Success Stories and Annual Reports
Shareholders or donors to a company or nonprofit want transparency and a return on their investment, which is the purpose of the annual report, to show how money is being used, and to report inspiring outcomes in a way that motivates further giving. Storycraft specializes in this “whole brain communication:” always “making the case” (through numerical left-brain analysis) and “stirring the heart” (through inspirational right-brain storytelling), with impressive charts and graphs quantifying results (like 4-City – Dept of Justice Annual Report), and stories with photos of changed lives that leave you with a good feeling and smile! It’s a winning formula that Storycraft has been following, on behalf of clients, for decades!
Client Success Story: Nationwide 4-City Project
If you are a foundation or non-profit, have you ever thought about applying for a national grant collaboratively with other like-minded agencies to claim a greater service area, numbers of people served, and greater impact? That’s what foundations in Memphis, Phoenix, Knoxville, and Tacoma did, receiving $1 million to build the capacity of 16 urban ministries that served at-risk youth, from the Fab 5 that kept kids off the street by teaching breakdancing in non-alcoholic venues, to The Youth Preservation Society that opened their gym to gangs that checked their guns at the door for games of basketball and hopefully new friendships. Our job was to design, write and supply photos for this annual report to uniformly share the results of our capacity-building work with 16 agencies in four cities, to justify this diversified $1 million U.S. government grant, called the Capital Compassion Fund.
Read more: 4-City Dept of Justice Annual Report
Client Success Story: Williston State College Foundation
The Williston State College Foundation suffered a crisis of confidence in its North Dakota oil-boom town because it had an unclear identity, lapsed alumni database, and was not reporting the use of millions of dollars in donations. Thus, rumors began flying. Storycraft gathered executives, donors and alumni and went through our 10-Step process to establish a credible identity and positive community presence. Designing and writing an annual report with stories about distinguished alumni, thanking donors, and showing all income and expenditures, we showed how much Williston had to brag about.
Our brand makeover included a colorful logo, message and pitch, vision, mission and supporting website. To top things off, we captured students “rave” testimonies in a fun YouTube video, created a TV ad campaign featuring the popular basketball coach, then designed and wrote a fundraising “leave behind,” community newspaper, and fundraising campaign appeal, restoring deserved pride and positivity!
Results: “Before two years ago WSC Foundation had done little to make the public aware of its purpose and activities. We set goals to get the community involved in what the foundation is doing. Todd and his team brought our ideas to life! Their engaging human-interest stories captured the attention of alumni and donors alike. Todd is a master at coordinating tasks, from consulting, writing and graphic design to production, printing and shipping. Under his guidance, we have a complete communications package and we’re so proud of it!” — Carmin Klein-Papineau, Office Manager, Williston State College Foundation
Get in touch now
Everyone loves a good story, and too many go untold. Thankfully I’ve had the honor of telling 100’s through “liked” social media, photography, annual reports, websites, brochures, pioneering books and magazines. I’d love to listen to your needs, partner, and suggest ways we can make your dream a reality! Let’s do it!
About
Providing professional business related services including business consulting, story writing, photography, annual reports, and website upgrades.
