3 tips for annual reviews with Shorthand

Whether your objective is thanking supporters, rallying donations, telling your organisation's rich story, compliance or, very often, all the above, an annual review or report is a vitally important document.

While it's essential to produce the full PDF version for regulatory reasons in some jurisdictions, many organisations are now adopting the method of producing a digital story alongside the full version.

This can be a great way of breaking up heavy financial numbers or statistics, adding further content through images, video or audio, as well as conveying passion and emotion. Something beyond a static document, a different form of storytelling.

We've seen a number of customers create annual reviews using Shorthand and wanted to highlight some of the features and techniques being used.

If you're looking for a longer introduction, learn more in our guide to writing an annual report, or if you're ready to get started, check out some free templates in list of 10 free annual report templates.

Annual reviews by their very nature must contain lots of crucial information. A common criticism of some annual reviews is that, because they contain so much content it can often be difficult to find what you're looking for, while some audiences (like potential supporters, donators or even services users of non-profits, for example) could become a victim of infoxication or data overload.

A digital abridge with a prime purpose in mind, could help highlight key moments from that year, or even encourage reader action.

Voluntary Service Overseas is an international development charity with a vision for a world without poverty.

VSO's 2016 Annual Review uses the Text Over Media section to create clear chapter heads, followed by the same section type to 'reveal' the important numbers for each. It uses this technique throughout the report to highlight the four topics of Education, Health, Livelihoods and Youth.

The chapter heads and template make the story structure easy to follow, while key information stands out clearly.

Spice Time Credits builds communities and strengthens public services through its innovative time-based currency 'Time Credits'.

Spice's 2017 Impact Report starts with an introductory letter from the CEO using the Two Column Scrollmation section. It then moves into a Reveal section that starts with an image of London looking gray and bleak, and with each new image layer color and comments are added, which paint a picture of the good work the organisation has done and sense of community it has created for its users.

Looking for more inspiration? Read our guide, 10 examples to inspire your next annual report.

One key aspect you don't get with a PDF or hard copy version of an annual review is video.

Adding clips can be great way of adding context by including interviews with employees or service users, or a stronger focus on a particular project.

Even if you don't have the ability to make your own videos, don't worry. There are some great, free stock options out there so you can add autoplay, muted video to convey atmosphere or help move the narrative on with a moving chapter head.

The Climate Centre supports the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and its partners in reducing the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on vulnerable people.

Climate Centre's 2016 Annual Report starts with a video to set the scene and shows you the community within which they carry out their work.

By default every Shorthand story starts with a Title section and you can choose to add a full screen image or an autoplay, muted video.

We have also recently introduced Section Options, where you can access a tinted overlay slider to make the text stand out more on light or dark images or video, change the height and more.

The Rockefeller Foundation's mission, unchanged since it was first started in 1913, is to improve the wellbeing of humanity around the world.

In the Rockefeller Foundation 2015 Annual Report a number of one-to-one interviews with key employees is featured within the Background Scrollmation sections. The videos have been added via YouTube and play directly within the story and add more depth on subjects such as innovation and partnerships at the organisation.

While most organisations are obliged to produce an annual review, it's worth thinking about the different audiences that will access it, as well as what you'd like them to do when they have finished reading.

For example, do you want them to share it on social media? Donate to the cause? Sign a petition? Or would you like to point them in the direction of the full hard copy of the report? Maybe you'll have two options. Think about how to signpost your audience and promote never-ending engagement.

Habitat for Humanity is a charity that has been dedicated to providing 'simple, decent, and affordable' housing since 1976.

Habitat for Humanity's 2016 Annual Report concluded with two call to actions.

Firstly, it gave readers the opportunity to donate after reading about all its fantastic work, and finally it links to the full hard copy report. These buttons have been created by using custom HTML.

When linking to other pages, we'd always recommend selecting 'open in new window' unless it's the very end of your story and you're happy for you readers to leave your story at that point.