Annual Report
MiSide Community Impact Network | 2024

Nonprofit Annual Report Design

Clarity, trust, and impact storytelling during organizational transition

An infographic from MiHealth formerly Southwest Counseling Solutions showing community impact data. It includes total lives changed, services for veterans, housing stability, juvenile justice programs, youth in Cornerstone, children in wraparound services, and outpatient counseling statistics.
Donut chart showing expenses breakdown with categories and percentages, and a list of top donors for 2023 with their names.
A volunteer, a young boy smiling while cleaning during Neighborhood Beautification Day, with text overlay about affordable housing statistics in Southwest housing solutions, including total number of people housed, affordable single-family homes and townhomes, apartment communities, and families provided housing.
Summary infographic highlighting community volunteer work with photos of volunteers at events, charity, and community service activities; statistics on volunteer opportunities, total volunteers, and volunteer hours.
Pie chart showing financial revenue sources for Southwest Solutions for 2023-2024. The chart highlights federal grants, Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network, foundation and other grants, juvenile justice, real estate revenue, rental income, charitable contributions, and other sources, with federal grants constituting 38% of total revenue. 
The Challenge

For nonprofits, an annual report isn’t just a recap—it’s a critical trust-building document. It’s required by the state, scrutinized by funders, and relied on by donors to understand how their support is making a difference.

This year’s report carried additional weight. It was the first major publication to introduce MiSide as a unified organization, bringing together two previously separate nonprofits under one cohesive brand.

The challenge was threefold:

  • Clearly introduce the new brand identity

  • Honor and distinguish the two legacy organizations

  • Communicate impact through both storytelling and data

Above all, the report needed to reassure donors and stakeholders that the mission—and the work—remained strong, now more connected and comprehensive.

The Strategy

The strategy centered on clarity and confidence.

Rather than overwhelming readers with change, the report was designed to:

  • Visually unify the organization while preserving clarity

  • Guide readers through the new structure in an intuitive way

  • Reinforce trust through transparency, consistency, and human-centered storytelling

Every design decision was made with donor understanding in mind.

The Creative Approach

To bridge the gap between old and new identities, the design focused on intentional visual and messaging choices.

Key elements included:

  • A clarified brand system that introduced the logo and organizational “pillars” as a unifying framework

  • Clear, reassuring messaging that emphasized continuity, growth, and shared mission

  • Strategic use of bright brand colors to create visual cohesion and energy

  • Authentic photography featuring real employees and clients to ground the report in community

The result was a report that felt approachable, credible, and forward-looking—not corporate or confusing.

Understanding Reports

Balancing Storytelling & Data

A successful annual report must do two things well:

  1. Tell a compelling story

  2. Present information clearly and responsibly

This report balanced:

  • Impact stories that showed lives changed

  • Data and metrics that demonstrated accountability

  • Thoughtful layout and hierarchy to make complex information easy to digest

Readers could quickly grasp both what MiSide does and why it matters.

Open booklet showing colorful pages with photos of volunteers, statistics, donation information, and community projects.
Open booklet for Miside Community Impact Network 2023 Annual Report featuring a group photo of children and staff, with a purple-tinted page showing pictures of leadership team members and contact information.
A collage of various printed materials including newsletters, brochures, flyers, and maps, arranged randomly with multiple pages overlapping each other. 
The Results

The annual report successfully:

  • Introduced the new unified organization with clarity and confidence

  • Strengthened donor understanding and trust during a major transition

  • Created a reusable visual framework for future reports and communications

  • Supported compliance while elevating the organization’s storytelling

The report didn’t just meet requirements—it became a meaningful communication tool for donors and stakeholders.

Why This Matters To Future Clients

This case study demonstrates the ability to handle high-stakes nonprofit design projects that require strategy, sensitivity, and precision.

For nonprofits, churches, and ministries, this means:

  • Clear communication during seasons of change

  • Donor-facing materials that build confidence and transparency

  • Design that balances storytelling with structure

  • A creative partner who understands both mission and accountability

Annual reports are often overlooked, but when done well, they can be one of the most powerful storytelling tools an organization has. I love helping mission-driven organizations turn required documents into something meaningful and engaging.

Design an Annual Report That Builds Trust
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