The Clinton Valley Council had three objectives for our 2004 Annual Report. These objectives were
The content and layout were discussed with the Axiom Creative Group. The work was done at a reduced cost as a result of utilizing an executive board member's professional network as president of Adventures in Advertising. Content and photos were provided from the featured Eagle Scout and were requested from all of the units in the council for our annual report photo contest. These photos were submitted from summer camps, district activities, council special events, and local newspaper stories covering Scouting. Discussions were held to utilize a "gray" tone theme to showcase a retro look, highlighting the featured Eagle Scout's Scouting endeavors and the council's "A Decade of Quality" accomplishment.
We created a "WOW" factor with constituents who read and reviewed the report as Clinton Valley Council showed initiative to showcase a Scout's career in Scouting. This enhanced our reputation in the business community, as the report was proof of Clinton Valley Council "walking the talk" to provide a pipeline of candidates for future employees. All constituents who received the report indicated "the ease of read" as well the impact of the simple layout. The report also enhanced the ability to "sell" the Clinton Valley Council's programs for consideration of financial support from potential donors. Constituents noted that the report projected a professional, positive, and proactive image to the public due to its "no-frills" approach to stating facts, figures, and photos, to "walk the talk."
The Clinton Valley Council took a different approach and brought in professionals in the design and advertising world early in the development of the report. We also took a very strategic approach by utilizing our board of directors to seek counsel and guidance to ensure that the report had a very polished, professional, and simplistic presence. Utilizing the expertise of an outside agency allowed for a very clear, concise message to be broadcast to the constituency who received the report. Having a "unique selling proposition" by highlighting the featured Eagle Scout's Scouting career via pictures showed that the Clinton Valley Council "walks the talk" and exhibits the reason why the council is a "quality" council. The units, council executive committees, and professional staff supported this unique angle of a retro theme while featuring a Scout's progression to adulthood.
Objectives for the annual report were as follows:
Through the creation and publication of this improved annual report, the council learned how to communicate a positive, effective message regarding the individual and collective accomplishments within the council. With the advantage of outstanding and committed creative talent, the council learned to break from the confines of the traditional formats to create impact. The concept of a more creative and inspirational vehicle to represent BSA values and efforts can be extended to other council communications. Beyond 2005, the council can begin a truly integrated approach to communication by tying in identifiable elements that characterize the unique spirit of the Heart of Ohio Council, BSA.
Just as important, this effort served to emphasize the benefits of involving community experts in council work. By securing contributions of a designer and a printer, the council was able to achieve a superior result at a reduced cost. This serves as inspiration to other community players who can use their talents and resources in the interest of the population served by the Heart of Ohio Council, BSA.
The primary objective of the 2004 Nevada Area Council's annual report was to convey the message of successful Scouting to the public, new donors, existing donors, chartered organizations, executive board members, and the district-level volunteers. The secondary objective was to focus on personal stories that would support the primary objective. These secondary items included Scouting as a Family (pages 2 and 18), Scoutreach Service (pages 12-13), and Scouting Skills Save Lives (page 19).
The marketing committee reviewed many annual reports and identified concepts that appealed most to them in support of the primary and secondary objectives. The annual report is on the minds of the committee members all through the year, and opportunities for photos and stories were not missed. With the help of the professional staff, the report was laid out and presented to Reno Printing for the final layout and digital design. The professional layout was the final step that brought the piece to life in the contrasting colors, choice of stock, and softening of picture edges.
The Nevada Area Council is proud to report a balanced budget due to additional dollars raised through Friends of Scouting (FOS), Grants and Foundations, and Project Sales. During donor calls, the 2004 Annual Report was always used to share the story of Scouting in action. In addition, many organizations appreciated having their names listed as collaborative partners. This professional and sharp-looking piece aids in conveying the message of Scouting to the target audience.
The committee learned that it truly takes all year to prepare for the annual report. Quality photos are a must and need to be taken all year. In addition, some stories must be found by asking district volunteers. The final lesson is about time. The professional layout portion takes time and is quite tedious. We recommend a month of time to be allotted before the final product is ready.
Three months before our council's annual meeting, key council staff and volunteers choose the format and content and select the photos to be used. Information is compiled and written from multiple sources: districts; program; field services; Scout executive, and ScoutNet. The copy and photos are given to a graphic designer who designed the annual report.
The annual report has proven to be an important relationships tool for the council. It has helped us recruit council leadership and solicit financial supporters and is a good public relations brochure. It has been an excellent tool for letting us promote our programs to community leaders.
Be Prepared is very important in completing the annual report on time. Plan months before the annual meeting so you are not rushed to get it completed. Our annual report helps us promote the positive values of Scouting and helps us obtain financial support from local business and community leaders.
The objective of the annual report is to have a positive influence on volunteerism, giving, and membership. This is accomplished by demonstrating the effectiveness and viability of the council to the community and Scouting supporters. Our primary target audiences are donors over $100, heads of chartering organizations, key board/district level volunteers, and prospective key council/district volunteers and donors.
This publication is designed to be our primary identity piece, providing a positive introduction to those who don't know about our council and reinforcing good feelings about the council for those who do. It is distributed at the annual meeting and mailed to our target audiences in June. It offers a positive reinforcement of Scouting for those making their annual Friends of Scouting solicitation. In addition, the annual report is used throughout the year to share our story with volunteers, business and professional community leaders, contributors, and those whom we are trying to encourage to become involved as part of face-to-face meetings and targeted individual mailings.
The planning begins with our volunteer Marketing and Communications Cabinet, a group of communications professionals who help determine the key messages and direction. They review our latest research, local trends, and council communications plan to determine the key messages that will be highlighted. Our pro bono design team takes this direction, yet is given a great deal of freedom to convert these ideas into a printable piece.
For 2004, we developed several specific requirements. As the potential merger of the Viking and Indianhead councils loomed, we wanted to purposefully stress "Scouting" in addition to our individual council highlights. We wanted a piece that would look professional, yet reflect a "Scout is Thrifty" approach.
We felt that we could best share our story of what Scouting is all about by using large, expressive photographs, supported by minimal copy. The new, big idea was to create a piece that would have a longer shelf life by making it multi-purpose—to tell not only our council story, but the Scouting story. The first 25 pages do just that. The photography and copy are so powerful that we have adapted this report into PowerPoint presentations for other key audiences.
Youth members and images were selected to capture the various aspects of Scouting. We believe that the faces of young people and related images greatly help to tell the Scouting story.
Annual report copy highlights the tangible successes of the past year, broken down into topic areas that can be understood by both Scouting volunteers and those outside of Scouting. It also adds critical elements of the roster and affiliations of top council volunteer leadership and provides a clear and concise financial statement.
The reports are mailed to key audiences, including donors above $250, heads of chartering organizations, select district and council level volunteers, and special friends of the council, such as other United Way agencies, newspaper editors, foundation officers, endowment prospects, and those being cultivated for involvement. Additional copies are made available for Friends of Scouting, service club presentations, and volunteer recruitment.
Normally, 1,800 annual reports are distributed, but after seeing the prototype and the extremely positive reaction it generated, we doubled the quantity to 3,600 to allow for even broader distribution.
Our council president uses the report at the annual meeting and other major events to highlight successes of the past year, referring to specific pages during his remarks. The reports are then shared by mail with the audiences noted above.
Because major donors receive the annual report, we believe it has a direct, positive impact on giving. In 2005, more than 141 such past donors increased their gifts by more than $32,000, helping the council achieve our FOS goal. The annual report has helped our workers in making calls and helped set the stage for success of the many volunteers who made the calls to renew and upgrade donors' gifts.
The annual report is also used in the recruitment of all major volunteer positions. Its attractive appearance and succinct information give council credibility and reflect the quality of the entire organization, helping to improve volunteer recruitment success. Because it is shared with the heads of chartering organizations, it helps to reinforce their commitment and aid in unit level adult volunteers and youth member recruitment as well.
In working with our pro bono designers and photographer, we learned that it's important to give direction, yet enough artistic freedom so they take ownership. The design, copy, and photographs exceeded our expectations, reflecting a new creative idea that went beyond our typical thinking about such reports. Their excitement and inspiration created a much better product than if we simply told them what to do.
We also learned to look to the community for resources; the entire report was printed as a gift in kind, with the pro bono design and copywriting services of Martin Williams, one of the nation's leading advertising agencies.
In addition to securing contributions, it is also critical to recognize the donors. By recognizing all those who contributed to the annual report, we further reinforced their commitment to Scouting and the community and showed that we are being good stewards. We have developed long-standing relationships, and they look forward to helping out each year.
Finally, the feedback received has also reinforced that our youth members are the best ambassadors of good will, with other Scouting images as a close second. The annual report photos give a face to our efforts through Scouting. The shining eyes and happy faces of our Scouts are simple but powerful. If recipients look only at the pictures and read the captions, they will "get" our key messages.
The 2004 Annual Report development began early in the year with the council's marketing committee developing the objectives for the annual report and a number of different potential themes for the annual report. These objective and potential themes were reviewed with the council leadership and professional staff, resulting in the selection of the theme and the agreement on the objectives of the report.
The title "Celebrating Achievement" worked on two dimensions for the annual report. The achievement of Scouts through their rank advancement and contributions to the community and other Scouting achievements were highlighted. The second dimension highlighted was the achievements of the council's districts, and also the achievements of the council.
The annual report format and layout were coordinated with the development of the council's FOS brochure and its capital campaign brochures and support materials. This format allowed the council to utilize a consistent look and message through all of the programs. It also allowed the council to amortize its development/graphics costs over several different programs.
The 2004 Annual Report was very well received by the council's volunteers, staff, Scouts, and the community. The report was utilized by the members of the council's Capital Campaign to begin the development phase of the council's $4.3 million campaign. The Scouting unit utilized the report to assist in membership recruitment and retention.
Volunteers and staff utilized the report in developing new units and community contacts, and facilitating programs with local civic and professional groups. Key local politicians were provided with copies of the report, as were local news outlets.
Scouters from across the council voiced their appreciation of the council's annual report also providing a summary of the activities of its districts. This aspect of the annual report was so well received within the council that it will be repeated in future annual reports.
To replace a bland, 12-page black and white annual report with a dynamic, full-color, ledger-sized annual report.
The 2004 annual report was very poorly received. It appeared that people rarely read the 12-page-long stapled book, which made it a huge expense with very little impact. The Scout executive mandated an annual report that was just four pages—one sheet of ledger-sized paper—to ensure that we didn't repeat the previous year's errors.
As a major production for the early 2005 Friends of Scouting breakfast, this document was produced prior to the council's 'What do you Value?" campaign. The 2004 theme of "A Legacy of Service" was adopted, and an overall graphic theme was sketched out. However, pictures to accomplish this theme were nonexistent. Youth and parents representing all Scouting programs were assembled, and photos were staged in front of the council office specifically with the annual report design in mind.
Because the Friends of Scouting breakfast also serves as the Learning for Life fund-raiser, a page was dedicated to those programs. Employees and volunteers from Learning for Life and Exploring assembled the information, while the council's graphic designer assembled all elements into the two-page spread.
Sponsors covered the complete costs of printing as the process was being completed. An additional design element was created that could be inserted into the booklet during the Friends of Scouting breakfast to include specific breakfast information.
The single biggest impact to the council was cost. Savings compared to the previous year's printing were over 50 percent.
While results are strictly anecdotal, it appears that busy executives are more willing to experience the document's two-page spread layout compared to the previous year's book. The concise copy quickly and effectively conveys our message without wasting time or space with unnecessary "fluff".
This layout has been an overall success for the council and will be repeated again. While many annual reports are very creative and compelling, this design doesn't seek to overwhelm or impress. It simply communicates our message that the council is being operated in a professional and responsible manner, and that our programs are succeeding. It is this council's belief that this "creative honesty" garners success and is well received at all levels.
The annual report, presented at the Council Annual Dinner in February, shares the stories of success for Scouting in San Diego and Imperial counties. This year's report was significant, as it introduced major initiatives in the newly approved long-range strategic plan, including our new endowment efforts and the endowment committee's appointed chairmen.
Year-end numbers and program features were reviewed by a team of board members and council staff. Stories were compiled and writing completed in January 2005, and pictures showing our local Scouts in action were added to bring a face to the numbers.
This was the first "professional looking" annual report produced by the council. It shared our new vision and mission statements with our Scout families, volunteers, and corporate leaders.
The annual report did a fine job "telling our story" and was used as a key corporate marketing and fund-raising tool throughout the year. The cost of the report was completely underwritten by business sponsors, who were recognized for their support at our council annual dinner.
The Merits of Marketing (marketing.scouting.org) is a resource for local
councils, developed by the Marketing &
Communications Division of the National Council, Boy Scouts of
America.