We know many non-profits see their annual report as a once-a-year formality—something to share with donors, post online, and then move on from. But when it’s designed with intention, your annual report—whether printed, digital, or both—can become one of your most effective year-round revenue drivers.
When done right, it’s not just a recap. It’s a fundraising tool, a trust-builder, and a marketing piece that can open doors to new donors, grants, and partnerships.
1. It Builds Trust with Donors and Stakeholders
A beautifully designed printed annual report feels tangible and lasting—something your donors can hold in their hands, flip through, and display. Meanwhile, an interactive online annual report offers a shareable, trackable way to showcase your impact with embedded videos, animations, and clickable calls to action. Both formats, when executed well, inspire confidence by making your results and financial transparency crystal clear.
Pro Tip: Choose the format (or combination) that best fits your audience. Many organizations benefit from having a condensed, high-impact print piece alongside a fully featured digital version.
2. It Turns Numbers into Stories
Data is powerful, but stories make it unforgettable. Whether you’re printing it on premium paper or presenting it in a scrolling, mobile-friendly website, pairing your financials with human-centered stories brings them to life. Donors remember the faces, voices, and moments they’ve helped create—not just the charts and graphs.
Pro Tip: Use large visuals, pull quotes, and infographics in both formats so the impact is immediately visible.
3. It Works All Year Long
A printed annual report can live on desks, coffee tables, and conference tables—serving as a conversation starter. A digital version can be shared in grant applications, emails, and on social media, driving new audiences to your mission year-round. Both become a content goldmine when designed with repurposing in mind.
Pro Tip: Pull short quotes, stats, and photos from your report to fuel your marketing calendar for months after it’s released.
4. It Positions You for Bigger Funding Opportunities
Grantmakers and corporate sponsors want to see that your organization is credible, organized, and results-driven. A polished printed report demonstrates professionalism in face-to-face meetings, while a sleek online report shows your adaptability and tech-savviness—both key in winning major funding.
Pro Tip: Include a dedicated section for partnership opportunities, with clear contact info and a call to action.
5. It Inspires Action Immediately
Whether it’s a printed piece with a tear-off donation form or a digital report with clickable “Donate” buttons, your annual report should make it easy for supporters to act while they’re inspired.
Pro Tip: Don’t end with just “thank you”—end with “join us,” “give today,” or “become a monthly supporter.”
Need Help? Reach out.
We design print-ready annual reports that your donors will keep—and interactive web-based reports that your audience can explore anywhere, anytime. From concept to design to launch, we ensure your report doesn’t just inform—it inspires, engages, and drives support.
If you’re ready to transform your next annual report into your most impactful fundraising tool yet, we’re here to make it happen.
Contact us to start building an annual report that works harder for your mission.
At Ace Studios, we believe in celebrating our people, and today, we’re raising a coffee cup (or three) to our CEO, co-founder, and resident wizard of wit, Kurt Thigpen!
If you know Kurt, you know he’s not your average CEO. He’s the kind of leader who can launch a campaign, optimize a website, champion LGBTQIA+ rights, and drive strategy like it’s a getaway car—fast, fearless, and full of flair (shoutout to the GTA fans)—all before noon and his second iced white mocha with vanilla (no whip, obviously).
Born to lead and built for impact, Kurt is more than just the brains behind Ace Studios. He’s a fierce advocate for mental health, student equity, and marginalized communities, serving on multiple boards including the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority, Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Nevada, and American Advertising Federation Council of Governors (to name a few). Basically, if there’s a seat at the table, he’s probably building the table and organizing a community event around it.
A nostalgic fan of Gilmore Girls and Harry Potter, Kurt brings that same sense of magic and fast-talking charm to everything he touches — from client relationships to creative brainstorms.
So today, we celebrate the man who leads with heart, thinks five steps ahead, and still makes time to ask if you’ve had enough coffee (he probably hasn’t).
Happy Birthday, Kurt! Thanks for making business feel like an adventure — and for reminding us that marketing can be meaningful, magical, and a little bit caffeinated.
👉 Got a favorite Kurt moment? Reply to this email or tag us on IG @acestudiosnv — we’re sharing the love all week long.
Did you get another yucky unsolicited spammy phone call, text, or email from a business that you swear you didn’t give your information to? It feels endless. A vicious cycle you can’t get out of no matter how many times you say no, send stop, or try to unsubscribe yet somehow, you’re still on their listing? Did you know that’s ILLEGAL? As a business, you should know that you can be reported and be given a hefty fine. Businesses have now had to start paying up… BIG TIME. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. You would feel like you’re trapped constantly trying to delete voice mails, texts, and emails that you tried to opt out of. Is this de ja vu or are you stuck in a futuristic time loop like Edge of Tomorrow? So, what do you do?
Since the phone was invented, we have been bombarded with constant calls with ‘miracle this’, ‘beauty that’, or ‘get a loan now’. Then the FTC came along banning deceptive and abusive acts and practices which also restricted the times they could call you (9 AM – 8 PM… Yay!). With the internet came email, phones came text, and now… AI.
Fortunately, we recently went to a fun workshop that helped remind us of some of the DO’s AND DON’Ts of proper marketing etiquette. Thanks to the brilliant Jennifer Baker of Performance & Engagement Consulting. She helped us see the light (insert angelic music).
Here are some DO’s & DON’Ts:
BE HONEST. BE AUTHENTIC. Don’t lie or try to trick people. Never give false information or promises in your advertising to only hook them in. It’s like starting a relationship with someone. You don’t want to start things off by lying. Be real.
IDENTIFY YOURSELF. You can’t go around telling people you’re just a “person” trying to get to know your customers when you’re a company or non-profit trying to sell a service or a product. Let’s not catfish.
Example: “Hey, it’s me, Danny. Long time no see friend. Just trying to catch up. Get a free trial to MadeUpGym for 7 days and get the bod you want for 2024 if you click on the link below.” Sound familiar? Obviously, not a friend. Like, who are you? Don’t you hate this? Me too.
GIVE THEM A WAY OUT. Don’t trap your customers in a cycle of unsolicited phone calls, texts, and emails. You have to give someone an option to opt-out or unsubscribe. No one wants to be held hostage. Yikes.
BONUS: Do you know what hours a business is allowed to send text messages to a customer? (Hint: It’s the same as phone calls… the answer is at the top of this article.)
STAY AWAY ILLEGAL CONTENT. If you didn’t know, absolutely NO marketing of illegal substances, sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, or tobacco.
For texting specifically: NO gambling!
KNOW THY AUDIENCE. Remember you have to look at your stats. You’re not just putting out content to let people know you exist, but you want to know who’s listening, reading, or watching so you can better understand how you can market more effectively rather than spending countless hours doing random things that don’t work. DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME!
CONSISTENCY IS YOUR FRIEND. Honestly, this is one of the most important ones to remember. Consistency is KEY. There are many times businesses will start something and just stop (we say this because we are so guilty of it). As a small business, it is so important to remain consistent to get your information out there. Here are some tips to make it easier for you:
Create a template.
Have your topics lined up.
Create a calendar.
Have a scheduling system.
Have fun and be creative.
Yay… You made it to the finish line! These are just some of the tips we learned from the brilliant Jennifer Baker. If you want to learn more, definitely check her out. She goes into the legalities of email marketing, SMS texting, AI, and more. Overall, don’t be a pain. In simpler words, act like a human being and be real. We all want to be treated respectfully. As a business (I am a small business owner myself), it is understandable that we have to market ourselves in any way that we can, but people have their limits. We have to treat our customers with the best care possible because we ARE customers ourselves. Ask yourself… wouldn’t you want to be cared for?
Right now, it feels like our world is crumbling. We face challenges that feel like it’s setting us back a hundred years, but many like-minded people like myself refuse to be sent back to an era where everyone doesn’t have a seat at the table. We need to use our voices more than ever, and don’t be afraid to speak up more than once. We need to think about what we are doing and how it impacts our future. What are we telling the kids of tomorrow? Are we here to amplify their voices or silence them?
I challenge every business owner, CEO, or president to ask themselves, are you making inclusivity central in your business? How are you embracing every voice in your business? How are you weaving representation into mainstream marketing practices? If you didn’t know, being an inclusive leader starts with you.
