The Importance of Annual Reports for Nonprofits

Even though nonprofit organisations aren\’t required by law to publish annual reports, most nonprofit leaders recognise the value annual reports can provide. A well-written annual report will help you demonstrate your accomplishments to current and future donors, cultivate new partnerships, and recognise important people.
Annual reports can be used to highlight a nonprofit\’s mission and impact, thank volunteers and supporters, and make a case for donating to the organisation.

New research shows that 90% of donors say it is important to know how their donations are impacting the causes they support.

On the 14th of December 2016, Salesforce.org, the philanthropic arm of Salesforce, released its \”2016 Connected Nonprofit Report,\” surveying more than 1,500 U.S. adults who have donated and/or volunteered at nonprofits in the past 12 months, to understand the current state of giving and how people engage with nonprofit organisations.

There is a cultural shift happening in the nonprofit sector where the measure of nonprofit success is no longer based on the amount of dollars raised, but on the impact they\’re making on the communities they serve. Consequently, donors and volunteers expect more transparency, and want to know how their time and money is impacting the causes they support. Salesforce.org\’s \”2016 Connected Nonprofit Report\” found that 90% of donors think it\’s important to understand how their money is impacting the nonprofits they support, but more than half (52%) don\’t know how their donations are being used. The study was conducted online by Harris Poll, please visit: http://salesforce.org/connected-nonprofit-report-16

Key Report Findings:

Nonprofits could be losing volunteer time and money by not engaging with their constituents in more personalised and modern ways

• 65% of donors would donate more money annually if they felt their nonprofits really knew them—and 75% of volunteers would give more time annually
• 80% of donors and/or volunteers believe that their nonprofit only somewhat knows or does not at all know them or their personal preferences
• Millennial supporters (aged 18-34) agree that they would engage more with nonprofits (46%)—and would be more likely to donate (41%)—if they had a mobile app

What\’s Next

If you are using Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), we have some good news for you. We are publishing another blog later this week to highlight the new reports available in the latest release and how you can take advantage of those 67 new reports… Stay tuned!