Purpose Of An Annual Report

Big Data eCourse

Together with Laudius and another teacher I made a Big Data eCourse in Dutch about what Big Data is, how to analyze Big Data and Privacy & Ethics in Big Data research. With the code: GUISELAINE 10 percent discount (Affiliate).

Index

Board Functions I had

Annual Report

The first purpose of an Annual Report is to inform supporters about the past year. This includes figures, the activities that have been undertaken and what the NGO wants to do in the coming year. The fixed elements in an Annual Report are:

Word From The Chairman

This is comparable to a foreword and reflects the board's view on the activities of the past year and the policy. Under what circumstances were these activities carried out, were there any particularities and was the budget sufficient.

Report Of The Board

This piece takes a look back at the past year. Were the goals achieved and expectations met? Which parts have been implemented and which have not and why?

Activities Last Year

For each activity or goal, it is shown here how they have been carried out and whether the intended goal and target group have been achieved. Which activities were not satisfactory and what could be improved in the future when carrying out these activities. Do not forget to mention the subsidies for activities that have received a specific subsidy.

Activities Next Year

Here expectations are expressed for the coming year. Keep it limited to the coming year because the policy plan contains the long-term objectives/vision. Be concrete and realistic, but not as extensive as in an Annual Plan or Project Plan. Here I speak of activity or objective (doel), depending on whether the objective consists of one or more activities. Describing activities is easier to understand for supporters than describing the objectives. Do not forget to mention the subsidies that finance the activities if this is the case.

Organization

With organization I put down the data of the organization, such as:

Do not forget to state both the FTE and the compensation for employees, volunteers and external hires.

Financial Statements

This is drawn up by the Treasurer and approved by an accountant. These may be included briefly if the Annual Accounts is published separately. These financial figures are especially important for donors, investors, and the tax authorities.

Budget

In the budget I indicate what I expect in terms of income in the coming year and what the money will be spent on.

Annual Report As Marketing Tool

An Annual Report is a bit of work and can even be considered boring by the organization. Nevertheless, the Annual Report is increasingly becoming the marketing tool for an organisation. In the Annual Report, donors, fans, and others can see what the organization does and how the money is spent. This may just convince them to do business with the organization. In recent years, the design and form in which the Annual Report is presented has also changed, it used to be a boring black and white document. Nowadays it is provided with photos, videos, interviews, tables, graphs, quotes, etc. Make use of this because this document has to be produced anyway. So why not kill two birds with one stone by turning it into a marketing tool as well.