and/or digital editorial calendars: Repurpose infographics, photos, quotes, and testimonials. Include links to the Annual Report.

Highlight in your Annual Report a “storycap” or two that includes a link to a video where readers can discover the rest of the story. The storycap is just a photo and two or three sentences that pique readers’ curiosity.

PRO TIP: Beta test this in your next e-newsletter. Include a storycap with a link to a longer (60-90 second) video. Track the CTR and views/likes of the video.

Inspire Action.

Following these steps sets the stage for your grand finale: The Ask. Whether in print or online, your Annual Report must ask readers to continue investing in your organization. Don’t ask and you don’t get.

With that in mind, your printed report should include a donation envelope or perforated postage paid pledge card. Your digital report should feature links to your organization’s donation page, social media, and e-newsletter subscription form.

Without investing significant time, talent and treasure, applying some of the tips above can transform your next Annual Report from pillow to page-turner.

A Super Bowl 53 Carol

‘Twas the moment before kickoff, and in all New England junctions, nothing was moving, not even at Dunkins.

Homes full of hope and cheer

Welcomed guests from far and near;

Wearing Patriots blue

Bringing chips, dips and beer.

With wings and guacamole aplenty

the craft beer cold,

My spot on the couch secure,

Heather’s #12 jersey sans fold.

All through New England a similar scene,

Settling in for the championship game:

Pregame hype finally ended,

the prognostications extended.

Super Bowl fifty three was set to be played—

The teams in their finest uniforms arrayed.

Frozen for a moment in time,

A football tableau sublime.

On one sideline stood leader Tom Brady,

Beside familiar faces—Gronk, Edelman, the McCourty twins

Even dour Belichick in his hoodie

Seeking the sixth of Super Bowl wins. 

And we in our waiting,

scornfully dismissed the hating.

For we knew without a doubt—

As long as time remained in the contest,

Our Patriots would give their best.

Though you may hate the GOAT,

And think the Patriots cheaters,

Watch as the game advances

How the future Hall of Famer seizes his chances.

Like the game, this doggerel has no fix,

So Happy Super Bowl to all,

And to all a good number six.

More Wagering Equals More Benefits for '2nd Tier'​ Sports (published at Money Inc.)

I wrote this article for ADC Partners, Inc. It was originally published at MoneyInc.com.

An historic moment in American sports wagering happened last May. It didn't happen on a field, in a rink, a ring, a court, or a gym. No balls were thrown, no shots taken, no races run, no records set nor bets placed. The players wore uniforms and they were on the same team. When the gown-clad Justices of United States Supreme Court determined as unconstitutional the federal ban on sports betting established by the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), they made sports history: They opened the gates to the sports gambling kingdom.

With legalized sports wagering a reality, experts agree there's plenty of money to be made. By 2023, 32 states could offer regulated sports betting, generating a market worth more than $6 billion in annual revenue (Eilers & Krejcik Gaming). As Big League organizations tread tentatively into this uncharted territory, they'll follow the pioneering trail blazed by Brett Lashbrook, whose USL soccer squad was the first pro sports team to fully embrace sports wagering. Attend a Las Vegas Lights game and you're likely to listen to an MC encouraging attendees to use their mobile devices to bet on almost anything game related.

Owner and President of the Lights, Lashbrook is bullish on sports wagering's potential to open new revenue streams for lesser leagues.

"We tapped into Vegas' existing sports wagering infrastructure to establish and promote mobile gaming in our stadium," said Lashbrook, whose Lights last year signed a deal with William Hill, a bookmaker based in London, England. He explains that lesser leagues and teams have more flexibility in terms of creating partnerships and experimenting with sports gambling.

While the impact of legalized sports wagering to expand profits for major pro sports leagues is well established and exhaustively discussed, Lashbrook's activities indicate that widespread betting offers '2nd Tier' leagues like the USL and others opportunities to generate new revenue streams and increase team exposure.

According to the UNLV Center for Gaming Research, in 2017, betting in Nevada on football, basketball and baseball each achieved record highs. Of the overall betting pie, football, basketball and baseball took about 91% combined (36%, 31% and 24%, respectively). The 'other sports' category–hockey, soccer and others–comprised a record 9% of 2017 betting.

Increased betting on 'other sports' slightly eroded betting on football, basketball and baseball. The end of PASPA will accelerate that trend, making regulated sports gambling widely accessible and spurring unprecedented growth. Because regulated gambling opportunities will expand alongside the growth of regulated gambling venues, gaming experts believe betting on other sports will also increase.

Count Lashbrook among those experts: "There absolutely will be a trickle-down effect. Being at the forefront of this trend has generated sponsorship dollars we hadn't anticipated months ago. This is a huge market for all sports,” Lashbrook continues. "The concept is the same, only the scale is much bigger."

Lashbrook contends that legalized sports wagering offers lesser leagues and teams three sources to generate revenue:

1. Traditional sponsorships: Teams can sign exclusive sponsorships with a betting company so only that company will be promoted to its fans in the stadium. At the Lights stadium, William Hill is the only gambling signage, and the team promotes only their lines. Lashbrook explains: "This doesn’t mean MGM/Caesars/Stations sports books can’t take bets on our games. We just don’t promote it." With mobile gaming, he adds, "companies can reach exponentially more sports fans in a venue like ours, where we offer both mobile gaming and the unique advertising opportunities that come with it."
2. Sign up incentives: Because the gaming industry seeks the attention of sports fans 24-7-365, there’s a battle brewing among booking agencies to get users to sign up for “their” app. As casinos compete to convince fans to choose their app over the others, lesser pro sports leagues have more leverage to negotiate 'exclusive' deals.
3. Partnerships with rapidly expanding sports wagering information networks. Organizations like the Vegas Sports Insider Network (VSIN) offer wagering advice but don’t accept bets. As Lashbrook explains, "it’s like investment advisory services but for gambling." Think Wall Street Journal meets sports wagering.

Lashbrook says more sports wagering will generate more revenue simply because betting is fun: "Gambling makes the game more fun, and we want our fans to have as much fun as possible." Lashbrook’s Lights are in the business of monetizing fun, and business is booming.