Community Impact Report Design

Design Anatomy 101: Community Impact Report

Every corporation and non-profit can benefit from a well-designed document that clearly articulates the what, how, when and why of your organization’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Community Impact Report (CIR) is a powerful tool to communicate to your stakeholders, regulators and the public the impact of your organization on the community at large. Whether those impacts are financial, ecological or social, it’s an effective mechanism to showcase the work of your organization.

In our current social environment, an organization that can demonstrate their positive impact beyond their products and services will build a path to success.

A well written CIR can also generate valuable content that can be used as effective marketing tools across multiple platforms throughout the year. It can even act as a roadmap to focus your internal efforts and help budget planning and community initiatives.

How do you get started?

It can be a daunting task to compile a year’s worth of information for that first report.  It is definitely a commitment of time and effort, but one that will pay off. The more data you can gather the better your report will be. Include financials, case studies, testimonials, photos – any content that will help tell your story.

Once you content is gathered, it is time to ask for professional help in the form of an experienced design firm to turn all of that data into a compelling visual statement that people will want to read and reinforces your branding and mission.

What makes an impact report standout from the rest?

At Eyedea Design we follow some general guidelines:
  • Determine your target audience – will you be targeting board members, customers, the general public, donors, etc.?
  • With your target audience in mind, select content that tells a story and conveys your value that would otherwise not be obvious to the audience.
  • Present your data in a concise, clear manner.

Anatomy of a community report – Your designer can help you create a report that is unique to your mission and branding, and that is visually stimulating to capture your audiences’ attention.

Developing a Community Impact Report

Step 1

Executive Summary

Start with an executive summary that provides an easily digestible snapshot of the report.

Annual Report - Storytelling with Photos

Step 2

Storytelling Through Photos

Use photos that support your story. If you don’t possess print-quality photos work with your designer to select stock images that support your narrative.

Infographics created for annual report

Step 3

Turn Facts into Infographics

Infographics prove the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. A quality infographic can replace pages of text and numbers and convey that data in a way that is engaging and memorable.

Community Impact Report - Design

Step 4

Community and Program Highlights

Highlight the programs and initiatives that your team has developed and participated in throughout the year. Give details as to who made it happen, who was helped and the impact made on the community.

Community Impact Report - Design

Step 5

Conclusion and CTA

Conclude with a strong statement that conveys your organizations commitment to social responsibility and possibly include a call to action to further engage with your audience.

Every organization differs in how they operate and how they contribute to society at large.  A community impact report will let your stakeholders know that you are acting responsibility for the community. Contact Eyedea Design today to help you design an attractive, impactful community impact report.

The Annual Community Impact Report example we included is recent work Eyedea completed in cooperation with Laisar Management Group, LLC. www.laisar.com