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Limbering up for your annual report

An annual report highlights your organisation’s work across the past year. Some organisations are legally obliged to prepare one. For others, it's a marketing opportunity.

You could reflect on the last year, consider any improvements and outline future plans.

It can be part of your annual accounts or a standalone document.

So what should go in?

Read on... 

What goes into an annual report?

Here are a few ideas for the content to get you started... 

    Introduce yourselves
    Provide a list of key personnel, such as committee or board members, their positions and dates of term. 
    Introduce your organisation
    Say what you do and why you do it.

    Describe how your organisation is run and structured. 
    Highlight your successes
    Give an overview of ‘on the pitch’ activities including events, competitions and social activities.

    Also give an overview of ‘off the pitch’ achievements like your community engagement and social impact. 

    Show your progress against the organisation’s aims, purpose, development and/or business plans.
    Provide an update on finances
    Compile a financial report including a summary of the finances and your annual accounts. 
    Publish key information
    Provide an update on any new policies.

    You may want to include details of your safeguarding policy.

    This shows your commitment to transparency and accountability.  
    Show your impact
    Discuss your positive impact on people and the community.

    Write up little real-life stories that show how your organisation supports others. 
    Give an update on fundraising
    Highlight any sponsorship deals, fundraising or partnerships. 

    Provide an update on progress over the year.
    Be open about risk management
    Provide an overview of any risks and how these are minimised.
    Give an update on membership
    Provide information on how many members and staff you have - and how that compared with last year.
    Thank your volunteers
    This is a good chance to celebrate efforts made by your volunteers and thank them for their contributions. 
    Look to the future
    Set out your ambitions for the coming year. 

    Provide clear benchmarks to assess your future progress. 

    Show how this fits in with your mission statement.

    Annual report Q&A

    • Who needs to do an annual report? 

      Some organisations have to file them, including incorporated organisations and charities. 

      The expectations will differ depending on an organisation’s size and structure. 

      Other organisations choose to do them, because it's good practice and useful to keep the group on track.

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    • Who should we aim it at?

      Think about the different groups that might be interested in your annual report. This is your audience. 

      It could include: 

      • Existing or potential participants, members and volunteers. 
      • External stakeholders like partners, suppliers, facility/landowners, supporters, investors or funders, and the local community. 
      • Companies House or the Charity Commission, based on legal and regulatory requirements.
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    • What structure should we choose for our report?

      First, check if there are any legal requirements.

      Then, consider what your wider audience might be interested in. 

      Keep the sections as short as you can - don't waffle! 

      It may be best to put any statutory information at the end, if you do not have to follow a set structure. 

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    • Should one person write it, or several of us?

      More than one person will help to share the load. However, you’re likely to have different writing styles.

      Agree on some writing guidelines in advance. Try to write as clearly as possible. Avoid technical language unless it is relevant for legal requirements. 

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    • Who should we choose to work on it? 

      Identify people who may have good writing skills from across your organisation. Allocate report sections. 

      Ideally ask someone to be the Editor. Their job would be to put all the sections together and edit them, to make the style consistent and ensure that there's no repetition.

      Ideally you want to give the impression that the document was written by one person. 

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    • What deadlines do we need to work to?

      Companies House or the Charity Commission might ask your organisation to submit your annual report by a specific date.

      Otherwise, choose a date - and create a schedule that works back from that. 

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    • How can we prove that our organisation is making an impact?

      Consider your purpose, and the activities undertaken to achieve this.

      The impact and outcomes of these activities can then be measured.

      Examples might include efforts to make the organisation more inclusive, creating local partnerships, fundraising or developing new activities. 

      It’s important to back up impact statements with evidence.

      You might add in:

      • Statistics, for example showing a growth in membership.
      • Case studies.
      • Testimonials.
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    • Our first draft is ready - what next?

      Make sure that someone reads through the full version.

      There should be a formal sign off process for your report before it is circulated to your stakeholders. 

      If required, you should file your annual report with the relevant regulatory body. There is usually a time limit following the financial year to do this, so make sure you are aware of any deadlines. 

      Consider how and where you will share your report to ensure it reaches your intended audiences. 

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    • We're a charity, what do we need to do?

      The following must be included and submitted to the Charity Commission: 
      • Details of how the charity is governed/managed. 
      • What the charitable purpose is, and what has been done to achieve this. 
      • Financial information including review of debts, reserve policy details etc. 

      There are further requirements for larger charities depending on their income level and whether they are a company or a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). 

      For incorporated organisations, requirements differ depending on turnover and size but reporting focuses on accounting.

      Community Interest Companies (CIC), however, file returns with Companies House covering their activities, benefit to the community and how stakeholders have been consulted. 

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