Annual report writing services

An annual report tells the story of an organization’s year, providing commentary on key activities and achievements, and linking those achievements to long-term objectives. Its primary function is as a record of performance, often prepared for transparency or as a condition of funding, but it can also be an effective marketing tool. To make the biggest impact, an annual report must be well constructed, organized logically, and written for clarity and impact. It must be honest and representative. And it must correctly emphasize points of priority to ensure stakeholders come away with a clear sense of the organization’s values and vision.

The contents of an annual report will vary somewhat depending on what an organization wants to highlight and the specific reporting requirements of the Board of Directors, shareholders or other funders. But most annual reports will typically include: 

• Message(s) from the CEO and/or Board Chair 
• Key corporate statistics or highlights from the fiscal year 
• A narrative section showcasing the biggest achievements of the year 
• Corporate deliverables 
• Financial performance

Whatever format you have in mind, we can help develop an annual report to meet your needs. From traditional printed reports to fully interactive digital reports, we understand the characteristics and requirements of each, as well as the best practices to follow to deliver the greatest impact.

Our team has conceptualized, researched, written and/or edited hundreds of annual reports, corporate social responsibility reports, corporate plans and similar strategic documents for clients across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. This includes clients in technology, healthcare, government, arts, crown corporations, energy, real estate, research and more.

Every member of our writing team has journalistic training and brings strong storytelling skills to our annual report writing services. For every report, we work with the executive team to develop several creative approach options that frame the years’ activities and achievements through a compelling narrative. After the executive team chooses their preferred approach, we conduct journalistic-style interviews with individual leaders to gather the raw material and concrete details that will allow us to tell an engaging, cohesive story.

While we can tailor our annual report writing process to meet individual client needs, in general, we usually follow these steps — all scheduled according to client deadlines: 

1. Project start-up, including an initial client briefing to get clear on requirements and reviewing relevant background material 
2. Facilitated session with executive team and other strategic decisionmakers to establish the context, key messages and potential themes for the report 
3. Concept development to provide a thematic framework for the report 
4. Content gathering, including interviews with key personnel and any additional documentation required 
5. Content mapping to demonstrate how the content fits together and supports the chosen theme 
6. Writing of the report 
7. Revisions, based on client feedback 
8. Quality assurance of all final content in design/layout for accuracy and precision On the client’s side, action items related to our annual report services typically include:   
   1. Collecting and providing background material related to the year’s activities and achievements 
   2. Participating in or arranging focused content interviews with key personnel 
   3. Reviewing drafts and providing or consolidating feedback to inform revisions