View All Services
Service menu.
- Registered Agent & Registered Office
- Change Of Agent
- Annual Report Compliance
- Special Agency Representation
- Entity Central ®
- International Registered Agent & Registered Office
- International Annual Compliance
- Charitable Solicitation Registration
- Charitable Solicitation Renewals
- Sales Tax Exemption
- Registered Agent Services
- DIY Options
- Formation & Qualification
- Appoint a Process Agent
- U.S. Duly Authorized Representative
- Independent Director & Manager Services
- Document Retrieval
- Formation & Qualifications
- Name Services
- Corporate Book & Seal
- Assumed Name Compliance
- Amendments, Withdrawals & Dissolution
- Mergers & Conversions
- International Corporate Services
- International Due Diligence Searches
- International Document Retrieval
- International Formation & Qualification
- Corporate Secretarial Service
- International Legalization
- International Portfolio Management & Reporting
- Legal Entity Identifiers (LEI)
- Real Property Beneficial Ownership Registration
- Authentication, Legalization & Apostille Services
- UCC, Lien Searches & Document Retrieval
- Federal Intellectual Property Services
- UCC Preparation & Filing Services
- PMSI & Consignment Services
- REIT Services
- Real Property Search Services
- Court Searches, Monitoring & Retrieval
- Federal Records Center & National Archives Requests
- Expert Witness Reports & Transcripts
- Research, Retrieval, & Filing
- Freedom of Information Act & State Open Records Requests
- Interlibrary Loans
- Article Requests
- Legislative Services

- Process Agent Services
- Nonprofit Services
- Corporate Services
- Authentication, Legalization and Apostille Services
- UCC, IP & Related Due Diligence Services
- Real Property Services
- Court Services
- Federal Agency Services
- Library Services
- CTA Resources
- Article 9 Forms
- Article 9 Court Cases of Interest
- UCC Article 9 Filing and Searching Info
- Other Helpful UCC Links
- General Corporate Information and Resources
- Misleading Annual Report and Compliance Solicitations
- Other Corporate Resources
- Authentication and Legalization Resources
- Government Resources
- Client-Only Resources
- Entity Central ® Entity Management System
- UCC ProFile
- Corporate Forms Library
- State Links
- County Lookup
- State Records Central ®
- Delaware Annual Report Filing System
- My Invoices
- Visit our Blog
- News & Events

MISLEADING ANNUAL REPORT AND COMPLIANCE SOLICITATIONS
Have you received a suspicious email or mailing about a required filing or report in the state(s) where your company is registered.

These solicitations generally include details about the entity, officers, and directors, and warnings about penalties and fines that could lead the recipient to believe they are official. They may or may not include headings that look like official state letterhead.
The common theme in these solicitations are quotes of key sections of state compliance law and an offer to file on your behalf for a fee, usually much higher than the state would charge. In some cases, those filings or reports may not, in fact, be required.
How to Spot A Misleading Solicitation
The key indicator that a solicitation is not an official government communique can be found in the fine print. By law, the soliciting company (the company that sends out these emails or mailings) must include some variation of the following disclaimers:
In addition to these statements, you may find other clues like:
“SOLICITING COMPANY is a third-party service provider.” “You are not obligated to use SOLICITING COMPANY to fulfill your records requirement.” “SOLICITING COMPANY is a private entity.”
If you are unsure about the legitimacy of a notice you have received related to corporate compliance/annual reports, we encourage you to confirm the information with the Secretary of State for the state listed. In many instances, the filings that are noted in the misleading solicitations are legal requirements, but they can be filed directly with the state for a much lower fee.
Further Actions Available to You
We strongly encourage you to report these misleading solicitations to the Secretary of State or Attorney General of the state where your business is registered. Many of these offices have been cracking down on those entities sending out fraudulent mailings, enforcing heavy fines and even taking legal action.
Also contact the Secretary of State or Attorney General if you have remitted payment in response to a solicitation that you suspect was fraudulent. You may be able to have your money refunded.
Related Resources
Global business expansion: doing business in ireland.
What this is: If you are thinking of doing business in Ireland, what criteria should you analyze when selecting your next jurisdiction? This ...
7 Frequently Asked Questions About the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
What this is: A list of frequently asked questions about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). What this means: The FOIA is considered by many ...
Qualification of Series LLCs to Do Business in Another State
What this is: Much variation exists between the states when it comes to registering foreign series LLCs as a foreign company. What this means: ...
Sign Up For COGENCY GLOBAL Email Updates

- Company History
- News and Events
Who We Help
- Independent Director and Manager Services
- UCC, IP and Related Due Diligence Services
Online Tools
Corporate resources, ucc resources.
CORPORATE HQ
COGENCY GLOBAL INC.
122 E. 42 nd Street, 18 th Fl. NY, NY 10168
P: 800.221.0102 F: 800.944.6607 Int'l: +1.212.947.7200 Int'l Fax: +1.212.564.6083
EUROPEAN HQ
COGENCY GLOBAL (UK) LIMITED
Registered in England & Wales, Registry #8010712
6 LLOYDS AVENUE, UNIT 4CL LONDON EC3N 3AX, UK
P: + 44 (0)20.3961.3080
ASIA PACIFIC HQ
COGENCY GLOBAL (HK) LIMITED A Hong Kong Limited Company
UNIT B, 1/F LIPPO LEIGHTON TOWER 103 LEIGHTON RD. CAUSEWAY BAY, HONG KONG
P: +852.2682.9633 F: +852.2682.9790
- Job creation & investment
- Our Communities
- Supporting small business
- Working at Amazon
- European Union English
- France Français
- Germany (Deutschland) Deutsch
- India English
- Italy (Italia) Italiano
- Spain (España) Español
- United Kingdom English
- United States English
Site Search
Annual reports, proxies and shareholder letters.
- How we support small businesses
- Small business impact report
- Success stories
- Advice for small business owners
- Explore job creation and investment
- Explore working at Amazon
- Amazon offices
- Get to know us
- Opportunities for veterans
- Our culture
- Our communities
- Explore sustainability
- Sustainability Question Bank
- Our innovations
- Press center
- The Spheres
- Select awards and recognition
- Business Essentials
- Leadership & Management
- Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB)
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation
- *New* Marketing
- Finance & Accounting
- Business in Society
- For Organizations
- Support Portal
- Media Coverage
- Founding Donors
- Leadership Team

- Harvard Business School →
- HBS Online →
- Business Insights →
Business Insights
Harvard Business School Online's Business Insights Blog provides the career insights you need to achieve your goals and gain confidence in your business skills.
- Career Development
- Communication
- Decision-Making
- Earning Your MBA
- Negotiation
- News & Events
- Productivity
- Staff Spotlight
- Student Profiles
- Work-Life Balance
- Alternative Investments
- Business Analytics
- Business Strategy
- Design Thinking and Innovation
- Digital Marketing Strategy
- Disruptive Strategy
- Economics for Managers
- Entrepreneurship Essentials
- Financial Accounting
- Global Business
- Launching Tech Ventures
- Leadership Principles
- Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
- Leading with Finance
- Management Essentials
- Negotiation Mastery
- Organizational Leadership
- Power and Influence for Positive Impact
- Strategy Execution
- Sustainable Business Strategy
- Sustainable Investing
How to Quickly & Effectively Read an Annual Report

- 04 Jun 2020
Intelligent investing requires analyzing a vast amount of information about a company to determine its financial health. Armed with this information, an investor can better understand how much risk might be involved with backing a company based on how well it’s performed historically, in recent quarters, and toward its financial targets.
Exactly where this information comes from depends on the specific company that’s being invested in, but typically requires several financial statements, including a balance sheet, cash flow statement, and income statement.
In addition to these documents, most investors look forward to reviewing a company’s annual report—a collection of financial information and analysis that can prove invaluable in evaluating the health of a company.
If you’re not an investor, but an employee working within a corporation, the annual report can impart valuable information pertinent to your career. Understanding how your company is performing and the impact your actions have had on its business objectives can help you advocate for a promotion or other form of career advancement .
If you’re unfamiliar with what goes into an annual report, there’s some good news: You don’t need to be a financial expert to get value out of the document or understand the messaging in it.
Here’s an overview of the different information you’ll find in an annual report and how you can put it to use.
Access your free e-book today.
What Is an Annual Report?
An annual report is a publication that a public corporation is required by law to publish annually. It describes the company’s operations and financial conditions so that current and potential shareholders can make informed decisions about investing in it.
The annual report is often split into two sections, or halves.
The first section typically includes a narrative of the company’s performance over the previous year, as well as forward-looking statements: Letters to shareholders from the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, and other key figures, as well as graphics, photos, and charts.
The second section strips the narrative out of the picture and presents a variety of financial documents and statements.
Unlike other pieces of financial data—and because they include editorial and storytelling—annual reports are typically professionally designed and used as marketing collateral. Annual reports are sent to shareholders every year before an annual shareholder meeting and election of the board of directors, and often accessible to the public via the company’s website.
Annual Report vs. 10-K Report
Annual reports aren’t the only documents public companies are required to publish yearly. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires public firms also to produce a 10-K report , which informs investors of a business’s financial status before they buy or sell shares.
While there’s similar data in both an annual and 10-K report, the two documents are separate.
10-K reports are organized per SEC guidelines and include full descriptions of a company’s fiscal activity, corporate agreements, risks, opportunities, current operations, executive compensation, and market activity. You can also find detailed discussions of operations for the year, as well as a full analysis of the industry and marketplace.
Because of this, 10-K reports are longer and denser than annual reports, and have strict filing requirements—they must be filed with the SEC between 60 to 90 days after the end of a company’s fiscal year.
If you need to review a 10-K report, you can find it on the SEC website .
What Information Is Contained In An Annual Report?
An annual report typically consists of:
- Letters to shareholders: These documents provide a broad overview of the company’s activities and performance over the course of the year, as well as a reflection on its general business environment. An annual report usually includes a shareholder letter from the CEO or president, and may also contain letters from other key figures, such as the CFO.
- Management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A): This is a detailed analysis of the company’s performance, as conducted by its executives.
- Audited financial statements: These are financial documents that detail the company’s financial performance. Commonly included statements include balance sheets, cash flow statements, income statements, and equity statements.
- A summary of financial data: This refers to any notes or discussions that are pertinent to the financial statements listed above.
- Auditor’s report: This report describes whether the company has complied with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in preparing its financial statements.
- Accounting policies: This is an overview of the policies the company’s leadership team relied upon in preparing the annual report and financial statements.
What to Look for in an Annual Report
While all the information found in an annual report can be useful to potential investors, the financial statements are particularly valuable, as they provide data that isn’t obscured by any sort of narrative or opinion. Three of the most important financial statements you should evaluate are the balance sheet, cash flow statement, and income statement.
The balance sheet shows a company’s assets, liabilities, and owners’ equity accounts as of a specific date, illustrating its financial position and health.
The income statement shows a company’s revenue and expense accounts for a set period, allowing you to gauge its financial performance. Using trial balances from any two points in time, a business can create an income statement that tells the financial story of the activities for that period.
Cash flow statements provide a detailed picture of what happened to a business’s cash during an accounting period. A cash flow statement shows the different areas in which a company used or received cash, and reconciles the beginning and ending cash balances. Cash flows are important for valuing a business and managing liquidity, and essential to understanding where actual cash is being generated and used. The statement of cash flows gives more detail about the sources of cash inflows and the uses of cash outflows.
These three documents can help you understand the financial health and status of a company, and they’re all included in the annual report. When you read the annual report—including the editorial information—you can gain a better understanding of the business as a whole.
An annual report can help you learn more details about what type of company you work for and how it operates, including:
- Whether it’s able to pay debts as they come due
- Its profits and/or losses year over year
- If and how it’s grown over time
- What it requires to maintain or expand its business
- Operational expenses compared to generated revenues
All of these insights can help you excel in your role, be privy to conversations surrounding the future of the company, and develop into an effective leader .

Critical Information for Investors and Employees Alike
Being able to analyze annual reports can help you gain a clearer picture of where a company sits within its industry and the broader economy, illuminating opportunities and threats.
The best part about learning to read and understand financial information is that you don’t need to be a certified accountant to do so. Start by analyzing financial documents over a set period. Then, when the annual and 10-K reports are published, you can review and understand what leadership is saying about the operational and financial health of your company.
If you’re an investor, knowing how to read an annual report can give you more information from which to base your decision on whether to invest in a company. If you’re an employee within an organization, learning how to read and apply the information contained in an annual report is an essential financial accounting skill that can help you understand your company’s goals and capabilities and, ultimately, further your career.
Do you want to take your career to the next level? Explore Financial Accounting and our other online finance and accounting courses , which can teach you the key financial topics you need to understand business performance and potential. Download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

About the Author
Search Submit
Site navigation
2022 IBM Annual Report
- Let’s Create
Products & Solutions
- The essentials
- Top products & platforms
- Artificial intelligence
- Business operations
- Cloud computing
- Data & Analytics
- IT infrastructure
- Supply chain
- View all products
Consulting & Services
- IBM Consulting
- Business consulting services
- Design & business strategy
- Hybrid multicloud services
- Talent management services
- Application services
- Security services
- Technology Support Services
- Payment plans for Services & Consulting
- View all services
Learn & Support
- Documentation
- Developer education
Explore more
- Partner with us
- IBM Research

Share this page
Facebook Twitter Linked In E-mail this page
Download the report
A letter from Arvind Krishna
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Dear IBM Investor:
In 2022 we took decisive steps to build a stronger IBM, executing against a sound strategy with speed, focus, and consistency. Our growth is accelerating, our confidence is growing, and our company is gaining momentum.
The reasons for this are clear. Our clients and partners are facing a series of specific business challenges: inflation, supply chain disruption, tight labor markets, sustainability requirements, and an ever-evolving cybersecurity threat landscape. They recognize technology as a source of competitive advantage, capable of addressing these immediate issues and future-proofing their businesses by increasing productivity, reducing costs, driving innovation, and fueling growth.
To that end, we have sharpened our focus on IBM’s unique ability to integrate technology and business expertise for our clients and our partners. Our portfolio is built around hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence (AI), the two most transformational technologies of our time. And our go-to-market approach brings together the necessary software, consulting, and infrastructure our clients require, from across our expanding ecosystem of partners.
This is today’s IBM.
2022 performance
For the year, IBM generated USD 60.5 billion in revenue and USD 9.3 billion of free cash flow. Our focus on delivering client value fueled revenue growth of 12% at constant currency in 2022, including about four points from incremental external sales to Kyndryl. Our solid and growing recurring revenue base now represents more than 50% of IBM’s total revenue. And today, more than 70% of our annual revenue is in Software and Consulting.
IBM Software revenues were up 12% at constant currency, including about 6 points from incremental sales to Kyndryl. Red Hat, which allows clients to harness the power of open-source software innovations, continues to grow at a healthy rate. Our automation, data and AI and security software have been optimized for this platform and delivered solid growth.
IBM Consulting revenues were up 15% at constant currency, driven by clients' strong demand for our extensive technical and business expertise to accelerate their digital transformation journeys.
IBM Infrastructure revenues were up 14% at constant currency, including about 6 points from incremental sales to Kyndryl. Clients continue to leverage IBM zSystems and Distributed Infrastructure platforms as foundational elements of their hybrid cloud infrastructure.
This revenue growth and cash generation allowed for both continued investment in the business and shareholder returns. In 2022, we spent more than USD 2 billion to acquire eight companies and returned nearly USD 6 billion to stockholders through dividends.

Technology and expertise
Our perspective on technology is clear and consistent: hybrid cloud and AI are helping to usher in a new era of greater productivity, faster insights, better decision-making, and enhanced employee and customer experiences. That is why we have designed our products and services to maximize the business value of hybrid cloud and AI for our clients.
Hybrid cloud has become the leading architecture for enterprises because it offers more value than relying on a single, public cloud. This value takes the form of scale, security, ease of use, flexibility, seamless experiences, and faster innovation cycles. Companies continue to adopt hybrid cloud to unify their data and applications across multiple clouds, on premise, and at the edge.
Containers are the preferred destination for hybrid cloud applications and IBM’s container platform, with Red Hat at the core, continues to gain clients. For example, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) adopted a hybrid cloud approach that uses Red Hat technology to manage and scale its infrastructure with greater speed and flexibility. As a result, they delivered hundreds of new applications while reducing provisioning time by 95% and deployment time by 50%. They join organizations like Bharti Airtel, Charles Schwab, Samsung Electronics, and the U.S. Department of Education in working with IBM to realize the value of hybrid cloud.
These powerful, hybrid cloud environments also allow clients to infuse AI across their business operations. AI is expected to unlock USD 16 trillion in value from the global economy by 2030 – including massive boosts in productivity – by scaling data-driven insight and automating business workflows in everything from IT operations and financial reporting to human resources and customer service.
Examples include IBM’s work with McDonald’s to automate the drive-thru experience with AI at scale. We also partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to automate the delivery of pension benefits, accelerating the claims process, and freeing up VA staff to focus on higher value work. And BBC Studios is now using our AIOps software to automate the management of its IT infrastructure.
To help power hybrid cloud environments, and the AI that runs on them, IBM introduced the z16 platform with an integrated on-chip AI accelerator specifically designed to process and analyze real-time transactions at scale. We also unveiled IBM’s next generation LinuxONE servers, which help clients dramatically reduce data center energy consumption in support of their sustainability goals.
IBM Consulting’s business and industry expertise brings these offerings to life for our clients, helping them modernize and manage their applications in a hybrid cloud environment, automate their workflows with data and AI, and meet their security and regulatory requirements. IBM Consulting has strengthened its commitment to be a trusted partner for digital transformation and expanded its use of the IBM Garage – an agile approach to co-creating with clients – with more than 6,700 IBM Garage engagements during the year.
For example, IBM Consulting is co-creating with Discover, developing solutions for migrating its systems and applications to an open and flexible hybrid cloud architecture with Red Hat OpenShift. As a result, Discover can automate key business processes and deliver solutions more quickly, improving its customer experience and advancing its overall digital transformation.
To complement these offerings, IBM made eight acquisitions in 2022. We added software and consulting capabilities to address specific client challenges, including environmental performance management software (Envizi), cybersecurity attack surface management (Randori), and digital transformation services for the U.S. federal government (Octo).
Client engagement: Partnership and co-creation
IBM continues to embrace our partner ecosystem as a strategic advantage in delivering value to our clients. In 2022, we made significant progress in bolstering these partnerships, including the introduction of a new skills program to equip partners with the same training and enablement as IBMers, at no cost.
The increasing value of our partner ecosystem – to our company, our clients, and the partners themselves – is evident. Business with our strategic partners continues to grow with SAP, Microsoft and AWS all over USD 1 billion in revenue for the year. We partnered with Amazon Web Services to deliver IBM software as a service on the AWS Marketplace. Our partnership with Microsoft expanded in 2022, with 30 IBM solutions now available on the Microsoft Marketplace and deployable on Microsoft Azure. Meanwhile, Adobe and Salesforce are now leveraging open-source innovation based on Red Hat technologies in their offerings.
Business with our strategic partners continues to grow with SAP, Microsoft and AWS all over USD 1 billion in revenue for the year.
To ensure clients engage with IBM and its partners simply and efficiently, we made significant changes to our go-to-market model in 2022 and improved our sales productivity. The IBM Sales and IBM Ecosystem functions joined together to create a single, coordinated unit focused on a distinct set of sales plays, deeper technical engagement, and a more experiential approach to selling built around IBM Garages, Innovation Studios, and Client Engineering teams.
Exploratory research and applied science
IBM Research is driven by our longstanding mission to define the future of computing. Our investments span multiple time horizons and range across all of IBM’s businesses, maintaining a careful balance between exploratory research and applied science.
In 2022, IBM Research focused its talent and resources on innovation with practical application, particularly in the areas of hybrid cloud, data and AI, automation, security, semiconductors, and quantum computing. For example, the IBM Telum Processor features on-chip acceleration for AI inferencing in real-time. Today it powers the AI capabilities of the IBM z16, allowing clients to identify fraud at scale in milliseconds.
We also pioneered breakthrough innovation in the AI field of large language and foundational models. Project Wisdom for Red Hat Ansible uses foundational AI models to enable developers to generate high-quality code, using plain English, across multiple clouds.
IBM Research – like the rest of the company – has embraced partnership and open innovation as it works to solve the most urgent problems of business and society. While we continue to build and maintain a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, we understand that open collaboration with clients, partners, and even competitors can accelerate the realization of value.
IBM’s work in quantum computing is a good example of how we blend proprietary and open innovation. In November, we again advanced the fundamental science of quantum computing, unveiling the 433- qubit IBM Osprey processor. This will help us move forward on our roadmap to deliver a 1,000-plus qubit system this year, and a 4,000-plus qubit system in 2025. Our IBM Quantum Network has more than 200 members, with companies like Boeing, HSBC, and Mitsubishi Chemical pursuing potentially industry-changing research. Meanwhile, we continue to provide access to quantum capability through the cloud. More than 1.5 million people have downloaded the free Qiskit software development kit, and an ecosystem of more than 450,000 registered users have developed applications and published papers based on our quantum technology.
Environmental, equitable, and ethical impact
Both internally, and in our work with clients, IBM aspires to make a lasting, positive impact on the world by protecting the environment, advocating for inclusion, and fostering trust and transparency in both technology and business.
In 2022, we announced IBM Impact, a new framework that reflects our approach to creating a more sustainable, equitable, and ethical future. Using this framework, we will continue to set goals, measure progress, and report our results as part of our culture of accountability.
We continued to make progress towards our goal of net-zero operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. In fact, we have reduced those emissions by 61% since 2010. We are using IBM Sustainability solutions to simplify and automate our sustainability reporting processes. During the year, we were recognized by Boston Consulting Group and TIME Magazine for helping clients turn their sustainability ambitions into actions.
Reduction in our operational greenhouse gas emissions since 2010
IBM demonstrates its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity by creating space and opportunity for everyone at IBM and in society at large. Our diversity practices have resulted in a year-over-year increase of representation for women globally and Black and Hispanic employees in the U.S. We are collaborating with more than 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities on IBM Cybersecurity Centers to advance STEM-based opportunities. We also continue to narrow the STEM skills gap with our IBM SkillsBuild initiative, adding to our network of 170 partners in our effort to provide access to education and training to 30 million people worldwide by 2030.
IBM continues to develop innovation, policy, and practices that prioritize ethics, trust, transparency, and above all, accountability. In 2022, we exceeded our goal to train 1,000 partners in technology ethics. IBM was named to Ethisphere’s list of the most ethical companies in the world for the fourth time.
Why the world needs IBM (and IBMers)
Today’s IBM is more closely aligned with the needs of our clients. Our engagement model is simpler and more effective. And we have expanded our ecosystem by strengthening existing relationships and forging new, productive partnerships.
There is, of course, more to be done. Increasing our levels of productivity will be paramount. To get there, we are infusing our own technology into workflows and processes that span from HR, to finance, to sales and more. We are prioritizing speed and simplicity in our execution while cultivating a high-performance culture designed to ensure every activity is tied to a clear and tangible business outcome.
I am proud of the progress we have made as a company and the results we have delivered. And I am especially proud of the IBMers who have made it possible. Because the performance of our business depends entirely on a workforce that is smart, committed, and inspired.
That inspiration comes from our belief in the fundamental promise of technology: that when we apply innovation to real-world problems, we drive progress, for both business and society. IBMers deliver on that promise every day. When we help a pharmacy administer more vaccines. When we help reduce the carbon footprint of a retailer. Or when we help prevent a cyberattack on a bank.
Today’s IBM is not simply a technology company. We are a problem-solving company and a convener of capability that brings together our colleagues, our clients, and our partners with a simple, open invitation: Let’s create.
We do this because we believe that IBM is the catalyst that makes the world work better. And as we have learned over the last several years, the world needs to work better. That is why the world needs IBM, today more than ever.

Arvind Krishna Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Download the 2022 Annual Report
Form 10-K SEC
Order a print copy
Past reports
Writing annual reports for your business
Small companies use annual reports to let shareholders and constituents know how the company is doing financially and what they can look forward to. Find out how to prepare an annual report that reflects well on your company.
Ready to start your business? Plans start at $0 + filing fees.

updated September 8, 2023 · 4min read
Purpose of annual reports
How to prepare annual reports, what an annual report contains, writing an annual report, nonprofit annual reports.
If you own or run a limited liability company (LLC), a small corporation, a nonprofit, or another type of company, you're probably filing annual reports with your state's Secretary of State.

Company annual reports are often required by your state , so check with your Secretary of State to determine if you need to know how to file an annual report , what it must contain, and when to file it.
If you own a corporation that has publicly traded shares, you must file an annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and you also may have to file it in states where the corporation is doing business.
Many publicly traded corporations have their own in-house personnel prepare their annual reports, or they farm them out to large accounting firms, professional writing firms, and graphic artists to create impressive brochures to accompany the reports. The focus here is on smaller companies, LLCs, and nonprofits.
Company annual reports are information sheets that a company or organization prepares to let shareholders and constituents know how it's doing financially, what its future looks like, and what important events have occurred over the past year.
Both large and small companies often put photos in the report or accompanying brochure to let people see the "face" of the company.
Customers can relate better to people than to corporations, so it's a good idea to use photos as part of your marketing strategy and for developing your company's personal brand. Putting a face on the company allows your customers and prospects to connect you—or your partner—with your small business.
The first thing you have to decide is if you want your company to prepare the report, to prepare part of the report, or to outsource its production. Annual reports include straightforward text about finances and about the company, actual accounting results, and sometimes graphs and photos. The annual report design is up to you, but you don't want to send out something that looks amateurish.
If your company is able to put together your LLC's annual report or your nonprofit's annual report on your own, you'll save money. In the long run, however, if the result looks sloppy or like something you threw together on a computer with clip art, you're better off outsourcing your annual report. Different companies can prepare sections of your annual report, or you can have an attorney prepare the report for you and file it with the state.
If you choose to do some of the report yourself, you can purchase accounting software to help with the financial aspects of your report. The information to include in your annual report equals most or all of the following, but check with your Secretary of State to see what the company's home state requires so you don't miss anything.
A good annual report will include:
- The company's name, address, and type of business it does
- Is easy to read while being informative
- Contains interesting prose while promoting the company
- Discusses exciting new developments for use as marketing strategies
- Praises the company for its innovative products and services
- Uses photos, easy graphs, and creative slogans to create a memorable document
- A balance sheet, which shows your company's current financial status
- An income statement, which shows profits and losses
- A cash flow statement, which shows investors that your company has cash on hand to pay the company's expenses
- A section about the company's important achievements
- Human interest information about the owners, particular employees, or about the company itself
- The names and addresses of corporate directors and the registered agent
- The names and addresses of the members of an LLC, sole proprietorship, or partnership
The best annual reports contain the information listed above, expressed in language that doesn't exaggerate what your company can and will do. Write your annual report in plain language. You can save the more descriptive language for the annual report letter, so long as you don't overstate the company's merits.
Write without using clichés, and use an active rather than a passive voice. Look at examples online from companies you admire. If you're not comfortable writing the report and the letter, have someone in your company prepare them or outsource the work to a professional writing company.
While most companies write annual reports to entice people to invest in their company or use their products, a nonprofit annual report serves a different purpose. Its main goal is to attract people who agree with and support the nonprofit's cause. If the annual report also gets people to contribute to the nonprofit company, then the report has done its job.
A nonprofit company prepares its annual report in whatever format works for the nonprofit. The company can use brochures, letters, photos, or cards, or use a digital format with some engaging company information. You can make the prose easy to understand and not as formal as in annual reports produced by for-profit companies. The annual report for a nonprofit works well when it's used as a call to action. And always include information about how people can donate to your cause.
Effective annual reports combine solid text and data in the report itself with more creative prose in the annual report letter. Financial statements make up a good portion of the report, which some people will gloss over, while others will review carefully. No matter what style your annual report uses, make sure the end result is something that reflects well on you and your company.

by Ronna L. DeLoe, Esq.
Ronna L. DeLoe is a freelance writer and a published author who has written hundreds of legal articles. She does...
Read more...
You may also like

How to talk to your family about estate planning
Want to talk to your parents or grandparents about estate planning, but feel like the topic is taboo? You're not alone. Discussions about estate planning are difficult for many families. Use our tips to broach the subject with sensitivity.
May 17, 2023 · 2min read

What is a power of attorney (POA)? A comprehensive guide
Setting up a power of attorney to make your decisions when you can't is a smart thing to do because you never know when you'll need help from someone you trust.
October 23, 2023 · 14min read

How to start an LLC in 7 steps: A complete guide for 2023
It's easy to create a new LLC by filing paperwork with the state. But to set yourself up for success, you'll also need to think about your business name, finances, an operating agreement, and licenses and permits. Here's a step-by-step guide.
October 26, 2023 · 21min read

How to create an annual report (examples included)
Learn how to create an effective annual report that communicates your company's performance and progress. Includes examples, templates, and tips on best practices.

An annual report is essential for many professionals looking to analyze the financial well-being of their organization through a comprehensive, single-view document. Annual reports are crucial to understanding your company’s overall performance and the strengths and weaknesses that define your business year.
However, a disorganized or unprofessional annual report can lead to an inaccurate understanding of your company’s finances and an unclear path for the future business year. This article will describe the best tips and advice to create an annual report that works, examples of successful annual reports, and comprehensive templates to help you maintain the health and well-being of your organization with quality annual reports.
What Are Annual Reports?
Before learning how to write an annual report, it’s essential to know the purpose this report serves and what information it contains. An annual report is an important document that communicates a company’s performance, progress, and financial position over a year. It is a comprehensive report of a company’s activities over the past year and provides a snapshot of its performance and progress.
The annual report should be an honest and comprehensive assessment of the company’s performance that is detailed, organized, and concise. Annual reports provide readers with relevant financial information and insights into their company’s operations, management, and strategy through some of the following information:
- The business profile includes the company mission statement, director details, investor profile, products and services providing the primary revenue, competitor profile, and main risk factors for the business.
- The company management and analysis section includes an overview of the company’s performance over the past three years, profit margins, sales, and income, as well as information on new employees or acquisitions.
- Financial statements that compose most of the annual reports determine the company’s past performance, ability to pay its debts, and growth plans. Financial documents and statements that prove this include cash flow statements, balance sheets, income statements, statements to shareholders, and other relevant financial information.
Tips for Writing an Effective Annual Report
An annual report helps investors and stakeholders understand the company’s performance and can also help a company attract new investors and customers, as it provides insight into the company’s operations and strategy. It can also boost a company’s reputation and increase trust in its ability to deliver on its promises.
Because these reports are crucial, professionals should follow the best tips and advice to ensure that their annual report is effective and promising for the year ahead. With that in mind, here are some recommendations for writing a compelling annual report.
1. Keep it Simple and Clear
The annual report should be written clearly and concisely, with information that is organized and presented logically, allowing readers to understand the key points and takeaways.
2. Include Relevant Financial Information
The annual report should include financial statements, such as income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. These statements provide readers with an understanding of the company’s financial performance and position.
3. Focus on the Story
The annual report should tell a story about the company’s performance and progress. It should explain the company’s strategies and objectives and provide an overview of its operations and performance.
4. Use Examples and Visuals
The annual report should include examples, visuals, and graphs to help illustrate the key points and takeaways. Visuals will make the report more engaging and easier to understand.
Use a Template
Using an annual report template can help create an annual report that is more manageable and efficient. A template can provide a structure for the report and help ensure all the necessary information is included. For example, the report templates available from Craft are perfect for creating an annual report that connects with employees and fosters a bright future for your company.
Effective Examples of Annual Reports
Creating an annual report is daunting when you aren’t familiar with the format, organization, and length. However, looking at compelling examples of reports from other companies can help guide you in creating your comprehensive end-of-year report. Let’s look at three practical examples of annual reports in recent years.
1. Ethan Allen 2022 Annual Report
The 2022 annual report for Ethan Allen provides a comprehensive overview of the company’s performance and progress in a sophisticated, easy-to-navigate template to keep readers engaged throughout the report. The report contains essential information on the company’s performance for 2022, including income statement data, balance sheet data, key metrics, and liquidity and capital resources. The report ideally balances images, text, and infographics to create an engaging experience.
2. Akita Drilling Ltd. 2022 Annual Report
Akita Drilling’s 2022 annual report is another example of a dynamic, engaging annual report that manages to convey vital information for an experience that is both visually appealing and informative. This annual report maintains a consistent, gentle color palette and incorporates images, text, and infographics to ensure that the report never becomes static. The report goes beyond annual financial information and includes a corporate profile, a letter to shareholders, a management discussion and analysis, and a 10-year financial review.
3. Assured Guaranty 2022 Annual Report
This company’s 2022 annual report offers a visually exciting overview of the 2022 business year for Assured Guaranty. The report is immediately effective by showing the numerous awards and credentials to highlight the company’s authority in the insurance landscape. The report has a calming and engaging color palette, organized layout, and quality images to keep the reader’s attention.
Get Started With Craft Templates
Creating a compelling annual report is an important task that can help a company communicate its performance and progress to stakeholders and investors. Your annual report should have a balance of vital information about your company’s performance balanced by a complementary template and appealing visuals.
A template is one of the most effective ways to create an annual report. No matter what you’re looking for in an annual report template, Craft has the best options to build stunning reports with an organized, comprehensive template that will keep people reading. Check out the numerous templates available through Craft today and start planning your annual report.
6 Ways to Motivate Readers'>Your Annual Report’s Opening Message: 6 Ways to Motivate Readers

I harbor no ill will toward opening messages. In fact, I believe they can be an important component of a nonprofit’s annual report. When done well–well being the operative word–they provide context for the rest of the publication. They personalize it and make it more immediate, and they help point readers to key information and calls to action.
That said, most opening messages, those “letters from the executive director,” make me want to get out my figurative red pen and edit away (at best) or, at worst, put the publication down or close my browser window. Of course you want your annual report’s welcome to excite readers and motivate them to read from cover to cover. Here’s how:
1. Keep your opening message short
I can’t emphasize this enough. Short is a few succinct paragraphs, a half page, 200-300 words. Short is not asking your graphic designer to “make it fit,” leaving audiences to squint at six-point font. Assume your reader is scanning. Make it easy to read. Use subheadings and bullet points. Hit the high points and move on.
If this sounds impossible–if you feel like it’s your one chance to say everything to everyone–then it might be a good time to revisit your communications plan. That feeling, and the resulting letter that goes on forever, could be a clue that you’re not regularly and consistently talking with all your constituents the rest of the year.
2. Open your annual report with a simple salutation
“Dear Friends”–or something similar–is great. You don’t need to spell out each audience, unless you want to waste several lines of valuable real estate (your letter is brief, remember?).
3. Keep the tone conversational
Keep it professional and formal, yes, but not stilted or distant. Somewhere between, “Hey, what’s up?” and “Dear Sir or Madam.”
Don’t be afraid to let some personality shine through either. Conveying the director’s sincere excitement about a particular accomplishment, his or her sense of humor, or a personal note or observation–these all make your opening message and, as a result, the whole report more engaging.
4. Show awareness of the year’s challenges
I once edited a “letter from the director” for a client who had a fantastic year. Unfortunately, though, colleagues at similar organizations did not fare so well. Talking about all the great things that happened without acknowledging others’ challenges during the long, hard recession felt wrong. It was nearly a missed opportunity to show camaraderie and gratitude. Phrases such as “In spite of difficult economic times, we were fortunate to … ” can go a long way.
5. Report candidly and transparently
Not a good idea to say how great the year was if it wasn’t. You can highlight the good while still being honest about areas you know need addressing. Your donors and other supporters want to know that you’re working to improve and that their time and/or money isn’t being wasted.
6. End with a positive note and call to action
Hint at a few things you’re excited about for the coming year, keep your ending hopeful but not artificial, and invite readers to do something–join you on social media sites, sign up for your newsletter, make a donation before the year ends, volunteer at an event, respond to a survey. Instead of making them drowsy, get them engaged–not only in reading your annual report but supporting your cause.
What techniques do you use to engage readers with your annual report’s opening letter?
You might also like

Here to champion your nonprofit digital campaigns
- Our pricing
- Get a free consultation
Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits: The Complete Guide
Google Grants Agency: Picking the Best Partner
Google Grants Eligibility: Is Your Nonprofit Eligible?
Google Ad Grant Impact: Capturing Results and Measuring ROI
How to Apply for Google Grants

- Search Search Please fill out this field.
What Is an Annual Report?
Understanding annual reports, special considerations, mutual fund annual reports, the bottom line.
- Corporate Finance
- Financial Statements
Annual Report Explained: How to Read and Write Them
Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/adam_hayes-5bfc262a46e0fb005118b414.jpg)
An annual report is a document that public corporations must provide annually to shareholders that describes their operations and financial conditions. The front part of the report often contains an impressive combination of graphics, photos, and an accompanying narrative, all of which chronicle the company's activities over the past year and may also make forecasts about the future of the company. The back part of the report contains detailed financial and operational information.
Key Takeaways
- An annual report is a corporate document disseminated to shareholders that spells out the company's financial condition and operations over the previous year.
- It was not until legislation was enacted after the stock market crash of 1929 that the annual report became a regular component of corporate financial reporting.
- Registered mutual funds must also distribute a full annual report to their shareholders each year.
Investopedia / Jake Shi
Annual reports became a regulatory requirement for public companies following the stock market crash of 1929 when lawmakers mandated standardized corporate financial reporting. The intent of the required annual report is to provide public disclosure of a company's operating and financial activities over the past year. The report is typically issued to shareholders and other stakeholders who use it to evaluate the firm's financial performance and to make investment decisions.
Typically, an annual report will contain the following sections:
- General corporate information
- Operating and financial highlights
- Letter to the shareholders from the CEO
- Narrative text, graphics, and photos
- Management's discussion and analysis (MD&A)
- Financial statements, including the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement
- Notes to the financial statements
- Auditor's report
- Summary of financial data
- Accounting policies
Current and prospective investors, employees, creditors, analysts, and any other interested party will analyze a company using its annual report.
In the U.S., a more detailed version of the annual report is referred to as Form 10-K and is submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Companies may submit their annual reports electronically through the SEC's EDGAR database . Reporting companies must send annual reports to their shareholders when they hold annual meetings to elect directors. Under the proxy rules, reporting companies are required to post their proxy materials, including their annual reports, on their company websites.
The annual report contains key information on a company's financial position that can be used to measure:
- A company's ability to pay its debts as they come due
- Whether a company made a profit or loss in its previous fiscal year
- A company's growth over a number of years
- How much of earnings are retained by a company to grow its operations
- The proportion of operational expenses to revenue generated
The annual report also determines whether the information conforms to the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). This confirmation will be highlighted as an " unqualified opinion " in the auditor's report section.
Fundamental analysts also attempt to understand a company's future direction by analyzing the details provided in its annual report.
In the case of mutual funds, the annual report is a required document that is made available to a fund's shareholders on a fiscal-year basis. It discloses certain aspects of a mutual fund's operations and financial condition. In contrast to corporate annual reports, mutual fund annual reports are best described as "plain vanilla" in terms of their presentation.
A mutual fund annual report, along with a fund's prospectus and statement of additional information, is a source of multi-year fund data and performance, which is made available to fund shareholders as well as to prospective fund investors. Unfortunately, most of the information is quantitative rather than qualitative, which addresses the mandatory accounting disclosures required of mutual funds.
All mutual funds that are registered with the SEC are required to send a full report to all shareholders every year. The report shows how well the fund fared over the fiscal year. Information that can be found in the annual report includes:
- Table, chart, or graph of holdings by category (e.g., type of security, industry sector, geographic region, credit quality, or maturity)
- Audited financial statements, including a complete or summary (top 50) list of holdings
- Condensed financial statements
- Table showing the fund’s returns for one-, five- and 10-year periods
- Management’s discussion of fund performance
- Management information about directors and officers, such as name, age, and tenure
- Remuneration or compensation paid to directors, officers, and others
How Do You Write an Annual Report?
An annual report has a few sections and steps that must convey a certain amount of information, much of which is legally required for public companies. Most public companies hire auditing companies to write their annual reports. An annual report begins with a letter to the shareholders, then a brief description of the business and industry. Following that, the report should include the audited financial statements: balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. The last part will typically be notes to the financial statements, explaining certain facts and figures.
Is an Annual Report the Same As a 10-K Filing?
In general, an annual report is similar to the 10-K filing in that both report on the company's performance for the year. Both are considered to be the last financial filing of the year and summarize how the company did for that period. Annual reports are much more visually friendly. They are designed well and contain images and graphics. The 10-K filing only reports numbers and other qualitative information without any design elements or additional flair.
What Is a 10-Q Filing?
A 10-Q filing is a form that is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that reports the quarterly earnings of a company. Most public companies have to file a 10-Q with the SEC to report their financial position for the quarter.
Public companies must produce annual reports to show their current financial conditions and operations. Annual reports can be used to examine a company's financial position and, possibly, understand what direction it will move in the future. These reports function differently for mutual funds; in this case, they are made available each fiscal year and are typically simpler.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. " Speech By SEC Commissioner: Remarks Before the Securities Traders Association ."
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. " Annual Report ."
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. " How to Read a 10-K/10-Q ."
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. " Final Rule: Shareholder Reports and Quarterly Portfolio Disclosure of Registered Management Investment Companies ."
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. " Mutual Funds - The Next 75 Years ."
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/sec-form-ars.asp-final-0607a69be0b04a75b6d2840a33b05929.png)
- Terms of Service
- Editorial Policy
- Privacy Policy
- Your Privacy Choices
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Filter by Keywords
- Create a free workspace
- Start with a template
- Explore features
- Get pricing
10 Annual Report Templates for Faster, Easier Business Reports
ClickUp Contributor
October 12, 2023
Highlighting successes and failures at the end of the year lays the groundwork for a better and more fruitful new year. It’s a time to review performance, assess financial data, and take those insights to make improvements.
One way companies do this is by creating an annual report. For public companies, this document is required for shareholders to understand the health of the business. For smaller businesses and teams, creating an annual report can also help to build better decision-making.
An annual report template lets you create your financial report in half the time. Here, we’ll share some of the best templates to build an informative annual report. You’ll find templates for progress reports, work breakdowns, and annual reports for businesses in different sectors. 🙌
What makes a good annual report template
1. clickup annual report template, 2. clickup business annual report template, 3. clickup annual report work breakdown structure template, 4. clickup financial analysis report template, 5. clickup progress report template, 6. clickup nonprofit annual report template, 7. clickup llc annual report template, 8. canva modern cover annual report, 9. venngage year end annual report template, 10. annual report template by envato, what is an annual report template .
Annual reports are documents that lay out the company’s financial health and describe operations. It’s required for public companies, but can also be used by smaller businesses and private firms for internal reporting.
Prior to the 1929 Wall Street crash , the annual report was not mandated. Following the financial implosion, regulators required annual reports from all public companies so shareholders and stakeholders could understand the financial health and operations. 📈
The corporate annual report typically starts with a letter to the stakeholders briefly outlining the main takeaways. The annual reporting process centers around collecting data and building diagrams to form a narrative that explains how the previous year went and what is expected for the future. The final parts of the report include in-depth metrics to highlight financial and operational procedures.
Most annual reports contain the following:
- A letter to shareholders
- Management discussion and analysis (MD&A)
- Financial statements
- Audit reports
- Summary of financing and operating wins
Businesses can choose to hire outside agencies to create the annual report or handle it internally. With a template for annual reports, you can take information from impact reports and sales reports to create your own financial and operational review.
Annual reports must have specific financial information to help shareholders understand the health of the company. These reports are designed to provide information on the ability to meet existing debts, profits or losses over the previous year, and operational plans. 💰
A comprehensive annual report should have:
- Detailed financial information : The whole point of this document is to meet regulatory requirements by providing in-depth financial information on revenues, profits, and losses
- A letter to stakeholders: Annual reports generally start with a mission statement and key takeaways from the previous year, so choose a template that includes a cover page for this information
- Support for data visualizations: Look for a template that features built-in graphs, pie charts, and Kanban boards to display key financial information and future plans
- Customizable fonts and graphic designs : Present your annual report in line with branding standards by selecting a template that offers customization for typography, design elements, and color schemes
10 Free Annual Report Templates
Ready to start making annual reports? You’ll need to start by gathering insights on key financial metrics and operational performance. Dive into team performance reviews , assess success on project management goals , and delve into the nitty gritty numbers when it comes to revenue, debts, and profits.
Then, use one of these pre-built templates for annual reports to quickly put all of the information together in one informative document. From all-in-one templates to progress reports and financial analysis reports, you’ll find what you need to inform your shareholders. 💪

ClickUp’s Annual Report Template takes a daunting task and turns it into a manageable step-by-step process. From gathering the correct data to presenting it in a professional annual report, this free annual report template will be your best friend when working on your most important end-of-the-year tasks.
Start by collecting important data from the previous year’s financial statements, project milestones, and marketing reports. Next, pop into the annual report template and fill out basic information like the company name, logo, and main people involved.
Use the Annual Highlights section to call out big wins like sales growth, market share expansion, and global ranking. Next, cover at least two notable projects, focusing on objectives and the impact on the company at large.
Finally, go over the year’s best practices that had the best results and a financial analysis for the entire year. Share the presentation with board members, teammates, and shareholders. Use key takeaways from the report to improve communication plans , lay the groundwork for increased profits, and streamline operations to meet team and HR goals .

The Business Annual Report Template from ClickUp is an easy tool to gather, document, and present financial data at the end of the year. This modern annual report template provides support for advanced graphics, charts, and data tools to share information the way you want to.
Start by creating a report overview by breaking down information into summaries of business objectives, vision, and mission. Next, cover the company strategy, including reports on growth and shares. Add charts and graphs to drive home key successes and takeaways. 📊
The next section of the annual report template is all about finances. Write a financial statement laying out where the company stands and use hard numbers to back up the claims. Add a brief conclusion summarizing the main takeaways and finish with forecasts for the next few years.

The ClickUp Annual Report Work Breakdown Structure Template makes creating annual reports easier than ever by divvying up the work. Use the template to break down your entire annual report into tasks and subtasks. Automatically assign them to the correct team member to gather analytics and build sections of the annual report.
Use the different views packed into this modern annual report template to visualize progress and see who is working on what. Use priority flags to identify work that needs to be addressed immediately. Add relationships for dependencies so the team knows which tasks are blocking others.
The built-in Gantt chart lets you quickly see the timeline for creating the annual report. Use it for a broad overview of all the tasks in progress. Open the individual task cards to get more detailed information on financial stats and reporting progress.

Use the Financial Analysis Report Template from ClickUp to craft an up-to-date and detailed report on financial health that you can use as part of a bigger annual report. Pre-built spreadsheets make it easy to fill out financial data and track changes as needed.
Start by filling out the basic company information, including your logo, business address, and contact details. Next, add graphs and charts laying out details on financial essentials. These can include things like cash flow analysis, liquidity ratios, and debt ratios. 💸
The following sections include summaries for valuation and risk analysis. Add data and narratives to keep the reader’s attention and help them understand the company’s standing. Finish off by summarizing key takeaways, tips for improvement, and a quick recap.
Use the report to give a quick presentation to internal stakeholders or share it more widely in a PowerPoint or webinar with shareholders. Custom permissions settings let you control who sees the report and whether they can edit it or not.

The ClickUp Progress Report Template is a great add-on to an annual report. It allows you to keep track of project objectives, stay on schedule, and share summaries of progress with shareholders. Use the Progress Report Template to assess individual team member success or monitor achievements for the entire department.
Customize the sheet to evaluate a single team member or the department. Fill out the basic information, including job titles, project scope, and contact information. Next, create a performance evaluation by breaking down main goals into key metrics.
Develop a skills assessment section in the template by coming up with key skills the team or employee should meet. Break the ranking down into three to five ratings. Finally, end the report by featuring a recommendations section where you take the evaluated metrics and assess them alongside company and project objectives.
Use the Progress Report Template to highlight wins and areas for improvement in your annual report. The Progress Report can also be used to identify cases where teams have improved operations and elevated the company’s health and success.

The Nonprofit Annual Report Template from ClickUp allows organizations to share insights into operations and financial standings. Use it to share key takeaways with the public at large or offer reporting to advocates and donors. 🤩
The Nonprofit Annual Report Template starts with a message from the executive director. Use this section to thank investors and volunteers for their contributions and make a statement on the past year’s successes.
Next, lay out the vision and mission for your non-profit organization. Be sure to explain where the company stands today and where you see it going over the next year or two. The Annual Report layout then goes on to cover key accomplishments and program activities.
Follow up by highlighting stories of change where people made the biggest impact in the organization this past year. Dive into financial statements and share special thank-yous to donors and volunteers who went above and beyond.
End the annual report by focusing on future goals for the organization. Here, you can focus on financial goals in terms of fundraising as well as upcoming projects that you want to take on.

ClickUp’s LLC Annual Report Template lets you share operational details and financial results from the past year. Use it to manage business filings, save time creating annual reports, and keep track of progress over the years.
This corporate annual report template features four pre-built sections, but you can add more as you see fit. The first section is all about project growth, including detailed financial statistics. Sections for the growing team and corporate social responsibility highlight a people-first approach to the company.
Finally, a section on plans for the year ahead lets you add in financial forecasts and potential projects. This is a great place to get buy-in for the year ahead from key stakeholders.

Canva is known more for design than it is for annual reports. However, this tool can take a generally boring set of information and turn it into a creative annual report, ready for presentations and sharing among the company. Featuring dozens of annual report design templates, the Modern Cover Annual Report is among our favorites.
This creative annual report template features a blue and yellow design, but you can customize it to feature your branding colors or go for a simple black-and-white layout. Personalize the fonts to use your branding style in the annual report cover. 👩🏽🎨
Add photos, graphics, and icons to make the design really stand out. Download the design in two clicks and instantly share it across forums from social media to your internal annual report document.

Venngage is a professional infographic design tool that features an eye-catching Year End Annual Report Template. The vintage design features retro color palettes that you can customize to suit your company’s branding.
The six-page template starts with a cover page, introduction, and table of contents. The next few pages cover year-end highlights, industry trends, and performance. Throughout the free template, you’ll find bright colors, gradients, and charts to highlight the most important information from expense reports and other financial documentation.
This simple annual report template is best used for businesses that want to provide short insights into the business dealings of the past year. Add more pages and deeper insights if you prefer a more in-depth report.

The Annual Report Template from Envato is an in-depth, 24-page approach to informing shareholders about the state of your business. Featuring a professional design, the final product can be shared as a PDF or email attachment. 📧
This annual report example lets you present your business in a formal and eye-catching way. Use it to share quarterly business reviews , key wins, and financial statements with relevant parties.
Change all the colors throughout the document in one place to match your branding. Use the built-in free fonts to change the text to meet your brand guidelines. The design works best in Adobe InDesign and features layered and vector functionality for elevated designs.
Create an Annual Report With ClickUp
With an annual report template, you’ll update shareholders on the company’s health and financial situation faster than ever before. From gorgeous, customizable designs to simple, informative layouts, there’s a way to share your information the way you want to.
Sign up for ClickUp today and start creating a comprehensive annual report that’s sure to be informative and engaging. Browse more than 1,000 templates to gather data for financial reporting and leverage the 15+ views and customization tools to monitor success throughout the year. When you’re ready to craft an annual report, there are several template options from ClickUp to get the job done. 🌻
Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.
Receive the latest WriteClick Newsletter updates.
Thanks for subscribing to our blog!
Please enter a valid email
- Free training & 24-hour support
- Serious about security & privacy
- 99.99% uptime the last 12 months
- Why Kindful? Mission Testimonials Comparisons
- Features Fundraising Tools Donor Communications Donor Management Tracking & Reporting View All Features
- Apps & Integrations
- Resources Blog Webinars Kindful Academy eBooks Templates Year-End Giving Nonprofit Glossary Consultant Directory
- Year-End Giving
- Other Resources Academy eBooks Templates Webinars
- Nonprofit Glossary
- Join the Newsletter
Communication
Step-by-Step Guide To Writing An Annual Report For Small & Growing Nonprofits
Kindful • April 19, 2021

Writing an annual report is an important component of doing business as a nonprofit organization. When it is well written and visually pleasing, it can inspire potential donors to jump on board and donate money, initiate major gifts from corporations and foundations, and ensure that those who already donate to your organization keep on giving.
Whether you are new to writing annual reports or would like to improve the reports you already send out each year, we have created a step-by-step guide to help you write an annual report that is full of inspiration and a vision for the future.
- Brainstorm and create an outline
- Compile all of the information for your annual report
- Lay out your annual report so that it’s visually appealing
- Review and edit your annual report
- Distribute your annual report
1. Brainstorm and create an outline.
Before diving in and actually getting to work on writing your organization’s annual report, brainstorm and create an outline so that you and your team can organize all of your thoughts and ideas. Annual reports are packed full of information, and you want to ensure that all of the information flows in a pleasing and logical manner for the reader.
Your annual report should educate potential new donors to give money to your organization for the first time as well as inspire established donors to give more. When creating your outline, be sure to include plenty of feel-good success stories as well as a detailed explanation on how donations benefit the community you’re serving. Your annual report should be full of colorful pictures and pleasing graphics to hold the attention of the reader.
2. Compile all of the information for your annual report.
Now that you have brainstormed and created a basic outline of what to include on your annual report, it’s time to compile all of the data and graphics to include in the document. Gather information about your financials, what projects and initiatives their donations funded, how many people in the community were served, and what the goals and objectives are for the future.
Within your annual report, you should also include data and statistics about specific fundraising events and campaigns, highlighting how successful they were. Also, be sure to include personal stories from community members your nonprofit served.
3. Lay out your annual report so that it is visually appealing.
If your nonprofit doesn’t have a well-established public relations and marketing department with designers who can create a template for you, there are many templates you can download online for free or for a nominal fee. An annual report does not need to be book-length, but should at least contain a few pages, so you have enough space to include all of the pertinent information. Brochures and booklet size publications are ideal for annual reports.
Create a captivating cover page for your annual report so that everyone on your report’s distribution list has a clear understanding of what you are sending them. The first page of the report should be reserved for a letter by the CEO of your organization to donors and community members discussing the achievements, challenges, and visions for the future. The following pages should contain the “meat” of your annual report, which includes photos, stories, statistics, and graphs.
4. Review and edit your annual report.
After drafting your annual report, be sure to look it over with a fine-tooth-comb to ensure all of the data, information, and statistics are accurate. Consider assigning the editing task to someone on your team who did not help write the report for a fresh perspective. The drafted report should also be reviewed by the leadership executives of your nonprofit for approval before the report is distributed to stakeholders and the community. Once the editing process is complete, you can fine-tune the layout and get the report ready for final copy.
5. Distribute your annual report.
The final step of creating your organization’s annual report is to distribute it to your community. You can use your nonprofit’s CRM database to make this an easy and efficient task. First, determine who you are going to directly send the report to, whether it be corporate and major gift donors, donors who contribute “X” amount or more to your organization each year, or if you are going to send it to the entire community.
Distribute your annual report in a multitude of different ways, including by way of email, posting it to your organization’s website, and sending copies via direct mail. Use the bulk email function within your CRM software to send out electronic copies of the report.
Where can I find annual report templates and examples?
You can find plenty of templates and examples online that will help guide you through the process of writing an engaging annual report. For example, the Council of Nonprofits has an entire library of resources and templates to assist you with many topics regarding nonprofit business management.
An annual report is an essential business tool of any nonprofit, and it helps paint a picture of the mission of your organization. Not only does the annual report highlight how donor dollars were utilized throughout the year, but it also showcases your organization’s vision for the future. When done well, it can inspire community members to donate more and help you grow and create more of an impact well into the future.
Schedule a live demo with our partner Bloomerang, and we’ll show you how easy it is to create and automate reports, utilize online and offline fundraising tools, quickly integrate and access all your data, and ultimately create more time to engage your donors.
Filed Under: Communication
Everything that you need to know to start your own business. From business ideas to researching the competition.
Practical and real-world advice on how to run your business — from managing employees to keeping the books.
Our best expert advice on how to grow your business — from attracting new customers to keeping existing customers happy and having the capital to do it.
Entrepreneurs and industry leaders share their best advice on how to take your company to the next level.
- Business Ideas
- Human Resources
- Business Financing
- Growth Studio
- Ask the Board
Looking for your local chamber?
Interested in partnering with us?
Start » strategy, what is an annual report , and how do you file it.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and many states require businesses to file annual reports. Use this guide to meet your reporting obligations.

Certain business entities must file annual reports (statements of information) with state governments, typically through the State Department. Public companies must give shareholders a yearly report detailing their operational and financial condition.
Additionally, public and certain private organizations may need to file a separate document with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). So, which reports do you need to file or share with stakeholders? Explore the types of annual reports and learn how (and when) to file them.
What is an annual report for a small business?
A state-required annual report is a short document that explains who owns the company, what products or services it sells, and how to contact the people in charge. Many small businesses file an annual report with their formation state (where they initially registered their company) and any foreign states where they are registered to do business.
Wolters Kluwer said the following statutory business entities might need to file an information report:
- Business corporations .
- Nonprofit corporations.
- Limited liability companies (LLCs).
- Limited partnerships (LPs).
- Limited liability partnerships (LLPs).
The SEC requires publicly traded companies to share yearly reports with shareholders. Unlike state-mandated forms, this annual report is an in-depth accounting of a corporation’s finances and operations. Lastly, federal security laws mandate public corporations to file Form 10-K yearly.
[ Read more: S Corp vs. LLC: What’s the Difference? ]
State-mandated annual report filing
Most states require an annual report, also called a periodic report, statement of information, or annual registration. However, there are exceptions. For example, Arizona doesn’t require an LLC annual report, and if you formed your company in Indiana , you only need to send the report every two years.
Since rules and due dates differ, always check with your state’s business department. States usually send a reporting form to the business address on file. You can return it via postal mail along with any annual registration fees. Many also allow you to file your yearly report online.
Unlike state reporting requirements, a company’s annual report for shareholders is lengthy and tells a story about its financial health.
SCORE noted that state-mandated annual reports are “relatively short documents” and include:
- Your company’s name and address.
- Purpose of the business.
- Names and addresses of a corporation’s directors and officers.
- Registered agent’s name and address.
- Names and addresses of LLC members or managers.
Annual reports for shareholders
According to Investopedia , “Annual reports became a regulatory requirement for public companies following the stock market crash of 1929 when lawmakers mandated standardized corporate financial reporting.” These documents give a comprehensive view of your organization, allowing shareholders, stakeholders, and investors to understand your corporation’s financial position.
Unlike state reporting requirements, a company’s annual report for shareholders is lengthy and tells a story about its financial health. Harvard Business School Online said, “Usually, an annual report is split into two halves.” The first section shares “the company’s narrative,” and the second part “presents data” minus the “narrative components.”
Investor.gov stated that businesses must provide shareholders with annual reports when holding yearly meetings to elect the board of directors . Additionally, proxy rules require companies to “post their proxy materials, including their annual reports, on their company websites.”
An annual report template has the following sections:
- Summary of general business information.
- Annual performance highlights.
- CEO’s letter to the shareholders.
- Management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A).
- Financial statements .
- Supporting notes, photos, and graphics.
- Auditor’s report.
- Financial information summary.
- Review of accounting policies.
[ Read more: Which Type of Accounting Service Do You Need? ]
SEC rules for filing annual statements
Organizations required to report to the SEC — including all public and some private companies — must disclose financials yearly to the SEC. Section 12 of the Exchange Act defines a private reporting company as one that has more than $10 million in total assets and a class of equity securities with either 2,000 or more persons or 500 or more individuals who are not accredited investors, or one that “lists the securities on a U.S. Exchange.”
According to Form 10-K instructions
CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.
CO—is committed to helping you start, run and grow your small business. Learn more about the benefits of small business membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, here .

Interested in a small business membership?
Find out how the U.S. Chamber of Commerce can help your company grow and thrive in today's rapidly-evolving business environment. Connect with our team to learn how a small business membership can benefit your bottom line and help you achieve your goals.
Subscribe to our newsletter, Midnight Oil
Expert business advice, news, and trends, delivered weekly
By signing up you agree to the CO— Privacy Policy. You can opt out anytime.
For more business strategies
13 ways your business can get ready for black friday (it's not just for the big guys), 15+ resources for entrepreneurs with disabilities, how to prepare your small business for acquisition.
By continuing on our website, you agree to our use of cookies for statistical and personalisation purposes. Know More
Welcome to CO—
Designed for business owners, CO— is a site that connects like minds and delivers actionable insights for next-level growth.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce 1615 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20062
Social links
Looking for local chamber, stay in touch.
60+ Annual Report Templates (Word & InDesign) 2023
Are you working on an annual report? Looking for a way to impress your client or boss with this report? Then use a simple annual report template to make your document look more professional.
Preparing an annual report is not an easy job. You shouldn’t have to spend hours making it look pretty as well. That’s why we handpicked this collection of annual report templates so you can quickly load them up with InDesign or MS Word to edit and copy over your content. It’s that easy.
Whether you’re working on an annual sales report, financial report, or a marketing report, we found templates to fit all kinds of documents. This collection includes both free and premium templates, as well as our tips for designing the perfect annual report to get you off to a great start.
The Ultimate Designer Toolkit: 2 Million+ Assets
Envato Elements gives you unlimited access to 2 million+ pro design resources, themes, templates, photos, graphics and more. Everything you'll ever need in your design resource toolkit.

Presentation Templates
Powerpoint & keynote.

Sans Serif, Script & More

Graphic Templates
Logos, print & mockups, modern minimal annual report template.

This is a modern and elegant annual report template you can use to create reports for many different types of agencies, brands, and businesses.
This InDesign template comes with 24 unique page layouts you can easily customize to your preference to add your own text, change colors, and add your own images as well.
Why This Is A Top Pick
The beautifully minimalist and clean design is what makes this annual report template quite special. It also features a multipurpose design, which you can take advantage of to create not just annual reports but also make company profiles as well.
Friday – Annual Report Template

If you’re making an annual report for a modern business, startup, or a corporate agency, this gorgeous template will help you craft a beautiful brochure. It features 15 ready-made page layouts with paragraph styles, master pages, and more. It’s available in A4 size and you can edit the template using Adobe InDesign.
Modern Annual Report INDD Template

A modern agency requires modern print publications. Use this creative annual report template to design an attractive report for your business. It comes with 16 page layouts in both A4 and US Letter size. You can edit and customize the template using InDesign CS4 or higher.
Business Annual Report Template

This template has everything you need to create a professional annual report. It has a bright and colorful design, 20 different page layouts to choose from, and fully customizable designs. It’s perfect for small businesses and corporate companies. The template also comes in Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Word formats.
Dark Annual Report Template for InDesign

If you want to create an annual report with a dark and elegant design, this template is perfect for you. It includes 20 page layouts in A4 size. And it has master page layouts with editable paragraph styles, page numbering, and more. This template is also available in Word and InDesign formats.
Modern Annual Report Template

This annual report template features a very modern and stylish design that will make your brochures stand out from the crowd. There are 23 different page layouts in this template available in US Letter size. It’s most suitable for creative agencies and modern brands.
Annual Report Template Word & InDesign

You can create a clean, minimal, and professional-looking annual report using this template. It has beautiful page layouts with stylish paragraph formatting and lots of space for showcasing images. The template includes 42 pages and comes in A4 and US Letter sizes.
Free Annual Report Brochure Template

This is a free annual report template that you can download and customize using Adobe InDesign. It has a creative design that you can easily edit to your preference. There are 12 different page layouts in the template.
Abstract Annual Report Brochure Template

The creative abstract shapes used in this brochure design give this template a very unique look and feel. It features beautiful page layouts with a modern approach. There are 16 different page designs included in this template in A4 size.
Modern Annual Report InDesign Template

Designing a high-quality annual report filled with statistics, graphs, charts, and data will be much easier when you have this template. It has 12 unique pages full of charts, tables, and more for showcasing your data in visual form.
Provide – Simple Annual Report Template

This annual report template comes with a simple yet creative design. It uses a beautiful color theme across all of its pages alongside shapes and elegant background design. The template includes 20 different pages with customizable layouts.
Minimal Annual Report Template for InDesign

This minimal annual report template uses bright colors to grab the attention of the readers. It also uses colors quite well to highlight specific parts of your document. There are 12 unique page designs in this template.
Free White Paper Report Brochure Template

This is a simple and free brochure template you can use to design basic white papers and reports for various business projects. The template comes in InDesign format and it includes 12 pages in total.
Red – Annual Report Template for Word & InDesign

You can use and edit this template with both MS Word and Adobe InDesign. It comes in both file formats as well as a professional design. The template contains 24 unique pages in A4 and US Letter sizes. You can also fully customize the template to change colors, fonts, and paragraph styles to your preference.
Bold & Modern Annual Report Template

If you prefer documents with bold and dark color themes, this InDesign template is perfect for your project. It comes with a modern design featuring dark colors. There are 12 different page layouts in the template in A4 size.
Corporate Business Brochure Template

This brochure template is made with corporate brands and agencies in mind. It has a colorful yet professional design that can be used to make all kinds of business reports, corporate brochures, and company profile documents. The template includes 20 pages.
Creative Annual Report Template for InDesign

You can use this template to design a minimal and modern annual report document for a modern agency or business. It has customizable page layouts in A4 size where you can fully personalize the design to match your brand.
Free Company Brochure InDesign Template

This free brochure template comes with a minimal and clean design. It has multipurpose page layouts you can use to make business reports, magazines, portfolios, and many other types of brochures.

If you’re working on an annual report for a digital agency or creative brand, start with this template. It has a beautiful design filled with colorful shapes and images. And includes 20 unique page layouts. You can change the colors, fonts, and formatting to your preference as well.
Red and Beige Annual Report Template

The bright and colorful design of this template makes it most suitable for modern marketing agencies and brands. It uses a red and beige color theme across all pages of the brochure. The template has 32 pages in A4 size.
Annual Report Business InDesign Template

Use this InDesign annual report template to create brochures for corporate companies and businesses. The template includes 20 pages with clean layouts and master page designs. It comes in A4 size.
Clean Annual Report Brochure Template

This brochure template is ideal for making a more visual-centric annual report for your business. It has 28 page layouts with many different styles of page designs, including ones that use full-page image backgrounds.
Free School Annual Report Brochure Template

This is a simple and free annual report template you can use to make a very basic report for a school or educational business. It includes 5 page layouts with clean and minimal designs. You can download it in MS Word and Google Docs formats.
Merah – Business Annual Report Word & INDD

Whether you’re a fan of Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Word, you can edit this annual report template using both software. It comes in INDD and Word file formats featuring 24 unique page layouts in A4 size. You can edit and change everything in the template quite easily as well.
Elegant Business Annual Report Template

Use this InDesign template to craft a professional annual report for your corporate agency or company. The template features 15 page designs. You can change the fonts, paragraphs, and even the colors with just a few clicks. The brochure comes in A4 size.
Free Corporate Annual Report Template

This is a free brochure template that’s been designed for creating all kinds of reports, including annual reports. The template comes with a set of highly visual page designs, which you can customize using Adobe InDesign.
Modern Annual Report Word & INDD Template

The clean and aesthetic feel of this brochure design makes it a perfect choice for designing annual reports for modern brands. This template comes in both InDesign and Word file formats. You can customize each page layout to your preference to change colors, fonts, and paragraph styles however you like.
Minimalist Annual Report InDesign Template

If you want to make your annual report look completely minimalist with fewer colors and more focus on its content, this InDesign template is for you. It features 20 unique pages with easily editable layouts. You can customize it using InDesign CS4 or higher.
Agency Annual Report InDesign Template

This is the perfect InDesign template for making annual reports for marketing agencies and brands. The template lets you choose from 20 unique page layouts that are available in A4 size. The colors, fonts, and paragraph styles are also fully customizable.
Creative Annual Report InDesign Template

Grab this InDesign template to make your annual reports look more modern and creative. It comes with a set of modern page layouts that feature colorful shapes and designs. There are 12 page layouts in this template with easily editable designs.
Free Annual Report Word Template

This is a free Microsoft Word brochure template that you can use to make simple and short annual reports. It includes 6 page layouts with editable colors, shapes, and fonts. The template is perfect for quick annual report brochures.
Creative Annual Report INDD Template

This creative annual report template is perfect for modern businesses and agencies for designing attractive brochures. It includes 20 different page layouts you can customize with InDesign. It also comes in A4 and US Letter sizes.
Versatile Annual Report InDesign Template

If you’re looking for a flexible, and multipurpose annual report template, the above-featured product is well worth checking out. It offers a minimal and sophisticated design that is perfect for strictly professional corporate environments.

Here we have a clean, and modern annual report template for Adobe Indesign that can be fully customized to your specific requirements in just a few easy clicks of the mouse. It consists of 20 painstakingly designed pages in A4 size, CMYK color space, 300 dpi, free fonts, and more.
Microsoft Word Annual Report Template

Check out this minimal, and professional annual report template that can be fully modified in Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign. The package includes a 48-page annual report, business card, and letterhead templates. Get your hands on it today.
Premium Annual Report Template

This is a high-quality annual report template that can also be very well used as a magazine, proposal, e-book, and company brochure. If you choose to spend your hard-earned cash on this product, be rest assured that you won’t get disappointed.
Square Annual Report InDesign Template

If you’re looking for an ultra-modern, and unique annual report template, the abeove-featured product is the best bang for your buck. it features a square design, 20 custom pages, 300 DPI, CMYK color space, 3mmbleed, free fonts, and so much more. Grab it now.
Annual Report 28-Page InDesign Template

Another modern annual report template with a multipurpose design. This template comes with 28 different page layouts you can use to craft various types of annual reports. The template is compatible with InDesign CS4 and higher.
Minimalist Annual Report Template for InDesign

If you’re looking for an annual report with a minimal design, this template will come in handy. It features a simple black and white page design for making professional annual reports. There are 20 pages in A4 size.
Annual Report Template for Word & INDD

You can easily edit this template using either MS Word or InDesign to make a professional-looking annual report. It comes with 20 page layouts with paragraph styles, formatting, and editable colors.
Business Annual Report Brochure Template

Use this brochure template to craft a modern annual report for a corporate brand or business. It comes with a stylish and colorful design across 26 different page layouts. The template can be customized with InDesign CS4 and above.
Clean Annual Report Template for Word

This annual report template comes in A4 and US Letter sizes. It’s also available in InDesign and Microsoft Word formats. You can easily edit and customize it to create a clean and simple annual report.
Free Minimal Corporate Brochure Template

This free brochure template comes with a multipurpose design you can use to create all kinds of business brochures and annual reports. It includes 14 unique page layouts with easily editable designs and resizable vector graphics.
Professional InDesign Annual Report Template

Another stylish brochure template for crafting annual reports for modern agencies and businesses. This template includes 20 page layouts with fully customizable designs. You can change the colors, paragraph styles, fonts, and much more to your liking.
Annual Financial Report Template for InDesign

Design a colorful and creative annual report for your brand using this high-quality template. You can customize this template using InDesign to create an attractive annual report for various businesses. It includes 12 page layouts.
Orblack – Annual Report Template

A colorful and modern annual report template for startups and modern agencies. This template comes with all the necessary tweaks and improvements such as automatic page numbering and easy color change using palettes. It includes 15 page layouts.
Global – Business Annual Report Template

As you can see from the preview image, this elegant annual report is suitable for all kinds of businesses and companies. It features a modern and visual-centric design. And comes with 20 page layouts you can easily customize to your preference.
Minimal Annual Report Template

Show off professionalism with this minimalist annual report template. This template is ideal for making an annual report that gives the center stage to its written content. The template features 32 unique page layouts in A4 and US Letter size.
Free Multipurpose InDesign Report Template

This is a free and multipurpose InDesign template. You can use it to craft all kinds of brochures and reports as it comes with easily customizable page layouts. The template is available in A4 and US Letter size.
Colorful Annual Report InDesign Template

Whether you’re designing an annual report or a project report, this template will work well for both purposes. The InDesign template comes with 28 unique page layouts with editable designs. The colors and formatting can be easily customized as well.
Dark InDesign Annual Report Template

If you’re looking for an InDesign template to design an annual report for a high-end or luxury brand, this template will come in handy. It features a dark and elegant color theme that will highlight your business quite well. The template includes 16 page layouts in A4 and US Letter size.

This annual report template is perfect for creative brands and agencies. It features a colorful and stylish design filled with editable shapes and stylish paragraph styles. The template includes 24 page layouts that can be customized with InDesign CS4 and higher.
Annual Report – Creative InDesign Template

Using this beautiful InDesign template, you can create a professional annual report to showcase all the details, stats, and data related to your business. It features a bright and creative design that attracts attention. As well as easily editable page layouts and paragraph styles. The template is available in A4 and US Letter sizes.
Olio – Business Annual Report Template

Another modern and stylish annual report template you can use to create professional business reports. This template includes 25 unique page layouts with fully customizable designs. It’s available in A4 size and comes in both InDesign and Microsoft Word file formats.
Red – Word & InDesign Annual Report Template

If you’re looking to create an annual report with a minimal and a clean design, this template is perfect for you. It features a very professional design with a clean layout. It also comes in Word and InDesign file formats featuring 25 custom page layouts.
Biru – Business Annual Report Template

The color blue somehow has a strong connection to businesses. This template comes with a design filled with a professional color scheme. It also lets you choose from 25 different page layouts to create annual reports in A4 size. Both Word and InDesign file formats are included.
Free Financial Report InDesign Template

This is a free InDesign template you can use to create financial reports for businesses. The template includes multiple page layouts you can easily customize to create annual reports as well.
White Paper Corporate Report Template

Working on a white paper report for a corporate business? Then use this template to create a high-quality brochure. The template features 12 custom page designs in A4 size. You can also customize the colors and styles of the template using InDesign.
Annual Report Modern InDesign Template

This annual report template comes with a modern and stylish design. It’s perfect for creating reports for digital startups, modern businesses, agencies, and corporations. The template comes in A4 and US Letter sizes featuring 28 custom page layouts.
Business Report – Multipurpose Template

A multipurpose and multi-format business report template you can use in many different ways. This template comes in InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, PowerPoint, and many other file formats. You can use it to create business report brochures as well as presentations.

White Paper Company Report InDesign Template

Another creative InDesign template for crafting professional white paper reports for various businesses. This template features a minimal and clean design. It also includes 12 unique page layouts in A4 size. You can easily customize it to change colors and fonts as well.
Free Corporate Business Brochure Template

This is a multipurpose InDesign template that you can use for free. It features 14 unique page layouts. Since the template has a fully customizable design, you can create various types of business brochures, including annual reports, using the template.
Elegant Annual Report InDesign Template

If you’re looking for an annual report template with lots of images and visuals to highlight give a creative look to your brochure, this InDesign template will come in handy. It features 20 unique page designs with images, text, and backgrounds organized in separate layers, making it easier for you to edit the designs however you like.
A4 Annual Report InDesign Template

This modern annual report template comes in both A4 and US Letter sizes featuring 24 unique pages for crafting a complete annual report for your agency or business. The template is compatible with InDesign CS4 and higher.
Company Annual Report Brochure Word Template

With 16 unique page designs to choose from, this template is suitable for making all kinds of annual report brochures using either Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign. The colors, text, and the images in the brochure template are easily editable as well.
Business Plan & Report Word Template

If you’re making a business plan or a projection report in the style of an annual report, this template will help you create a professional brochure showcasing your business or brand. The template includes 16 pages in MS Word and InDesign formats.
Black & White Annual Report Template

This is a highly minimalist annual report template featuring a black and white color design. Although, if you’re not a fan of B&W colors, you can easily change the colors to your preference as well. The template features 36 page layouts in A4 and US Letter size.
Minimal Annual Report InDesign Template

This minimal annual report template is ideal for making corporate and agency brochures. The template features 20 unique page layouts in A4 size with fully formatted designs that can be easily customized to your preference.
Free Annual Report Bi-Fold Brochure Template

This is a free bi-fold annual report template that comes in multiple formats, including MS Word, InDesign, Photoshop, and more. It’s most suitable for making a simple annual report brochure with a summary of your annual report.
Modern Annual Report Template (28 Pages)

A modern annual report template featuring 28 page layouts. This template comes with a multipurpose design that allows you to make various business and corporate reports with ease. You can easily customize it using InDesign.

A creative brochure template featuring a minimal design. This InDesign template is also perfect for making annual reports for modern businesses. The template includes 20 unique page designs in A4 and US Letter sizes.
Multipurpose Annual Report Template

This annual report can be transformed into making any type of annual report for both small businesses and big corporations. The template comes with 30 unique page layouts with fully customizable designs. It’s also compatible with InDesign CS4 and higher.
Modern Business Brochure & Report Template

This modern brochure template is a great choice for designing corporate brochures and annual reports for all kinds of purposes. The template features multiple page designs. And it comes in multiple file formats, including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and even as a PowerPoint presentation.
Free Minimal Business Annual Report Template

Another great free template you can use to create a more detailed annual report. This template includes several page designs with forms and charts for showcasing all the data from your report. The template is available in Apple Pages, MS Word, and Google Docs formats.
Corporate Annual Report InDesign Template

This modern annual report template is most suitable for making brochures for corporate agencies and companies. It includes 16 unique pages in A4 size and it’s compatible with InDesign CS4 and higher.

Another creative annual report template featuring a multipurpose design. This template comes in 2 different color schemes, which you can also easily customize to your preference. It includes a total of 48 page layouts as well.

This simple and clean InDesign template will help you create a modern annual report to showcase your business and progress in a professional way. The template comes with 40 pages and it’s available in A4 and US Letter size.

This modern annual report template comes with 30 unique page designs for creating professional annual reports for different types of businesses. The template is available in A4 and US Letter sizes. You can edit it using InDesign.
Victorio Annual Report Template

A professional annual report template featuring creative page designs with fully layered layouts for easily customizing it however you like. The template includes 30 custom pages and it’s compatible with InDesign CS4 or higher.

A multipurpose brochure template you can download and use for free to create all kinds of business brochures, including annual reports. This template features 14 unique page designs you can customize with InDesign.
Free Modern Corporate Annual Report Template

A modern and minimalist annual report template featuring a clean design. This template comes in both MS Word and Apple Pages formats. The template also includes an easily editable design.
Modern Corporate Annual Report Template

This creative and colorful annual report template is ideal for corporate businesses and agencies, especially for creating reports related to sales and marketing. It includes 30 custom pages in A4 and US Letter sizes.
Material Annual Report Template

This modern annual report template comes with a material design inspired color theme and with a landscape style design. The template features 30 different page designs with drag and drop image placeholders.
Blue Annual Report Template

Another stylish annual report template you can use to craft different types of business-related reports and brochures. The template comes in both A4 and US Letter sizes featuring different photo display options and free fonts.
Corporate Landscape Annual Report

You can design a modern annual report with a landscape design using this stylish InDesign template. It comes with 30 custom designed pages featuring customizable layouts and organized layers.
Swiss Annual Report Template

This annual report template is most suitable for designing reports for corporate businesses and brands. The template includes organized layers, image placeholders, icon fonts, and more.
Free Minimal Bifold Brochure Template

This creative brochure template comes in a bi-fold design, making it a perfect choice for crafting modern annual reports for agencies and creative businesses. The template includes 14 unique page designs in US Letter size.
Free Simple Annual Report Template

Another free annual report template featuring a simple and clean design. The template comes in MS Word and Apple Pages file formats to let you easily customize and edit it to your preference.
Citizen Annual Report Business Template

An annual report template for modern businesses and professionals. This template also includes 30 unique page designs and it’s available in A4 and US Letter sizes.
Business Report Brochure Template

This minimalist business report template can be easily customized to create many different types of reports and brochures. It comes with 12 unique pages with auto page numbers, free fonts, and more.
Dark Business Brochure Template

Design a short and simple annual report brochure using this stylish template design. It includes 12-page designs featuring an attractive dark color theme with organized layers and free fonts.
Creative Annual Report Template

This creative annual report template is perfect for making a document for a marketing or a sales related report. The InDesign template comes with 16 beautifully designed pages and in A4 size. You can also customize the colors with just one-click.
Annual Report Template InDesign

This colorful annual report template is most suitable for businesses related to environment, nature, and non-profits. The template features an attractive design filled with lots of images and colors. It features 30 unique pages and comes in both A4 and US Letter sizes.

Featuring an elegant and a minimalist design, this annual report template will allow you to design an attractive document with up to 18 pages. The document features a grid-based layout, which will allow you to easily expand the content without affecting the layout of the pages.
CorpoBiz – Business Company Profile Template

An annual report template made specifically for corporate businesses and service providers. This template features a multipurpose design that makes it suitable for annual reports, company profiles, proposals, and much more. The template includes 16 pages and 3 different cover designs.
Free Annual Report Template Word

This free annual and business report template comes with a multipurpose design for creating many different types of reports. You can easily download and edit this template using Microsoft Word.
18-Page Annual Report Template

Another minimalist annual report template featuring a minimal and a clean design. This template comes with 18 pages made with a grid-based content layout. You can easily customize this template using InDesign CS4 or better.
Red Annual Report Template

This annual report template is ideal for marketing and promotional related annual reports. It features 32 colored pages in A4 and US Letter sizes. The colors can be easily customized and the images can be replaced via placeholders as well.
Classic Annual Report Template

A clean annual report template featuring a classic black and white design. It features 50 pages with well-organized layers and customizable colors. If you’re looking for a way to stand out and make bold statements, this template will come in handy.

An annual report template featuring a modern design. This template also comes with 20 unique pages in A4 size. You can easily customize the template using InDesign CS4 or better to change colors, images, and text with a few clicks.
Colorful Annual Report Template

This creative annual report template comes with plenty of graphics and visuals, making it ideal for designing a document for a design agency or a web design company. The template includes 30 different pages with unique designs, including paragraph styles and character styles.
Free Word Business Report Template

A professionally designed business report template you can use to make an annual or monthly report related to different types of businesses and services. The template can be customized with MS Word.
Corporate Annual Report Template

Another annual report template made for corporate businesses and agencies. This template comes with 32 unique pages in both A4 and US Letter sizes. It features easily customizable colors and graphics.
Square Annual Report Template

A square-shaped annual report template for those of you who are looking to get creative with their document designs. This template features 28 pages in 210×210 mm size. It can be easily customized with InDesign CS4 or better.
BuilderArch – Construction Company Template

If you’re designing an annual report, a company profile, or a business proposal for a construction company, you can use this template to craft a professional-looking design. The template includes 16 pages with customizable features.
Annual Report Landscape Template

This annual report template features a classic landscape design. It includes 24 pages with a ready-to-print design. You can easily edit the pages to change colors and images with just a few clicks.
Free Yearly Business Report – Word

Another attractive business report template for MS Word. This template comes with a colorful cover page and customizable page designs featuring three headings for breaking down your information.
Gold Hammer – Annual Report Template

This elegant annual report template is perfect for designing a document for a luxury brand or a business. It comes with 30 pages with uncommon designs featuring attractive shapes, graphics, and elements.
Elegant Annual Report Template

An annual report template with a creative design. This template comes with 28 pages for designing reports related to many different types of businesses. It’s compatible with InDesign CS4 or better.
Annual Report Template 2018

This annual report template features a very attractive design that makes it suitable for all kinds of businesses from startups to corporate agencies. It includes 38 pages and comes in A4 and US Letter sizes.
Clean Annual Report Template

This clean and minimal annual report template comes with 32 unique page designs you can use to craft documents and reports for different types of financial and marketing related businesses. It’s available in A4 and US letter sizes.
Free Word Business Report Notebook Kit

This customizable Word template is ideal for designing professional reports for many different types of businesses. The template includes a cover, binder spine inserts, divider tabs, and much more.
5 Tips for Creating an Annual Report
First and foremost, grab a great template to make your annual report look more professional. Then follow these tips to make the content more impactful.
1. Tell a Story
It doesn’t matter if you’re a big corporate brand or a small agency, your annual report shouldn’t look like yet another boring technical document. Every annual report should include some sort of a story to captivate the audience.

By including an interesting story and composing the content around it, you can make your annual report to be more than just a report. Create a narrative or use a specific theme to show the importance of your mission and goals.
2. Use Images, Shapes, and Infographics
Don’t just tell your readers how well you’ve performed throughout the year, show them! Use charts and infographics to visualize and streamline data to make them more interesting.

Also, be sure to add lots of images throughout your document and use shapes to stylize page designs and content formatting.
3. Take Advantage of Color Psychology
Colors play an important role in every aspect of our life. According to color psychology, different colors can be used to arouse different emotions in humans. Use this to your advantage.

For example, if you’re making an annual report for a non-profit organization, use the colors that arouse the emotions of empathy, love, and kindness to make a bigger impact with your report.
4. Show the Human Side of Your Business
An annual report is often considered a technical document used by corporations and multinational companies. You can change that perspective.

Be brave enough to share your brand story and your origins. Tell the audience how your business operates, share a few behind-the-scenes photos, show the human side of your brand and business.
5. Edit to Perfection

Last but not least, edit your report not just once but twice to get rid of all the jargon. Avoid the usual cliches and boastful statements that most companies use and let facts and data do the work for you. Also, use proper formatting to arrange paragraphs, images, and shapes in a way that improves readability.
Be sure to check out our tri-fold brochure templates collection for more beautiful templates.
9 Great Annual Report Examples (And Why They're Great)
Josh breland.

After using Anedot:
Every year, your nonprofit has the opportunity to inform, celebrate, and motivate your community of supporters with a great annual report.
Sadly, many nonprofits struggle to produce an annual report that communicates the hard work and impact of the past year.
Below are 9 annual report examples that will inspire and guide you to your best annual report ever.
9 Annual Report Examples

1. Focus on the Family
View Annual Report
Why this nonprofit annual report is great:

They clearly communicate their mission.

They communicate impact with detailed numbers.

They are transparent with their budgeting and resourcing.

They use social proof (testimonials of impact).

2. Navy Seal Foundation

They use high quality people-centered images throughout.

They include partnerships (logos).

They recognize their top supporters.

3. Charity Water

They keep the report brief (Approx. 5-10 minute read time).

They use limited copy per page (very readable).

4. Samaritan's Purse

They use the power of storytelling to draw in the reader.

→ Learn about the best software for nonprofits in 2021

5. Wounded Warrior Project

6. Midwest Food Bank

They end with a motivating call to action.

→ Learn how to collect cash donations at a food bank !
7. Feeding America

They celebrate their volunteers.

8. Compassion International

They include partnership (logos).

9. Ducks Unlimited

They include partnerships.

They recognize their top volunteers.

80 Community Service Ideas for Nonprofits

Show notes:

How to Listen and Capture Powerful Stories to Grow Your Nonprofit

10 Things You Can Do For Your Ministry Staff (When You Can’t Give A Raise)

7 Ways to Recession-proof Your Church
Related posts.

How to Write a Thank You Letter to Volunteers (With 3 Free Templates)
Discover how to write the perfect thank you letter to volunteers. Learn best practices, tips, and get access to three free thank you letter templates.

How to End Monthly Churn and Boost Fundraising Efforts by 25%
Learn how to build and maintain a monthly giving program that avoids the dreaded churn.

Video Marketing: What Your Nonprofit Needs to Know to Succeed
Learn about the three types of videos your nonprofit needs, along with six tips to get started with video marketing!
Get updates on Anedot's best content
Drop your email and get tips delivered to your inbox every month!
Save time and money with powerful giving tools
Adobe financials
Access our SEC filings, earnings press releases, letters to stockholders, and more.
Adobe SEC filings | Section 16 filings
Choose a fiscal year
Fiscal year 2023
Earnings press release
Earnings script and slides
Earnings transcript
Investor datasheet
Watch webcast
Annual reports
Letter to Stockholders
Proxy Statement
Investor Meeting 2023
Investor meeting slides
Fiscal year 2022
Form S-4 (Figma)
Adobe to acquire Figma
Investor presentation - Adobe’s acquisition of Figma
Financial analyst meeting
Analyst meeting slides
Fiscal year 2021
Financial analyst meeting slides
Fiscal year 2020
Form 10-Q Earnings press release
Fiscal year 2019
Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials
Fiscal year 2018
Adobe outlines growth strategy at Adobe MAX
Fiscal year 2017
Fiscal year 2016, fiscal year 2015, fiscal year 2014, fiscal year 2013.
Intra-quarter update
Fiscal year 2012
Fiscal year 2011.
Adobe Reaffirms Fourth Quarter FY2011 Revenue Target, Restructures to Align Business around Digital Media, Digital Marketing
Fiscal year 2010
Adobe Prices $1.5 Billion of Senior Unsecured Notes
Fiscal year 2009
Adobe Reaffirms Q4 FY2009 Financial Targets
Adobe Provides Preliminary Q1 Fiscal 2009 Results
Fiscal year 2008
Fiscal 2008 Results
Intra-quarter update press release
Proxy Statement Supplement
Fiscal year 2007
Fiscal year 2006.
Language Navigation
How To Write The Perfect Annual Report (With Examples)
Share this:
Many organizations have already started putting together their Year-End Report for their donors, investors, and other stakeholders. Here are 7 steps to writing the perfect annual report that will help your annual report stand out from the crowd:
1. Make it All About Your Donors
One of the biggest newsletter and annual report mistakes that organizations keep repeating in their communications is that they forget to link their donors to the organization’s success.
According to Katya Andresen, non-profit marketeer, a great theme that is showing up lately is putting donors at the centre of the report; making them the hero of your story, and the star of your show. Giving donors the credit, says Katya, makes for an incredibly effective annual report, because you show them that their support really matters. This Annual Report from the Austin Children’s Shelter does a really good job at doing just that!
Always remember to link your donors, and their donations, to your accomplishments. It’s nice to read that Ryan was able to attend 10th grade or that 500,000 trees were planted in the rainforest, but who made that happen? Here are some creative examples of how to improve titles and give credit:
- “Jerry from Brooklyn meets Mikey from the Bronx: how Jerry is helping Mikey get through school and how Mikey is teaching Jerry to stay active”
- “Company sustainability takes on a whole new meaning at Prompt Marketing Inc: planting a tree for every deadline met”
Headlines like these create unison and demonstrate alignment between the values of organizations and the people that support the organization.
You may also want to consider including a donor list in your annual report. If you have hundreds of supporters, Network for Good suggests listing donors in alphabetical order or by donation amount bracket.
2. Balance Between Storytelling and Statistics
A balance between storytelling and statistics is a good approach to take when it comes to drafting your annual report.

Storytelling can provide continuity throughout a report. This Annual Report from Crisis does a really good job at story telling and is worth a look.
3. Subtle Calls-to-Action
Calls-to-action in your year-end report should be subtle. When you’re taking the opportunity to thank donors and share progress, the focus should remain there, but you can also take the opportunity to ask them to keep giving. Here are some creative phrases to encourage donors to keep supporting you:

These aren’t explicit calls-to-action. However, they imply that your organization is hoping for the continued support of donors in the coming years.
Again, DREAM does a great job with this by including and acknowledging their supporters by calling them “team members”. They’re implying that they are achieving something collectively, and that their progress is only as good as every member’s contribution to their common goal.
4. Use Timelines to Highlight Your Milestones
Timelines are a handy visual aid to help communicate monthly and quarterly milestones of your organization. It also encourages designers to keep the information concise. (It’s hard to find a lot of legible text in a timeline.)
Timelines provide continuity to a story or showing a sequence of events. Most organizations have multiple highlights in their year; just writing them out with descriptions can be boring and most readers might not even finish reading the page.

5. White Space Goes a Long Way to Help Eliminate Clutter
Your organization controls what the reader takes away from your Year-End Report. Effective use of white space increases content legibility, promotes interactions between the content and the reader (gets them thinking), and makes your calls-to-action stand out more.
Putting an emphasis on white space will also force you to pick and choose what information to include in your annual report. Too much information will overwhelm your reader and your intended takeaway message might be affected.

There are a couple of free tools that have thousands of templates if design isn’t your forte. Both Adobe Spark and Canva make it easy to design an annual report that looks professional. Canva includes useful templates that are easy to customize for your organization, and it’s free to use.
6. Use Vibrant, Meaningful Images
In DREAM’s Annual Report, the images focused on the children benefiting from their program, and succeeding. Using powerful images like this allows the reader to see what your organization accomplished in a way that words never could. These types of images personalize the reading experience and cr eate an emotional connection for the reader, and leave a lasting impression.

7. Make it Accessible
The last tip for writing the perfect annual report is making sure it makes it into the hands of donors, because what good is a brilliantly crafted annual report if no one reads it?

It’s all about how your organization decides to present what you’ve accomplished and what your definition of success is. The last tip of this guide is to define what your organization considers success. What determines success changes from organization to organization, and it’s important your readers know what success means for you, so they know you’ve gotten there and will they will continue to support your organization to help you get there again year after year.
About the Author : Sumac is part of the Silent Partner Software family, a company dedicated to providing exception software and services to nonprofits. With over 25 years of service, Silent Partner has helped organizations manage over 3 million donors and contacts across the US, Canada, UK, and Europe. Learn more .
Get More Blogs Like This Delivered To Your Inbox!
What does your nonprofit need help with.
Copyright ©2023 Silent Partner Software Inc.
- Privacy Policy
Wait, don't go away empty handed.
Join 50,000 other nonprofits in getting the BEST nonprofit tips, tools, and how-to guides delivered right to your inbox!
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
A Fresh Fall Offer 🍂 Get 5 0% Off for 6 Months. BUY NOW & SAVE
50% Off for 6 Months Buy Now & Save
Wow clients with professional invoices that take seconds to create
Quick and easy online, recurring, and invoice-free payment options
Automated, to accurately track time and easily log billable hours
Reports and tools to track money in and out, so you know where you stand
Easily log expenses and receipts to ensure your books are always tax-time ready
Tax time and business health reports keep you informed and tax-time ready
Automatically track your mileage and never miss a mileage deduction again
Time-saving all-in-one bookkeeping that your business can count on
Track project status and collaborate with clients and team members
Organized and professional, helping you stand out and win new clients
Set clear expectations with clients and organize your plans for each project
Client management made easy, with client info all in one place
Pay your employees and keep accurate books with Payroll software integrations
FreshBooks integrates with over 100 partners to help you simplify your workflows
Send invoices, track time, manage payments, and more…from anywhere.
- Freelancers
- Self-Employed Professionals
- Businesses With Employees
- Businesses With Contractors
- Marketing & Agencies
- Construction & Trades
- IT & Technology
- Business & Prof. Services
- Accounting Partner Program
- Collaborative Accounting™
- Accountant Hub
- Reports Library
- FreshBooks vs QuickBooks
- FreshBooks vs Harvest
- FreshBooks vs Wave
- FreshBooks vs Xero
- Free Invoice Generator
- Invoice Template
- Accounting Templates
- Business Name Generator
- Help Center
- Business Loan Calculator
- Mark Up Calculator
Call Toll Free: 1.866.303.6061
1-888-674-3175
- All Articles
- Productivity
- Project Management
- Bookkeeping
Resources for Your Growing Business
How to prepare annual report for your small business.

To prepare annual reports, small businesses need to provide a complete picture of their performance in the past year, its future goals and comprehensive financial information.
While it’s not mandatory for private companies to prepare annual reports, if you’ve recently formed a corporation , LLC or other business entity, you need to prepare and file an annual report with your state. This report provides important information about your business, including the name and address of the business, its owners and the nature of the business.
What this article covers:
What Are the Components of Annual Report?
What information is in the annual report.
Unlike documents that publicly held companies must produce to comply with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules, state-mandated annual reports are relatively short and straightforward. They usually include basic and operational information such as:
- The name and address of your business
- Business model
- Details of the registered agent
- If it’s a corporation, names and addresses of directors and officers
- Names and addresses of members of an LLC

While it may not be mandatory, small business owners should also include the following components in their annual reports to make it comprehensive. Incorporated companies must include these components in their annual reports.
- An opening letter from the business owner
- Highlights of the past year
- Financial information, including key metrics, results of operations and the financial position
- Notes on financial and accounting data
- Complete information about products and services
- Investor information
- Management discussion
- New product plans and future activities
- Once the annual report has been prepared, external auditors must attest that the financial reports are complete and reliable.
The reports are used by investors , lenders, banks, suppliers, potential customers and employees to assess the financial position of the business and learn of any potential problems, or opportunities.
Individual states require all businesses to update their business information through annual reporting. Annual reports for small businesses list, summarize and record the key activities of the business in the past year and also provide a glimpse of the future. While the templates may be different, the information contained in annual reports is specific.
Business Details
Along with the basic details such as the name and address, most businesses include a description of their business segments that include products and markets served. This section provides readers with basic information of what the company does.
Annual reports also list the managers and key officers, including their backgrounds and business experience.
Highlights and Accomplishments
The yearly business reports should include economic highlights from the past year. This gives the stakeholders in your business an overview of accomplishments and how they line up with your business’ short-term and long-term goals.
A personal message – usually coming from the business owner – discusses activities over the past year, hits and misses with regard to goals and a statement about market conditions.

Financial Information
Financial statements are the mainstay of the annual reports. Usually, businesses attach financial statements to their annual reports, which includes the balance sheet , the statement of cash flows and the income statement . The financial results must be over the past five years or longer as a basis for comparison.
After preparing the annual report for your business, you also need to complete the state form and submit it, either in person or online. There may be some filing fees and other business taxes.
Missing the deadline or failing to submit the annual report to the state can lead to penalties, thus jeopardizing your good standing with the state and even lead to a possible suspension. To ensure that the information included in the annual report is in line with the individual state’s requirements.
RELATED ARTICLES

Save Time Billing and Get Paid 2x Faster With FreshBooks
Want More Helpful Articles About Running a Business?
Get more great content in your Inbox.
By subscribing, you agree to receive communications from FreshBooks and acknowledge and agree to FreshBook’s Privacy Policy . You can unsubscribe at any time by contacting us at [email protected].
👋 Welcome to FreshBooks
To see our product designed specifically for your country, please visit the United States site.
- Google Slides Presentation Design
- Pitch Deck Design
- Powerpoint Redesign
- Other Design Services

- Business Slides
- Design Tips
- Guide & How to's
Annual report design templates and tips: how to tell a great story with financial data in 2023
A memorable annual report needs a lot of time and effort. Do you recall the school report card and its purpose? It served as a reflection. It showed our academic performance during the year. Similarly, a company’s or organization’s performance report has to communicate this. It has to stand out in a clear, easy-to-understand annual report presentation of the company’s values, key business highlights, financial performance, revenue growth goals, and future developments.
Of course, we know how difficult and daunting listing, summarizing, and recording business operations and financial positions can be. That’s why we’ve created an ultimate guide with tips for writing an annual report. So, let’s dive in…
How to write an annual report
The secret to an excellent annual report is simple: just turn the information you include in the presentation into an engaging story utilizing all the available storytelling techniques. From writing content to designing, the tips on how to create an annual report you’ll find in this article will help you increase visibility and bring your annual report game to the next level.
Important steps to take:
Step 1: Decide on the key message
Highlighting your achievements and their impact in an annual report is a great idea. The target audience is interested in learning what you have accomplished so far and why you did it.
In fact, businesses can build credibility and establish lasting relationships with shareholders, investors, and customers by tying their activities and achievements to their mission statements.
Step 2: Structure the report
Choosing what to include and what to omit while creating a yearly report is one of the most challenging aspects of the process. It’s critical to plan the annual report structure and content.
The annual report should include a storyline that establishes the overall framework of the document and organizes the content around a narrative thread, in addition to the fundamental components like the introduction, chairperson’s letter, business profile, and financial statement. This makes it simpler to spot and remove content that does not advance the plot.
Write with clarity, precision, and unambiguity. Keep your tone impartial and professional throughout the entire document.
The annual report’s content must be transparent and truthful, so don’t exaggerate achievements or hide your losses.
Once the writing is done, proofread it for grammar, tone, and spelling.
Step 3: Use a captivating design
A business can utilize a well-designed report as a marketing tool if it is exciting and professional. That’s why readers should be able to scan the document to find the information they require quickly.
Here are some guidelines for an effective annual report design:
- Utilize headers and subheadings.
- Allow room for images, infographics, and other visuals.
- Keep the text brief and simple.
- Use a color palette and fonts that are consistent with your brand.
- Emphasize important areas using colored text bubbles, quotations, and captions.
Pro tip: Prepare in advance
Creating an annual report is a lengthy process requiring an orderly system for logging and tracking information, media clippings, images, and corporate accomplishments. Many businesses craft their annual reports in-house, while others prefer to employ a design agency to ensure their report is structured and designed in a professional way.
What’s included in an annual report?
An annual report is a financial document comprised of four sections covering the critical company’s aspects and appendages. The sections are as follows:
1. Management’s message
Management has a fantastic opportunity to interact with the company’s stakeholders through an annual report. Almost all yearly reports begin with a message from the company’s chairman, primary owner, or CEO, which provides an overview of the company’s challenges, successes, and insights into the growth during the previous year.
Next comes the table of contents.
2. Company profile
The company’s vision and mission statement, information on the directors, officers, registered and corporate offices, investor profiles, the products or services that the company offers, competitor profiles, and risk factors for the company are all included here.
This section can be decorated with team photos and staff testimonials.
3. Management discussion and analysis
The section gives a detailed summary of the company’s three-year performance and includes information about the following:
- Revenue growth
- Changes from past reports
- Profit margins
- Cash flow statement
New product launches, shifts in sales, and marketing can also be covered in this section. The other topics to include are new hires, company acquisitions, and other beneficial information.
4. Financial statements
The financial statements are the most crucial section of the annual report because they show how well the business has performed in the past, its capability to pay off debts, and its future growth plans. The following statements are included:
- Balance sheet
- Current stock prices
- Income statement
- Statement to shareholders
- Comparison as per financial trends (current vs. previous years)
- Grants distributed
The income statement lists the company’s earnings, expenses, and total sales. The balance sheet provides a quick overview of the company’s assets and liabilities. The cash flow statement contains data on cash inflows and outflows.
Additional notes are given regarding each financial component after the financial data. The balance sheet notes include information on capitalized leases and debt insurance. Notes to the cash flow statement usually cover tax payments.
In addition to the financial statements, data about the dividends paid can also be covered in this section.
Other elements to include are as follows:
- Account notes with accounting policy details
- Auditor’s comments on the company’s financials
- Forecasted income and expense disclaimers
- Infographics, photos, and success stories
Now that you know how to write an annual report and its main components, let’s move on to tips on designing an annual report.
Corporate annual report design best practices
1. create a visual hierarchy.
As soon as you get through the content writing phase, you need to consider how you will present the content. Even though chunks of text are unavoidable, given the nature of an annual report, you can separate them with the layout to improve comprehension.

Pro tip: Break up content with white spaces
While the annual report’s design direction prioritizes a minimalist approach, you can employ the same style on specific pages where written content can be condensed and fit inside your visual hierarchy.
2. Choose the right typography
Next, you need to select the appropriate typography based on the report’s context. Despite how insignificant it may seem, the font can have an impact on the readability, design, and even the readers’ mood.
Here’s an example:

Pro tip: Look at the design of your company annual report PowerPoint presentation. Does it evoke positive emotions? If not, it’s time to change the font.
3. Give section breaks
Before each part, give an overview with critical points and stats (using visuals, of course). Not everyone has the time to go through a lengthy report, and most people only skim through them.
By providing a summary, you make sure that people remember your message.
Pro tip: Remember, less is more. Try to condense data to the essentials, not overcrowd slides, as they will look busy and be difficult to read.
4. Add status marks to lists
The use of a consistent icon set can help express the achievement of goals in the most appealing way.
5. Pay special attention to visuals
The visuals you use to communicate your story and present your financial data are just as important as the written words. Similarly to fonts, your choice of infographics, images, and colors will impact how the reader interprets the content.
Some good examples to follow:

Pro tip: Make sure the design of your annual report ppt is in line with your brand and reflects your visual identity.
6. Replace table content with text in shapes
A PowerPoint shape can help make tables look better and easier to edit as you create annual report.

7. Be creative
Experiment with layout, include delightful photos or tidbits, and don’t be shy to move past traditional design boundaries to make your annual report truly memorable.
Some awesome examples to follow:
- Warby Parker’s 2013 annual report
- Flywheel’s 2015 Year in Review
Wrapping up
While that’s quite a lot of information to keep in mind, these content writing and annual report design tips can serve as a reference for you anytime you run into problems with your report’s creation, so don’t hesitate to bookmark this page.
And if you need help bringing your story to life, our creative team will gladly handle it for you. Simply drop us a message or call +1 (347) 464 59 57.
#ezw_tco-2 .ez-toc-widget-container ul.ez-toc-list li.active::before { background-color: #ededed; } Table of contents
Presenting techniques.
- 50 tips on how to improve PowerPoint presentations in 2022-2023 [Updated]
- Keynote VS PowerPoint
- Types of presentations
- Present financial information visually in PowerPoint to drive results

Make an Impact: how to start and how to end your presentation

How to create weekly status report template
- Personalized Reports
{{menu_item.secondary_label}}
Examples – Yearly
These organizations were once in your shoes. view their successful annual reports., religious organizations.

CCF: New Orleans
View report

University of Arizona Hillel

Taylored Ministries

Episcopal Day School San Mateo

Cornerstone Crossroads Academy

Mandel Jewish Day School

National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

Colorectal Cancer Alliance

National Gaucher Foundation

United Way Suncoast

Freedom Tree

- || /content/basf/www/global/en.html || ">Home
- || /content/basf/www/global/en/media.html || ">Media
- || /content/basf/www/global/en/media.html || ">News Releases
- || /content/basf/www/global/en/media.html || ">Events
- Publications
- || /content/basf/www/global/en/media.html || ">Contact
Looking for products?
Go to Product Finder
BASF Group’s EBIT before special items in line with analysts’ consensus in third quarter 2023; outlook for 2023 unchanged
- Sales in Q3 2023: €15.7 billion (prior-year quarter: €21.9 billion)
- EBIT before special items in Q3 2023: €0.6 billion (prior-year quarter: €1.3 billion)
- Cash flows from operating activities in Q3 2023: €2.7 billion (prior-year quarter: €2.3 billion)
- Sales and EBIT before special items in full year 2023 expected to be at lower end of forecast ranges published in July
BASF Group’s sales in the third quarter of 2023 amounted to €15.7 billion, down by €6.2 billion compared with the prior-year period. The decline was mainly due to considerably lower prices, primarily in the Materials, Chemicals and Surface Technologies segments. Higher prices in the Agricultural Solutions segment had a positive effect. In addition, sales performance was weighed down by considerably lower volumes in all segments. “Sales volumes were considerably lower than in the prior-year quarter across all customer industries – with the exception of automotive,” said Dr. Martin Brudermüller, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF, presenting the quarterly figures together with Chief Financial Officer Dr. Dirk Elvermann.
Compared with the prior-year quarter, income from operations (EBIT) before special items declined by €772 million to €575 million. This is in line with the average analyst estimates of €601 million compiled by the analysis service provider Vara Research on behalf of BASF in October 2023. Earnings development resulted primarily from the considerably lower EBIT before special items of the Chemicals, Nutrition & Care, Industrial Solutions and Materials segments. Earnings also declined significantly in Other. The Agricultural Solutions segment increased EBIT before special items considerably, while the Surface Technologies segment slightly increased earnings.
Special items in EBIT amounted to minus €181 million in the third quarter of 2023, mainly due to restructuring measures. At €394 million, EBIT was considerably below the prior-year quarter (€1.3 billion).
Compared with the third quarter of 2022, income from operations before depreciation, amortization and special items (EBITDA before special items) decreased by €780 million to €1.5 billion and EBITDA declined by €892 million to €1.4 billion.
Net income amounted to minus €249 million, compared with €909 million in the prior-year quarter. Besides the lower EBIT, this decline was driven by the overall negative earnings of Wintershall Dea due to special items.
Total assets amounted to €82.6 billion as of September 30, 2023, €1.9 billion below the 2022 year-end figure. On September 30, 2023, net debt amounted to €18.9 billion. This was an increase of €2.6 billion compared with year-end 2022, but a decrease of €1.4 billion compared with June 30, 2023. The equity ratio at the end of the third quarter of 2023 was slightly higher than at the end of the year 2022 and stood at 48.8 percent. “Overall, this demonstrates BASF’s financial strength with a strong balance sheet and good credit ratings,” said Dr. Dirk Elvermann.
Cash flows from operating activities were €2.7 billion in the third quarter of 2023, above the €2.3 billion reported in the prior-year quarter. “This is a remarkable improvement in view of the significantly lower net income,” said Elvermann. Cash released from net working capital improved considerably by €1.2 billion compared with the third quarter of 2022, amounting to €1.9 billion. The improvement was primarily due to the reduction in inventories. Free cash flow totaled €1.5 billion in the third quarter of 2023, after €1.3 billion in the prior-year period.
Savings programs will contribute a total of €1.1 billion annually by 2026
BASF is consistently working on its cost structures to improve its competitiveness, particularly in Europe. At the end of February 2023, the company had announced a cost savings program focusing on Europe as well as the adjustment of Verbund structures in Ludwigshafen.
BASF now expects annual cost savings in non-production areas to reach more than €600 million by the end of 2024 and more than €700 million by the end of 2026. This includes measures related to Europe in the Global Business Services and Global Digital Services units. Additional measures in these two service units in other regions will contribute a further €200 million. Elvermann: “Together with the €200 million in savings from the adaptation of the Verbund structures in Ludwigshafen, we will achieve total annual savings of around €1.1 billion by the end of 2026.”
BASF Group outlook for 2023
In the fourth quarter of 2023, BASF expects production in the global chemical industry to further stabilize. However, the macroeconomic outlook remains extremely uncertain in the current interest rate policy environment and in view of increasing geopolitical risks. Rising raw materials prices in particular could weigh on demand and margins.
Against this background, BASF has maintained its assessment of the global economic environment in 2023 (growth assumptions from BASF’s Half-Year Financial Report 2023; values rounded to half percentage points):
- Growth in gross domestic product: 2.0 percent
- Growth in industrial production: 1.0 percent
- Growth in chemical production: 0.0 percent
- Average euro/dollar exchange rate of $1.10 per euro
- Average annual oil price (Brent crude) of $80 per barrel
The BASF Group’s forecast for the 2023 business year published in the Half-Year Financial Report 2023 also remains unchanged:
- Sales of between €73 billion and €76 billion
- EBIT before special items of between €4.0 billion and €4.4 billion
- Return on capital employed (ROCE) of between 6.5 percent and 7.1 percent
- CO 2 emissions of between 17.0 million metric tons and 17.6 million metric tons
“We meanwhile expect sales and EBIT before special items at the lower end of the respective ranges,” said Brudermüller. If chemical production does not stabilize, there are risks from a further decline in volumes and a stronger price reduction than expected.
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €87.3 billion in 2022. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com .
On October 31, 2023, you can obtain further information from the internet at the following addresses:
Forward-looking statements and forecasts
This release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current estimates and projections of the Board of Executive Directors and currently available information. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of the future developments and results outlined therein. These are dependent on a number of factors; they involve various risks and uncertainties; and they are based on assumptions that may not prove to be accurate. BASF does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained in this release above and beyond the legal requirements.

- PDF (139.5 kB)

- PDF (127.5 kB)
Skip to main navigation
- Email Updates
- Federal Court Finder
Bankruptcy Filings Rise 13 Percent
Published on October 26, 2023
Total bankruptcy filings rose 13 percent, and business bankruptcies rose nearly 30 percent, in the twelve-month period ending Sept. 30, 2023. This continues a moderate rebound after more than a decade of sharply dropping totals.
According to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, annual bankruptcy filings totaled 433,658 in the year ending September 2023, compared with 383,810 cases in the previous year.
Business filings rose 29.9 percent, from 13,125 to 17,051, in the year ending Sept. 30, 2023. Non-business bankruptcy filings rose 12.4 percent to 416,607, compared with 370,685 in September 2022.
Bankruptcy totals for the previous 12 months are reported four times annually.
This is the third straight quarter that total bankruptcy filings have risen, following a decade-plus decline. Bankruptcies fell especially sharply after the pandemic began in early 2020, despite some COVID-related disruptions to the economy.
Even with the recent increases, total filings remain far lower than in September 2010, when filings peaked at just less than 1.6 million.
The following bankruptcy filings statistics tables are available:
- Business and non-business bankruptcy filings for the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2023 ( Table F-2, 12-Month ),
- A comparison of 12-month data ending September 2022 and September 2023 ( Table F ),
- Filings for the most recent three months, ( Table F-2, 3 Month ); and filings by individual months ( Table F-2, July, August, September ),
- Bankruptcy filings by county ( Table F-5A ).
For more on bankruptcy and its chapters, view the following resources:
- Historic caseload statistics data tables
- Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure
- General information about bankruptcy, including Bankruptcy Basics
Related Topics: Bankruptcy Filings

IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
"SOLICITING COMPANY is a private entity." If you are unsure about the legitimacy of a notice you have received related to corporate compliance/annual reports, we encourage you to confirm the information with the Secretary of State for the state listed.
Annual reports, proxies and shareholder letters. Facebook; Instagram; LinkedIn; Twitter; Youtube; Shop Amazon.com
Chairman's Letter Annual reports usually start with an introduction and a letter from the company's chairman, primary owner, or CEO to the shareholders providing a snapshot of the significant developments in the past financial year, company initiatives, and a brief summary of the financials.
An annual report is a document that describes a company's financial condition and business operations for the previous year. Any publicly traded business is required by law to prepare and publish an annual report, which helps current and potential investors decide whether to provide funding.
An annual report is a publication that a public corporation is required by law to publish annually. It describes the company's operations and financial conditions so that current and potential shareholders can make informed decisions about investing in it. The annual report is often split into two sections, or halves.
Create an overview of your market & industry Introduce your leadership team Highlight key projects and say thank you Share your annual report as a link, monitor & evaluate What Types of Annual Report Templates Does Xtensio Have? Your guide to creating a branded annual report for your organization
The increasing value of our partner ecosystem - to our company, our clients, and the partners themselves - is evident. Business with our strategic partners continues to grow with SAP, Microsoft and AWS all over USD 1 billion in revenue for the year. We partnered with Amazon Web Services to deliver IBM software as a service on the AWS ...
An annual report letter to the shareholders, written by the owner or director of the company, which: Is easy to read while being informative. Contains interesting prose while promoting the company. Discusses exciting new developments for use as marketing strategies. Praises the company for its innovative products and services.
This annual report maintains a consistent, gentle color palette and incorporates images, text, and infographics to ensure that the report never becomes static. The report goes beyond annual financial information and includes a corporate profile, a letter to shareholders, a management discussion and analysis, and a 10-year financial review.
A letter from the president or CEO Performance highlights from the preceding year Financial statements Performance and outlook for future years We will briefly go through each item in detail below: 1. Letter from the CEO The letter from the CEO is addressed to shareholders and provides a summary of the company's performance in the previous year.
Steer clear of ambiguous language and present the information in a clear, objective, and informative manner. 3. Use Graphs and Infographics. Your annual report will contain a lot of complex data. Make that data easy to understand by using graphs and infographic elements.
Here's how: 1. Keep your opening message short. I can't emphasize this enough. Short is a few succinct paragraphs, a half page, 200-300 words. Short is not asking your graphic designer to "make it fit," leaving audiences to squint at six-point font. Assume your reader is scanning. Make it easy to read. Use subheadings and bullet points.
An annual report is a document that public corporations must provide annually to shareholders that describes their operations and financial conditions.
Table of Contents What Is an Annual Report Template? What makes a good annual report template 10 Free Annual Report Templates 1. ClickUp Annual Report Template 2. ClickUp Business Annual Report Template 3. ClickUp Annual Report Work Breakdown Structure Template 4. ClickUp Financial Analysis Report Template 5. ClickUp Progress Report Template 6.
Compile all of the information for your annual report. Lay out your annual report so that it's visually appealing. Review and edit your annual report. Distribute your annual report. 1. Brainstorm and create an outline. Before diving in and actually getting to work on writing your organization's annual report, brainstorm and create an ...
A state-required annual report is a short document that explains who owns the company, what products or services it sells, and how to contact the people in charge. Many small businesses file an annual report with their formation state (where they initially registered their company) and any foreign states where they are registered to do business ...
Merah - Business Annual Report Word & INDD. Whether you're a fan of Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Word, you can edit this annual report template using both software. It comes in INDD and Word file formats featuring 24 unique page layouts in A4 size. You can edit and change everything in the template quite easily as well.
Josh Breland Every year, your nonprofit has the opportunity to inform, celebrate, and motivate your community of supporters with a great annual report. Sadly, many nonprofits struggle to produce an annual report that communicates the hard work and impact of the past year.
Reading a company's annual report can help you better understand what you own if you're already invested or help you make a more informed decision about whether to invest in a particular company. For example, the report can tell you: How efficiently a company is managing its debts. How profitable it was year over year.
Letter to Stockholders. Proxy Statement. Investor Meeting 2023. Investor meeting slides. Watch webcast. Fiscal year 2022. Q4. Form 10-K. ... Annual reports. Proxy Statement. Letter to Stockholders. Fiscal year 2006. Q4. Form 10-K. Earnings press release. Intra-quarter update press release. Q3. Form 10-Q.
In contrast, his sister featured on the previous page of the report, found a passion for softball. She wants to become an obstetrician with the support of DREAM's staff and school tutors. Storytelling can provide continuity throughout a report. This Annual Report from Crisis does a really good job at story telling and is worth a look. 3.
April 13, 2023. To prepare annual reports, small businesses need to provide a complete picture of their performance in the past year, its future goals and comprehensive financial information. While it's not mandatory for private companies to prepare annual reports, if you've recently formed a corporation, LLC or other business entity, you ...
Some good examples to follow: Pro tip: Make sure the design of your annual report ppt is in line with your brand and reflects your visual identity. 6. Replace table content with text in shapes. A PowerPoint shape can help make tables look better and easier to edit as you create annual report.
View their successful annual reports and contact Yearly today. See how organizations like yours were once in your shoes. View their successful annual reports and contact Yearly today. ... View report. Colorectal Cancer Alliance. View report. National Gaucher Foundation. View report. All Healthcare Examples. GENERAL. United Way Suncoast. View ...
The purpose of this communication is to inform school systems about the publication of the final rule adopting the 2023 Accountability Manual. A few key points: The final Manual, which was filed on Wednesday, October 25th, is now posted online.The manual is the result of two years of stakeholder feedback, a posted framework in January 2023, and feedback collected from the proposed rule posted ...
The Company is the largest service provider in China's online adult learning market and China's adult personal interest learning market in terms of revenue, according to a report by Frost ...
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration . Annual Opioid Settlement Report - Fall 2023 . The State of Indiana is set to receive approximately $507 million over an 18-year period as part . of a national settlement with opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and . McKesson, and opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.
BASF Group's sales in the third quarter of 2023 amounted to €15.7 billion, down by €6.2 billion compared with the prior-year period. The decline was mainly due to considerably lower prices, primarily in the Materials, Chemicals and Surface Technologies segments. Higher prices in the Agricultural Solutions segment had a positive effect. In addition, sales performance was weighed down by ...
Published onOctober 26, 2023. Total bankruptcy filings rose 13 percent, and business bankruptcies rose nearly 30 percent, in the twelve-month period ending Sept. 30, 2023. This continues a moderate rebound after more than a decade of sharply dropping totals.