High-Impact Reporting: Embedding Storytelling and Visualization in Your Report Creation

November 2024

This article is related to a recently completed custom research project ABA conducted on behalf of a museum member. Our research team is always delighted to speak with members about tailoring research projects to your organization. To learn more or submit a custom research request, simply contact your member advisor or email us at info@advisoryarts.com. 

How can organizations write reports in a compelling way? This question posed by an ABA member, led ABA to conduct a research study that explored best practices in using storytelling and visualization when writing reports. To answer this question, ABA analyzed a number of reports from different organizations worldwide, and went through several academic articles, books, and websites. Additionally, ABA conducted two interviews, one with a research firm that works with start-ups in the UK and the other with a fundraiser specialist.

The study findings include:

• To write impactful reports, organizations need to be clear on their core values and embed them throughout the report: Essentially, a report is one story that organizations tell about themselves to external audiences, whether those be individual donors, trusts, foundations, corporate donors, etc. In any report, aligning who organizations are to who they tell their audiences they are, is crucial.

• Reports should be tailored according to the audience they speak to: Ensuring that the language, tone, content, and level of detail match different audiences’ expectations is crucial to effectively communicate, engage, and resonate with each type of audience.

• Report-making is not an isolated task: Creating an impactful report requires a clear plan, strategy, and agenda that involves different teams across the organization. Interdepartmental alignment, collaboration, and sustained efforts throughout the year are key.

Members can download the full report below.