annual report assignment sample

Annual Report

We consider an annual report as something that is done yearly. This could be a type of  progress report  for a business to assess its performance over time easily. Companies need to take these reports seriously, as they can be useful in making future business decisions. They could also be used as a reference for assessing what needs to be done to resolve particular issues stated in the report. Begin the process today by browsing through the annual report examples below. 

36+ Annual Report Examples

1. corporate annual report.

• Google Docs

Size: A4, US

2. Financial Report Sample for Small Business Template

3. Annual Sales Report Template

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4. Annual Business Report Template

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5. Annual Report Format Template

Size: (US) 8.5×11 inches + Bleed

6. NGO Annual Report Template

7. Annual Financial Report Template

8. Simple Annual Report Template

9. Annual Sales Report Sample Template

10. Annual Report Template

Size: US, A4

11. Simple Annual Report Template

12. Business Annual Report Template

13. Free Financial Report Template

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14. Free Annual Report Template

15. Free Annual Expense Report Template

16. Annual Report Bookcover Template

• Illustrator
• Apple Pages
• MS Publisher

Size: 91 KB

17. Free Annual Report Cover Page Template

Size: 97 KB

18. Business Annual Report Template

Size: 43 KB

19. Annual Report Bi-Fold Brochure Template

Size: 175 KB

20. Annual Report Tri-Fold Brochure Template

Size: 152 KB

21. Annual Report Flyer Template

Size: 170 KB

22. Company Annual Report Bi-Fold Brochure Template

Size: 99 KB

23. Annual Report Calendar Template

Size: 73 KB

24. Organisation Annual Report Bi-fold brochure Template

Size: 129 KB

25. HR Annual Report Template

Size: 141 KB

26. Health and Safety Annual Report Template

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27. Modern Annual Report Tri-Fold Brochure Template

Size: 165 KB

28. Sample Annual Report

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29. Non-Profit Annual Corporation

30. Annual Sales Report

Size: 51 KB

31. Summary Annual Report

32. Basic Annual Report

Size: 485 KB

33. Annual Credit Report

34. Company Annual Report

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35. Church Annual Report

36. Annual Report Example

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37. College Annual Report

What is an Annual Report?

An annual  report  is a narrative containing information on an  annual plan . These are commonly made available for benefit plan participants. The end of the year often provides this for retirement plans, health insurance, life insurances, and the like.

Purpose of Company Annual Report

Growth is measure through evaluation. A business needs to expand. While many companies are bombarded with financial and performance difficulties, this is how an annual reporting gets into the scene. According to a report  analysis  posted by Small Business Chron,  the purpose of an annual report  is to make sure that the company prepares financial detail all year round. Aside from that, it also highlights accomplishments within that same year. Creating this is beneficial to track records and progress the company has made annually.

How To Write an Annual Report

Report writing  is easy when you know precisely what you are doing. But it also needs writing skills to develop a compelling, informative, and comprehensive corporate annual report. For you to submit a good one, take the time to read through the  lists  of steps below.

1. Highlight the Accomplishments

To begin with, gather the analysis that will help you come up with an of accomplishments. Did the company reach out to more clients? Was there any brand expansion? Always highlight your achievements over the tasks that your team did throughout the year. Remember, you are not writing an  activity report . This is how you can measure if you are still on track with your  mission statement .

2. Avoid Featuring the Administrative Details

Don’t dwell too much on the recent upgrades and latest equipment design that your employees enjoy. However, your yearly report content must solely meet well with your mission, as stated in the previous step. Aside from that, the  formal report  should set aside administrative information. The management shall comply with this part later on.

3. Add the Financial Status

Next, leave a space where you can pen down the finances throughout the year. Lay the background on where the finances went. Part of the annual report is the  financial report , where the budget  is substantial. So, enumerate the bigger and essential items. You can also add a bar or pie chart that visualizes the increase of decrease of expenses within those 12 months.

4. Incorporate Relevant Images and Elements

Report design isn’t entirely necessary. But a modern document will get you more creative. To do this, you can apply photos from your activities. This is especially true during accomplishments; it is heartwarming whenever you can keep pictures that the management can browse through. To make it award winning, you can add your  company logo  on the cover page. This creates a professional-looking document. More so, it enhances your reputation as an organization.

5. Review Your Document

Finish it up by reviewing your  document  from the top. Make sure it is error-free. Or else, this can pose another possible risk. So, proofread your content. Make sure it follows a simple format as you do not need to overdo the application of photos. Generally, you have to make it clean while maintaining your purpose.

FAQ’s

Who typically prepares an annual report.

In many cases, the company hires an expert in copywriting. These experts will develop reports with the data gathered from the company.

What could happen if you do not file an annual report?

An annual report is necessary to make sure that the company exists in the industry. Late filing may be subject to fees. That is why it is substantial.

What is a nonprofit annual report?

A nonprofit annual report is a yearly document that is prepared by nonprofit organizations. It contains a checklist and other fundamental information.

Every company wants to develop a good performance and standard in the industry. While it can be tough to record the pitfalls and accomplishments day by day, summarizing this can be done through an annual report. To make an evaluation report that is clear and informative, follow the steps above. So, when do you start? Now is the time to collect information to come up with a comprehensive yearly output.

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Top 10 Annual Report Summary Templates with Samples and Examples

Sapna Singh

“We read hundreds and hundreds of annual reports every year,” this answer from Warren Buffet, (CEO, Berkshire Hathaway), when asked about the secrets of his investment success, speaks volumes about the importance of an annual report in the ‘life’ of a company. If the world’s most successful investor, Buffet, reads it, then it has to be important.

In fact, Buffet has also spoken at length on why your annual report is an important piece of content. It is a thorough report outlining your company's operations for the previous year. It provides users, such as shareholders or potential investors, with information about the company’s operations and financial performance.

When you create a compelling annual report, you’re showing the stakeholders  that their investment is worthwhile. It garners the goodwill of shareholders, and reminds your team of the importance of what it does.

Annual Reports can be lengthy documents. For example, Bank of America published a 214-page annual report in 2017. It included 180-odd pages of financial discussion and statistical tables. Unsurprisingly, many shareholders and even investors aren’t sure what parts of an annual report are the most important and why. Analyzing an entire annual report can take an entire day.

Don’t spend too much time on numbers and charts in annual reports. It is a good idea to read about the company’s financial results in its earnings report, but this is, generally, a relatively short document. This blog helps you focus your energy and effort as SlideTeam has complied an extensive guide on Annual Report Summary Templates to cover all operations and financial scenarios in an organization. These PPT Presentations and One-Pager Documents help present the most credible source of information for your business, the Annual Report, in a version that suits investors. They may choose which area of your business they would want to study in detail.

The summary highlights key points so that the reader doesn’t need to read the entire report. It’s rare, even for experienced stakeholders or investors, to read an entire 200-plus page annual report cover-to-cover. Check out this set of templates to get the opportunity for outreach and investment promotion .

Discover the essential financial summaries you need to comprehend the performance and potential of your business.

Template 1: Sales and Marketing Summary Annual Report

A sales and marketing report gives you a thorough overview of your business’s sales activity. Use this PPT Sample to deliver a stunning presentation for an annual report. This comprehensive deck contains all the information you'll need to use in your report and emphasize the company's financial position, income statement, goals, and plans. The core of a sales and marketing activity is presented in this presentation template, which is more than just a dry document full of statistics and justifications. Use sales report template to gain impactful, insights about your company. Get it now!

Download now!

TEMPLATE 2: Long- and Short-Term Target Annual Report Summary

Present your annual report on the operational and financial performance of the company for the previous year using this PPT Template. Use this template to demonstrate its business successes to stakeholders over the course of a lengthy or brief process. All summaries are included in this deck, including long-term goals and objectives, global business opportunity and keys to business growth, overall business financial highlights and future insights etc. The most advantageous operational model is also hinted at in this useful presentation template tool. Download it now!

TEMPLATE 3: Annual Report Executive Summary Template

Your executive summary should give an overview the annual report. It takes time and multiple drafts to extract useful, relevant information. You can confidently summarize financial information for your company’s shareholders, clients, and other investors with this template. This template focuses on annual turnover, key clients, the number of offices and employees, business operations mapping, the organization's mission, vision, and values, the volume of the company’s activity. Create a fantastic summary of the business's accomplishments, including metrics used in sales, marketing, operations, etc. Download this complete deck to streamline your company's operations.

TEMPLATE 4: Marketing Summary Annual Report

Use this PPT template to discuss marketing tactics and channels your company has used to increase sales and produce revenue from a variety of products and channels. This report concentrates on proper KPIs to increase revenue and track advancement. With a comparison of marketing and operational costs, thorough income statements, and marketing strategies like niche marketing and event sponsorship for advertising, you can highlight the revenue generation in your business. To get a bird’s eye view of your company, download this presentation template.

TEMPLATE 5: One-Page Department Annual Report Summary

Sharing specific updates on the activities of departments with staff members, trustees, and other stakeholders can be incredibly difficult. To address them all at once, use our carefully-curated One-Pager Document. This template is the best possible tool to include details of departments in a comprehensive annual assessment report. This one-pager includes an annual summary for the HR, IT, finance, sales, and marketing departments. Use this aesthetically pleasing and simple-to-read document to summarize the annual activities of your companies. Grab this flexible design and check departmental performance.

TEMPLATE 6: One-Pager Annual Report Executive Summary

This one-page PowerPoint Template executive summary allows you to present company information in a concise, understandable manner. It gives you room to outline the main achievements of the business as well as its present situation. Use it to attract quality funding based on the company’s current financial standing. Get it now!

TEMPLATE 7: Summary Page of Annual Report Analysis

Use this one-page PowerPoint slide to summarize the company’s financial activities over previous years. Deploy this PowerPoint Template for a company overview to communicate the business’s operations, finances, and management’s viewpoint. With metrics to assess EBITDA, earning per share (EPS), efficiency ratio, and other financial performance indicators, this template sheds light on your organization's financial performance over the previous 10 fiscal years. This year-end financial template includes pie charts, bar graphs, and line graphs that can be altered to meet the organization's unique needs.

TEMPLATE 8: Summary Page of Annual Report Structure

The annual report is one of the most crucial financial documents your company produces. Use this one-page infographic to share pertinent details with all prospective investors or shareholders. This annual report structure PPT template can help you communicate management principles to your audience. The company’s overview, management message, income statement, balance sheet, annual reports financials, etc. are all included in this pre-made graphic. Use this template to provide information about your company on a single page. Get it now!

TEMPLATE 9: Summary Page Of Agency Recruitment Annual Report

Use our one-pager PowerPoint Template to give an in-depth rundown of your agency’s hiring procedure. This PPT infographic summarizes statistics relating to hiring effectiveness and business overview over the fiscal review. Private employment agencies can use this pre-designed template to make a compelling sales case to hiring managers and job seekers. Sections like ‘Business overview ‘Latest trends in the recruitment market’; ‘Staff sourcing information,’ and others. This PPT Slide is practical and prepared for use with appropriate adjustments. Grab this template to connect with recruiters and job seekers.

TEMPLATE 10: One-Pager Retail Company Annual Report Summary

Retail businesses can use this One-Pager PPT Template as a helpful tool to reflect on their annual business progress. Include this slide to present company summary, M&A synergy information, significant business highlights, risk and mitigation strategies, etc. You may even key-in your own details. Download now and take a step forward toward achieving your business goal.

Upgrade your report game

Most annual reports are not even opened, let alone read. Providing a summary report gives all key points relevant for stakeholders. For this, you must comprehend the data to capture it accurately when writing the report’s summary. Explore the 10 Annual report summary templates.

PS: Check out our guide  to use the ready-to-use annual report PowerPoint Template to create a visually engaging report to shareholders and make the most of your annual report presentation.

FAQs ON ANNUAL REPORT SUMMARY

What is the purpose of an annual report.

An annual report is compiled to let stakeholders and potential investors get an insight into a business. It is the most thorough way for a company to communicate with its stakeholders. This report is the best tool to find out everything you need to know about a company, including its past, present, and future prospects as well as its financial performance in detail as shown in financial statements, corporate governance, and CSR initiatives . It helps in reviewing the year's operations and present the company's outlook and prospects for the ensuing year. A company is required to deliver this report every year to all shareholders.

What are the four components of an annual report?

An annual report  is a detailed, all-inclusive summary of a company’s accomplishments and financial results from the previous year. Following are the primary components of an annual report:

A) Financial Statements :

It is an essential part of an annual report and provides a thorough breakdown of the gains or losses over a fiscal year. The difference between total revenue and cost of goods sold, or gross profit or loss, is displayed in the first subsection of the income statement.

B) Management overview :

The introduction section contains the chairman’s statement and the director’s report. It also includes a summary of the financial situation’s results and composition of the Board Of Directors (BOD).

C) Corporate financial data :

It displays an organization's financial stability. External stakeholders use it to evaluate the overall state of an organization as well as its financial performance and market value.

D) Notes to financial statements :

To make financial statements more understandable, notes to the these provide additional details. Accounting practices and uncertainties that might obscure a company’s assets and liabilities are also explained in this section.

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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.

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Free End of Year Report Templates

By Joe Weller | August 20, 2019

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An end of year report provides key information about a company’s performance and can help with strategic planning. Here, find the top annual report templates — all of which are free to download — and learn how to write a year end report.

Included on this page, you'll find a variety of free, helpful templates, including a simple year end report template , an annual financial report template , details on how to write an end of year report , and tips for writing an end of year report .

Simple Year End Report Template

This is a simple annual report that provides the basic sections: title page, executive summary, table of contents, annual financial report, and conclusion. The template comes with pre-built tables for you to add financial totals, but you can also customize the tables to include more in-depth financial information, or insert a separate financial report. Additionally, the conclusion provides space for an auditor’s report, if necessary. 

Download Simple Year End Report Template

Word | PDF | PowerPoint

Annual Financial Report Template

This template provides an in-depth breakdown of your organization’s financials for the previous and reporting years, so you can see changes in fiscal health over a one-year interval. The template includes a table with space to input revenue, operating expenses, operating profit, net profit, and tax, as well as room to add other budget metrics. The Excel version will automatically calculate totals, and you can easily cut and paste this template into your larger, written year end report.

Download Annual Financial Report Template

Excel | Word  

Annual Business Report Template

This simple spreadsheet template provides a detailed view of your company’s financials over time. Enter your planned revenue and expenses by month, and then track those estimates against actuals for the year. This template separates income from expenses, so you can clearly view cash flow, which enables you to get an accurate 12-month snapshot of your business finances. 

Download Annual Business Report Template

Excel | Smartsheet

Annual Sales Report Template

Use this annual sales report template to report on sales data from the past year, and also break down finances into monthly and quarterly activities. In addition, you can use this template for future planning by reviewing previous monthly and quarterly sales trends. Insert this sales report — available in a spreadsheet style — into a larger financial or year end report, so stakeholders can gain insight into the specifics of your sales figures. 

Download Annual Sales Report Template - Excel

Annual Marketing Report Template

This is a formal template for reporting on marketing department activities over the course of a year. The template includes an editable title page, a table of contents, an executive summary, and a conclusion page, as well as a comprehensive financial report. Input quarterly planned and actual costs, and the table will automatically calculate fiscal totals. Attach any supplemental material directly to the template, and then present this full scale marketing report directly to stakeholders. 

Download Annual Marketing Report Template

Word | PDF | PowerPoint |  Smartsheet

Department Year End Report Template

Use this Excel spreadsheet to create an annual financial overview of any department within your organization. Simply input details about every project (deliverables, client, etc.), the planned versus actual costs, and total income, and the template will automatically calculate the total net income. You can edit this template to fit the needs of a particular department, be it sales, marketing, or IT, and you can easily cut and paste it into a larger written document. 

Download Department Year End Report Template - Excel 

Annual Expense Report Template

Use this annual expense report template to document all profits and losses over the course of a year. The template includes sections to list revenue, reductions, and expenses (including professional services, banking and finance, general business, vehicle/travel, and taxes) in monthly intervals, and then combines totals to provide a full annual budget report. Once you’ve entered your totals for each month, a built-in, color-coded graph will depict gross profit, total expenses, and profit and loss. You can find additional templates in our collection of free expense report templates .

Download Annual Expense Report Template - Excel

Nonprofit Annual Report Template

This is a formal, comprehensive annual report template intended for nonprofit organizations. The template includes pages to reiterate mission statement, note all significant accomplishments, relay targeted impact stories, and list notable donors. Additionally, it provides an in-depth financial overview in a spreadsheet layout — simply add quarterly income from foundation grants, corporate and individual contributions, government contracts, and other donations, and then calculate tax, expenses, and other losses to provide an accurate annual financial summary.

Download Nonprofit Annual Report Template

Additional Project and Financial Tracking Templates

In this section, you’ll find additional templates that may assist in your annual reporting efforts, including a variety of financial planning and budgeting templates, a cash flow statement, project planning templates, and more.

Client Projects and Budget Overages Template

This comprehensive budgeting template tracks client projects (including individual tasks) with emphasis on planned versus actuals in labor, materials, and other costs (i.e., travel, equipment, and fixed costs). The template will then automatically calculate actual costs (which you can compare against planned costs) and produce a color-coded over/under balance. Use this template over time to improve budget planning and become more realistic when projecting client costs. 

Download Client Projects and Budget Overages Template

Monthly Billing Statement Template

Use this simple billing statement template to invoice any clients for services completed in the past month. Simply list the date, type of service provided, the invoice number, and balance due, and send the sheet to your customer to square away any outstanding payments. If applicable, you can also include remittance information, or edit the template to reflect weekly, quarterly, or annual billing, as appropriate. 

Download Monthly Billing Statement Template - Excel

Upcoming Projects Template

This is a simple project tracker template that you can use to list, track, and manage multiple projects. Document the status, priority, and deadline of each project, and then list information about each sub-task (description, assignee, deliverable, cost, percentage complete, etc.) as child rows. This template is useful for managing and reporting on projects within a portfolio, or when you simply need to track multiple projects simultaneously. 

Download Upcoming Projects Template - Excel

Income Statement Template

This simple income statement template functions as a budget report. Note total income, cost of goods sold, and total expenses (broken down into categories such as wages and benefits, rent/mortgage, utilities, web hosting, insurance, etc.). The Excel template automatically calculates the total net income to give you a high-level snapshot into your organization’s financial position. 

Download Income Statement Template

Balance Sheet Template

Businesses can create a balance sheet to provide a full financial overview by documenting all assets and liabilities. This balance sheet template prompts you to list all current and fixed assets and liabilities as well as the owner’s equity. Once complete, use the balance sheet as a summary of complicated financial data and share it with investors and other stakeholders. 

Download Balance Sheet Template

Cash Flow Statement Template

A cash flow statement documents the net flow of cash into and out of an organization, which is useful for analyzing overall business performance and aiding in financial planning. This simple cash flow statement template includes space to list beginning balance, cash receipts, cash payments, cost of goods sold, operating expenses, and other expenses, and then provides totals for total cash payments, net cash change, and monthly cash position. To learn more about these statements by reading “Free Cash Flow Statement Templates.”

Download Cash Flow Statement Template

Year End Reporting

A year end report , also called an annual report or end of year report , details an organization’s activities throughout the preceding year. The report typically communicates overall company performance, financial information, and other key performance indicators (KPIs) . Publicly-held companies must submit a year end report as part of their legal accountability to shareholders.

Collecting — and then interpreting — data on an annual cadence allows companies to reflect on their performance over the past year. This information is essential for making future projections, adjusting goals and timelines, and identifying any inefficiencies and areas for improvement. Annual reports can be intended for internal or external (stakeholder) use.

A year end report is different than a project management office (PMO) report , which is a document that a department creates to assess the performance or status of an individual project or group of projects.

All told, an annual report functions similarly to a school report card, taking into account various performance data and evaluating that data from multiple points of view. In addition to creating a year end report, you may choose to create quarterly or monthly reports in order to get a lower-rage view of performance.

Year End Payroll Reports

Use a year end payroll report to reconcile all the payroll information from the previous year. To create a year end payroll report, compile employee identification details (address, position, SSN, etc.), as well as all salary, benefits, and tax and deduction information. This report can fit in with an annual financial report and help plan the personnel budget for the upcoming year.

Benefits of a Year End Report

At its core, a year end report provides organizations an opportunity to evaluate their overall performance and reflect on the past year. The information in an annual report provides insight into what is and isn’t working, and therefore can prompt companies to reconsider their approach in multiple categories (operations, finance, hiring and staff retention, marketing, customer retention, etc.).

Additionally, creating a year end report will allow you to do the following:

• Make data-informed decisions for the future. 
• Identify overages by comparing estimates and actuals in a project budget, timeline, and employee time (to ensure you aren’t over or under-working your teams).
• Gain an understanding of how you spend resources. 
• Gain insight into staff and faculty success.
• Build organizational culture by demonstrating accountability and accuracy in reporting.

A year-end report can also double as marketing material — or at least serve as a jumping off point. Simply use the insights gained or data collected as content for public-facing materials.

How to Write an End of Year Report

Although annual reports may vary based on the industry or audience (i.e., internal or external stakeholders), a typical report — which should be a formal, written (typically Word or PDF) document — will include the following sections:

• Executive Summary: The executive summary presents an overview of the entire year end report. Clarify the purpose of the report (audience, intent, etc.), and provide a brief summary of the contents to follow. For more information on this section of the report, read "How to Write an Effective Executive Summary to Yield Results .”
• Total Projects Delivered: In this section, document the total number of accomplished projects. This KPI can reveal a lot about your organization’s efficiency and processes, but make sure to include context along with the numbers (i.e., project duration, complexity, etc.).
• Project Deliverables: The number of projects completed means little without context. Use this section to discuss the specifics of each project, from the deliverables to the client relationship, project scope, and how the project budget and schedule performed against estimates. Call attention to successes, but also own any failures or areas for improvement. Additionally, note both the tangible and intangible benefits of each project deliverable. 
• Full Financial Overview: This section is one of the most important — especially for publicly-traded companies. You must include an income report, a balance sheet, and a cash flow statement, as well as a written summary of any big financial changes.
• Accountant Perspective: In some cases, you may also be asked to include an auditor’s report. An accountant can provide an external, unbiased review on the financial and operational health of the company, which is especially useful (and sometimes necessary) for public companies.
• Operations Overview: Provide a description of your operations to flesh out the financial report. This section can provide context for the numbers, and offer an explanation of any net losses or overages. Sometimes, you can include the operations summary as part of the financial report. 
• Conclusion: Write a formal conclusion in which you reiterate the key points of the annual report.

Tips for Writing a Year End Report

Regardless of your industry, you should adhere to the following best practices when compiling your end of year report:

• Know Your Audience: Is the report intended for internal or external viewers? The answer to this question determines the aim of your report (i.e., are you trying to motivate internal change or drive external actions such as increasing sales, promoting your brand, or reassuring stakeholders?). Understand your audience’s needs and anticipate questions or objections they may have. Even if multiple parties will be reading your report, focus on the key recipients, rather than attempting to cater to everyone’s needs. 
• Get to the Point: Before you start writing, ensure everyone is clear on the report’s objective(s). Identify what you’re trying to achieve and make your point(s) clearly and concisely. The data you include should speak for itself (or require minimal explanation and written analysis), and only include support material if absolutely necessary.
• Pay Attention to the Writing Itself: A strong annual report does more than simply relay facts and figures. For maximal impact, approach the report as a piece of writing, and therefore pay attention to tone, style, and writing quality. At minimum, focus on crafting simple sentences and using strong, active verbs. Use literal (rather than abstract) language, avoid cliches and jargon, and steer clear of confusing imagery or mixed metaphors. The writing doesn’t have to be bland, though. In fact, you can use the annual report as an opportunity to showcase your brand’s voice and personality.
• Be Sincere and Accurate: Remember the overriding goal of your report is to communicate information. Make objective, accurate claims, and don’t try to impress readers or be overly optimistic. 
• Pay Attention to Quality: Regardless of your audience, remember that an end of year report is a formal document. Take your time, write multiple drafts (experts recommend at least three), and engage multiple editors to ensure quality of both writing and data presentation.
• Be Intentional about How You Communicate Information: Format the report logically (for a general guide of how to structure the report, read the section above). Additionally, look for opportunities to communicate complicated data visually; for instance, with infographics or visual dashboards.
• Be Proactive: Get in the habit of producing a year end report — even if nobody requests one. This way, you’ll be prepared in the event of a last-minute stakeholder demand, and will also have ample experience culling company data into a report. Regularly and reliably creating year end reports is an easy way to build accountability and trust with stakeholders and customers.
• Build a Process for Collecting Data: Institute a process for collecting data to ensure that you produce regular, timely annual reports. Doing so will greatly ease the experience of writing a report since you’ll only need to compile the data and add written context, rather than mine information in a last-minute scramble.

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11 annual report design examples and how to design your own (with template)

But the report isn't just fun and creative—it also tells a story. It says, "Not only are we confident in our performance and our brilliant communication, but we also care deeply about our customers and the world at large." How does it do this? Through bold, colorful statistics about employee benefits and the company's social justice efforts.

The primary purpose of an annual report is to analyze your organization's performance over the year, but it's also an opportunity to share your brand's identity with stakeholders, whether those be customers or investors. After looking through dozens of reports, I unpack my favorites below, as well as how to live up to their caliber.

11 captivating annual report examples

The following organizations have proven that annual reports aren't just a bunch of numbers to nod and smile at.

1. 2022 Everlane Impact Report

For sustainable fashion retailer Everlane, it's just as important to communicate ethical goals and accomplishments as it is to report on financial success.

From a design perspective, natural tones dominate the report, echoing the brand's commitment to eco-friendliness. No hot pinks or neon turquoises in sight—just forest greens, deep-sea blues, earthy browns, and other natural tones. Overall, the report successfully models how to use design to communicate brand image.

If your brand is committed to an ethical cause, be transparent about how you're tracking toward that cause.

Keep your color scheme consistent with your brand image.

2. The Trevor Project's 2020 Annual Report

The report uses large headers, bullet points, highlights, and strategic bolding to present how they're working to innovate, educate, and advocate for young members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Not all data evokes sunshine and butterflies, and The Trevor Project's report uses a clean, streamlined design to keep the focus on what matters most to them.

Keep copy light and succinct wherever possible.

Call attention to your most important points through bolding, headers, and bullet points.

3. Mailchimp's 2020 Annual Report

The report highlights the company's success statistics, philanthropic efforts, fun facts, and some customer case studies, creating unique, colorful worlds for each of these sections.

Mailchimp is known for innovative communication solutions, and their annual report design is no exception. Overall, the company reminds us that business and fun don't have to live in totally separate realms.

Implement interactivity to keep your readers engaged.

If doing so aligns with your brand image, creatively convey data using color and animation.

4. USAA's 2021 Annual Report to Members

The report's Business Snapshot page is inspiring and professional, using large text and bolding to communicate some of the organization's must-know stats from the year. Even if you didn't read the text on the page, the color scheme alone makes it clear that USAA is a military-serving institution.

The report also includes a timeline walking through how the organization has grown over a century—a feature that, for obvious reasons, makes an impact. Not too many brands can boast a hundred years of serving their customer base.

The report's imagery evokes an emotional reaction, depicting tender moments between servicemembers in uniform and their families. All in all, the report's endearing photography, bold typography, and use of colors associated with the military (like deep navy blue) effectively communicate USAA's mission.

If your organization has a long history, use that to your advantage with timelines.

5. adidas Annual Report 2020

The user's entire browser transitions with every scroll, each view summarizing a key takeaway and offering a link to additional details. This keeps things simple for the user while still making all important information easily accessible.

a didas is known worldwide for its influence in the athletic footwear and clothing industry, and its report's bold use of red and black, as well as its moving imagery, echo this reputation.

If relevant, include photography of your audience or market.

Get creative with UX both in your report's landing page interface and in any supplemental tools you share.

6. Google Diversity Annual Report 2022

You may think that Google, being one of the most successful tech giants in the world, doesn't have much growing to do. But their report's tone suggests they do—and they're working to improve every day.

Much like adidas, Google summarizes its most important efforts and wins while offering a link to a more extensive PDF report. Through and through, the report is clean and easy to digest.

In a unique take on the letter from leadership, Google's report embeds a video in which Chief Diversity Officer Melonie Parker discusses the company's progress in hiring and creating products with diversity in mind.

Overall, the report's clean, clear, and data-driven design speaks to the company's mastery of technological expertise and human communication alike.

Keep your voice and tone consistent with your brand image while aiming to sound human and approachable.

Use creative content formats (like videos) to communicate with your audience.

7. Conservation International's 2021 Annual Report

The report's cover reads: "Not a moment to lose," followed by the deadlines the world has to get its act together. In a brilliant continuation of this theme, the report shows page numbers in a digital stopwatch format, as if each page represents a second in the countdown toward climate disaster.

Anxiety inducing? Yes. Effective? 100%.

The report also incorporates breathtaking photography of nature and wildlife, showcasing what the organization aims to protect.

Design a cover that grabs your readers' attention from the start.

Evoke an emotional response using real-life photography.

8. World Bank's 2023 Annual Report

The report leans heavily on storytelling photography that humanizes the brand and the ideas within the report. It does an excellent job presenting its achievements as well as its mission to support countries in times of crisis, help develop their infrastructure, and improve the quality of education and health care worldwide. The cover and the first few pages tell a story that I didn't expect from a government entity. I expected pages oversaturated with charts, a heavy focus on revenue, and very little relatability. Instead, they managed to change my perspective on the organization almost immediately.

When bureaucracy is the name of the game, design and engaging content usually take a backseat. This is a mold that World Bank manages to defy and reshape.

Use your report as an opportunity to debunk any common misconceptions about your brand.

Speak to your achievements as simply and directly as possible.

9. Habitat for Humanity's 2022 Annual Report

Habitat for Humanity also goes the extra mile with its delivery, providing both a downloadable file and a dynamic webpage that highlights key points from the full report. This gives busy stakeholders access to an overview that they can quickly digest.

Get creative with your report delivery method. Highlight the most important points from the report through interactive or dynamic webpages.

Prioritize real stories and examples, as they create a personal connection with the reader, making your brand more approachable.

10. Salesforce's 2022 Annual Report

I was particularly impressed with its clever use of margins—instead of filling up the void with colors and shapes that may or may not stimulate the reader, Salesforce filled the space with achievements and stats instead. These little nuggets of information are eye-catching, effectively summarize important contents, and keep the reader engaged.

Keep the report's style and color scheme consistent with your branding and public image.

Make use of otherwise empty space on the page to deliver key information in digestible pieces.

11. Subaru's 2022 Integrated Report

Sure, it's packed to the brim with information, but its presentation, utilizing charts, graphs, and creative roadmaps, keeps stakeholders engaged.

Be flexible in how you communicate information—it doesn't have to be a wall of text.

Annual report template

It's one thing to be impressed by an annual report—it's another thing to create one. I had my designers put together an annual report template that you can use as a foundation to build your own.

How to design an annual report

If you want to impress your audience with your annual report, you can't cut corners. Here are some tips on how to live up to the above examples.

1. Include all relevant sections

Before worrying about your report's look and feel, confirm it contains the following sections:

Letter from the CEO or other leaders: This is leadership's opportunity to briefly tell stakeholders your organization's story and summarize some key wins, as well as what's to come moving forward.

Table of contents: Annual reports tend to be 30+ pages long, but nobody has time to read an entire report from cover to cover. Make things easier for your readers by including navigation like a menu or a table of contents.

Organizational overview: Hopefully, you spent more than five minutes developing your organization's mission statement. Now's your time to share some highlights about who you are and what you do with your stakeholders.

Financial summary: Every annual report should include the organization's financial statements, breaking down your profits or losses over the year for stakeholders and potential investors.

2. Captivate with the cover or landing page

Your report's cover should tell a visual story that grabs the reader's attention and sets the tone for the rest of the report.

While many of the above reports execute this well, I'd argue Conservation International's cover edges out the others. It ropes readers in with nothing short of a stark warning, then proceeds to lay out what they're doing to protect the Earth (and what still needs to be done).

3. Include data visualizations

Even educated professionals and subject matter experts prefer organized, color-coded charts and graphs to numerical data that reaches the nth row of an Excel spreadsheet. This holds especially true for potential investors who may know very little about your industry.

Of course, it's important to implement data visualizations in moderation and to add context to the ones you include, keeping your report readable and accessible to everyone.

4. Implement interactivity

Have you ever listened to a tour guide talk about an exhibit for 20 minutes without asking the audience any questions? I almost have, but I fell asleep after 15.

When something encourages action, it's more likely to hold a user's attention. Mailchimp's report integrates a moving character, pop-ups, clickable elements, and mini-games to keep the user scrolling and engaged.

5. Bring attention to what's important

An annual report's format and structure should call attention to its key points. Your goal shouldn't be to fill every bit of white space with text. Add a summary page before each section highlighting what's to come. Use large fonts, color, and bolding to call attention to your organization's most impressive stats.

6. Surprise your readers

While stylistic consistency is important, don't be afraid to mix up your formatting frequently throughout your report. A sudden color shift, a fresh new data visualization, or a cover page with a lot of empty space can keep readers engaged and wondering what's to come. Nobody likes a boring report—surprising elements can add some excitement while still telling your brand's story.

Corporation vs. non-profit annual report design

Your annual report design should look different if you're a non-profit than if you're a corporation. Non-profits are heavily mission-focused and should aim to fundraise with their annual report design, perhaps using emotional imagery and inspiring goals. Corporations, on the other hand, should center their reports around their progress toward profit goals and should command the attention of investors.

Regardless of what type of organization you are, remember to leverage your strengths in your report. Do you have a long history like USAA does? A timeline of your progress over the years could be a powerful visual. Do you operate in several countries? Consider adding a map that illustrates your expansiveness.

Streamline reporting with automation

Annual reports pose an opportunity to get creative with how you communicate your brand's identity, but they also serve an important purpose: impressing your audience. As you get started, remember to strike a balance between creativity, content, and clarity.

Related reading:

This article was originally published in September 2022 and has since been updated with contributions from Hachem Ramki. The most recent update was in October 2023.  

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Luke Strauss

Based in sunny San Diego, Luke is a digital marketer with 3+ years of experience developing and executing content strategy for eCommerce startups and SaaS enterprises alike—Airtable, Zoom, and yes, Zapier—to name a few. When he isn’t diving into a keyword research rabbit hole, you can find him at a music festival, thrifting, or spending time with his friends and family.

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How To Write An Annual Report

Here is our guide to help you write your annual report, complete with industry-focused toc's. bonus section: deep-dive on the executive summary., introduction to annual reports.

• Establish a style guide: This is especially important when various people are working on writing and editing the report. A style guide prescribes language and tone of voice, but also serves consistency with rules for date formats, capitalization of words, hyphenation, acronyms, branding, and spelling.
• Determine the key messages upfront: Don’t use the writing process to “discover” the message(s) you want to convey in your annual report! In turn, the message or narrative thread should drive your writing.
• Finalize the structure: Before you start writing the annual report, all stakeholders need to sign off on the structure, otherwise you’ll end up producing content that will be cut from the final draft.
• Prepare a clear brief: Avoid confusion about the scope of the project, roles and responsibilities by writing a clear brief for your annual report.
• Plan in advance: Writing your annual report is a long-term process that requires organization and project management skills, especially when you hire external contractors to take care of tasks such as design or printing.
• Language: Use simple sentences, active verbs, and keep jargon to a minimum. Avoid clichés, keep sentences and paragraphs short, and check your imagery: flowery language and metaphors make things vague, but if you use them, check that they’re in line with your brand.
• Write in drafts: Your annual report doesn’t have to be perfect from the beginning. Rather than trying to get it right in one go, work in three iterations. Your first draft is a rough sketch where you obtain clarity of which section goes where and how long each section will be, more or less. In the second draft, the coherent narrative takes shape. In the third draft, you clean up the writing before your have someone else check it.
• Changes: Employ a professional proofreader or editor to work through necessary changes cost-effectively and efficiently. Consider legal counsel for a compliance or regulation check.

Best Practises For Annual Report Writing

Annual report executive summary, annual report templates, smb: small and midsize business.

• Letter or statement from the CEO
• Executive Summary
• Highlights of the past year
• Company information
• Optional: Stories, photos, and charts that construct a relatable narrative for investors.
• Optional: Instead of targeting investors, a small business can address and inspire employees in a special section.
• Financials:
• Balance sheet: Listing the company's current financial condition including tangible and intangible assets, long-term liabilities of the business, and equity, the balance sheet is a snapshot of how the company is doing.
• Income statement: Details on revenue and expenses to highlight profits and losses.
• Cash flow statement: Here the focus is on liquidity generated and spent in the past year
• Audit : If necessary or appropriate, include an auditor's report on the company's financial situation. Such an audit can be done internally or externally.
• Optional: Notes, appendix and clarification of financial statements.
• Optional: Accounting policies.
• Optional: A disclaimer about your forecast of expenses and revenue.

Nonprofit Organization / Non-Governmental Organization

• Welcome letter or personal introduction: This is your opportunity to showcase your mission. Your supporters probably don’t think as much about your mission as you do, so repeating your mission statement throughout the report is acceptable. Demonstrate throughout the report how your organization embodies, pursues, and fulfills that statement.
• Summary of highlights: Select major accomplishments you want to showcase and keep it engaging, but concise to not lose the attention of your readers. Limit the number of highlights and make sure to be inclusive: ask different people in all parts of the organization for their personal picks. Ensure that the accomplishments in the summary are in line with your message and mission statement. If possible, find a theme (such as growth, support, hope, responsibility etc.) to unite the highlights. Clarity is key, so spell out how the highlights relate to the organization’s mission.
• Financial information
• Three stories of accomplishment:
• The big picture
• A personal touch
• Example of past impact shaping the future
• Donor list: Depending on your organization, you can list donors, funders, volunteers, partners, sponsors, or association members.
• Mission statement / vision statement
• Summary of highlights
• Overview of the charity: Here you can give a brief summary of the history and talk about the charity, the people and the supporters.
• Governance: This will include legal information about the exact type of charity and the structure and management. You can include a report by the chairperson or CEO and state the objectives and activities as outlined in the chart.
• Financials: This section can include:
• Treasurer’s report
• Auditor’s statement or report
• Financial statements
• Other optional sections:
• Acknowledgements
• Call for contributions / action
• Future outlook
• State the mission clearly and relate back to it when you outline and highlight the activities and achievementsState clearly the organization’s mission and relate the activities back to the mission throughout the report.
• The information about the governance and structure of the charity should also reflect the mission.
• Disclose the charity’s risks, issues and challenges in the context of the mission.
• Avoid splintering your annual report into many mini-reports by your charity’s committees, if they exist. You can make these smaller reports available individually on the charity’s website.
• Welcome letter or personal introduction: Words by a founding member, church body or pastor to address the audience and set the tone for the annual report.
• Mission statement: What are the objectives and activities of the church?
• Overview: The identity of the church and its members as well as the values and the calling of the church, followed by details on the structure, governance, and management
• Stories of accomplishment and the church's work, for example:
• The community
• The mission and outreach
• Charity work with a personal touch
• Statement of Financial Activities
• Charity Balance Sheet
• Cash Flow Statement
• Notes to financial statements
• Audit by committee or independent auditor
• Callout: In this section, you can list donors, funders, volunteers, partners, sponsors, or church members as well as provide a call to action, for example to donate, take part in church work, or become a member.

What Is An Annual Report?

What is the purpose of an annual report.

Financials: Statements and audits of the financials as well as financial performance and goals of a company can comprise the bulk content of an annual report. Projected and achieved revenue figures are part of this section. A company might also report expansion, growth, revenue increase plans, as well as a return-on-investment analysis or effectiveness study. A nonprofit organization might account for its spending, report donations and also project financial goals. Achievements: A year-in-review goes beyond financial numbers and annual reports often feature a mission statement and highlight past achievements, which could include research, investment in personnel of infrastructure, employee benefits, personal success stories, customer or user testimonials, or product launches. This section seeks to portray the company as an innovator and industry leader which attracts participation. Promotion: An annual report is an opportunity for marketing and public relations, either in a special section, or throughout the entire report. The goal is to attract new shareholders, excite existing investors, and raise brand awareness with the general public. Compliance: Companies produce annual reports even when they don’t have to because they want to benefit from the marketing and PR opportunities. Publicly traded companies and entities that fit certain other criteria have to file annual reports with the SEC, the US Securities and Exchange Commission. To avoid producing two different reports, these companies commonly produce one general report that meets the compliance standards. Pro Tip If your annual report has to meet certain compliance standards (such as the SEC Form 10-K for publicly traded companies), make the best use of your resources and only produce one report for your entire audience which includes the necessary information.

What Are Annual Report Formats?

Printed Annual Reports: Traditionally, an annual report is a glossy and high-end print product distributed to shareholders, regulators, members of the press, and figures selected for marketing and PR reasons. The production and distribution of a high-quality print product is also a cost factor that has to be figured into the overall budget. Electronic Annual Reports: The advantage of a print production is that companies and organizations can simply re-use the document and make their annual report available in electronic format, for example as a PDF download on their website. This version can also be distributed through email and other digital means. Interactive Online Annual Reports: With this format, readers can browse and view an annual report just like a website. Graphs and charts can be animated or interactive, and there is the possibility of embedding videos and other multimedia material. You can precisely track reach and engagement with digital online annual reports and brand and design the it just like the website of your company or organization. Pro Tip An online, interactive annual report is a cost-effective opportunity to use your reporting to drive engagement and get the best results from making your report available to a broad audience.

What To Include

Chairperson’s statement or letter: The CEO, the primary owner or the chairperson usually addresses readers with an introduction in the form of a letter or personal statement. This might highlight the most significant developments as snapshots, include brief details of company initiatives, and give a brief summary of the financials–sort of like a teaser of what’s to come. This part commonly also focuses on the challenges, achievements, and growth. Business profile: In this section, you can profile your company or organization with a mission statement, and details on the corporate office, the board, the team or the employees. You can highlight your products or services which are the main revenue drivers, provide an analysis of the market, the competition, or the risk factors, and profile both the investors or donors you have and the ones you are looking for. Financials: Regulation and compliance will largely dictate what to include in this section, but unlike in other sections of your annual report, there is no room for storytelling, embellishing, or flowery language. Transparency, accuracy, and thorough reporting are key here. The absolute numbers speak about the company’s performance to investors, shareholders and stakeholders, regulators, employees, and the general public. Readers will get a complete picture of the profit and loss of the past year, the revenue and its division into earnings retained, investment, and operational expenses, and the company’s shares. A typical sequence in this section could be: income statement, balance sheet, equity statement, cash flow statement, and shareholder information with earnings per share. Consolidated statements can be followed with longer, in-detail explanations of the financials. Auditor’s Report: An audit of the financial situation and the spending can be split into the reporting of an audit committee and the reporting of an independent auditor or auditing body. Some companies include the former in their business profile, and the latter as part of the financial statements. Other sections: Depending on your company, other sections can be a director’s report, accounting policies, general policies, stories, image material, and details about other activities not related to the business, such as corporate social and environmental responsibility reports.

Annual Report Writing

Produce a brief.

• Format of your finished annual report and specifications for a printed product, if necessary, such as size and quantity.
• Expectations for internal and external contributors. This includes length of requested texts, design standards, style questions, and timelines.
• Specifications for deliverables that define the schedule, data, and format for contributors.

Background information or mission statement Concepts and deliverables Timing / deadlines Objectives of the annual report Key messages of the annual report Short description of the brand, personality, and audience Writing, style, and design specifications Pro Tip Write the brief for your annual report before you or anyone starts work on the actual report. Compose a clear annual report brief to avoid conflict, because conflict often stems from misunderstanding or miscommunication. Clarity helps everyone fulfill their roles during production.

How To Write The Executive Summary

Who is your audience? This will help you decide what critical information readers need. Make the story you tell in your annual report resonate with them. What is the objective of the summary? It serves the function of summarizing, but in addition, what do you need the audience to understand? What reaction should they have, what action should they take? What is the outcome? The executive summary should also list conclusions or recommendations based on the past year on which you are reporting. What changes are necessary, what actions will the business take in the future? What are the benefits of the achievements, which improvement will the company reap from implemented solutions? Don't make the reader guess or work to find out about the future course of the company or organization. How will you impress? Of course your executive summary should be able to stand out and give all the important details even for those who decide to skip the rest of the report. But ideally, it is able to draw the audience in and make them read on. Don't inflate numbers, invent facts or dress up the truth, of course, but carefully consider how you shape your message and organize your summary.

Format For The Executive Summary

Order of appearance: Apart from opening lines, you’ll have to decide if your summary follows the exact structure of your report as laid out in the table of contents, or if you organize it differently and establish a varying level of importance. In both cases, you can use subheadings to introduce sections and use bullet points as well as enough space to make the summary visually appealing and accessible to scanning. Length: When your summary reaches a length of two pages or beyond, it arguably stops being a summary and becomes an outright introduction. Be brief but comprehensive. Do a sketch where you describe each necessary section in just one word, then elaborate to three words, then a whole sentence. Sometimes a flow or coherence is better for the executive summary than giving a complete overview of the annual report. Tone of voice: The executive summary is formal and not casual and should match your target audience in tone of voice. Yet it’s neither the time nor place to get into technical jargon, lengthy definitions, and presentation of information that is only accessible with background information, expertise, or in-depth knowledge of the subject matter. Avoid acronyms and data that couldn’T stand for itself.

Any changes to the report require at least a check if not an update of the executive summary to ensure information remains relevant and consistent. Organize the summary either matching the table of contents or in the order of importance. Check for jargon, technical terms, filler words, and superfluous acronyms. Use active voice and direct language. Sparsely present precise and factual data from the report as highlights. Check to remove redundant information, repetitions, clichés, buzzwords, unnecessary phrases, and mixed messages. Use bullet points, subheadings and tables where appropriate to structure information. Format for readability and leave enough space. Check to include the most relevant information but remove anything not supported by the full report from the executive summary. Changes to headlines or sections of the report need to be reflected in the summary. Edit for brevity. Use test readers to verify that the summary stands alone to support your objectives.

Checklist For Your Annual Report Executive Summary

• Your Company Info
• Your Elevator Pitch
• The Problem You Are Solving
• Your Solution
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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.

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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.

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What Is an Annual Report?

Understanding annual reports, special considerations, mutual fund annual reports, the bottom line.

• Corporate Finance
• Financial statements: Balance, income, cash flow, and equity

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.

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 ."

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ANNUAL REPORT RATIO ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT

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