A life devoid of creating an annual report would be a life not truly lived... perhaps? :)
Today at my work placement I was asked the grand task of ‘tackling’ a section of the upcoming annual report. I began this process by sorting through a whole lot of facts and figures to compile a grand list of details. Admittedly facts and figures have never been my forte, however today I began to understand the importance of an annual report and how it is not just a bunch of facts and figures – rather symbols how an organisation works within a community. According to www.wisegeek.com (such an entertaining website) – it states an “annual report is a statement prepared by a publicly traded company and distributed to employees, customers, shareholders, and the general community”.
At Variety Children’s charity, where I’m currently doing my placement, it is imperative for a component of the annual report to include a list of all the donations that the charity has made throughout the year to sick, disabled and disadvantaged children around WA. Indeed this information is important for not only shareholders and the community, but specifically for those who are giving their money to the charity. It is a way in which they can visibly see where their money has been given and which children of Perth it has assisted.
So even though today I had a rather tedious task of ‘tackling’ the annual report, it definitely made it an easier task when I began to recognise the actual benefits of the mission. The facts and figures were not just numbers and details but they were symbols of the children’s lives that have been impacted by the generous givers within the Perth community. I guess that’s why I really enjoy working at a children’s charity - it makes the more ‘monotonous’ PR tasks slightly more worthwhile. I agree with Albert Einstein when he stated, “a life lived for others is worth living”.
Whether we work in a NFP, sporting field, arts area, government sector.. etc, we all have one thing in common – we are working with the lives of people. One of the main things I think we need to always remember is the importance of the lives we are impacting through our work – not only external relations but internal relations. In the end we are the ones who have the choice to help/impact the lives of others, creating a more harmonious place, or remain oblivious to the needs of others. Just a bit of food for thought :)
How the heck I got from annual reports to the 'deep and meaningful' ways of life - I have no idea!!! But I hope you're all enjoying the placements!
2 comments:
Hi
I enjoyed reading your blog on annual reports. I also have to write annual reports for my company and I wanted to let you know how fun they can actually be!
Although it involves collecting and reporting a lot of facts and figures, these can be written and presented in a fun and entertaining way!
For example we ask our managers to submit sections for the annual report, as you can imagine no one likes doing this so they often leave it until last minute. So this year we decided to try and making it fun by offering the managers a chance to go in a draw to win prizes if they submit their section by a certain date. We offered prizes such as a dinner voucher or a massage. It is quite cost effective but definitely makes a difference to the managers.
We also make ours look very pretty. We take professional photos and put them in the annual report to make it stand out and be visual. We have a different concept every year and try to make it bright and colourful.
Another idea is to have a focus for every annual report. For example one year you could showcase a certain person or group you have donated to. Perhaps feature in them in photos throughout the report and make a tribute to them. We did this last year by showcasing our volunteers, the volunteers loved it and it sent a great message out to our stakeholders.
I hope these ideas help you find annual reports more interesting in the future!
Jodie Leishman
Thanks for the response, Jodie.
It's encouraging to hear that you have found interesting and creative ways in implementing the annual report.
I will definitely take some of those ideas on board! Who knew there could be some fun found in the creation of annual reports... :)
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