MCC-Murray Culshaw Consulting Pvt Ltd: 2007/8 annual report

A cascade of great ideas in an instructive annual report format enables this document to not only function as MCC’s annual report but to help every organisation that receives it to communicate more effectively by producing a better annual report themselves.

Starting on the cover, MCC’s simple, direct advice is right on the button.

MCC’s report is bristling with helpful hints on design, layout, style and on how to highlight what matters most to readers.

All annual reports should look forward as well as back. Plus, here’s how to make the financial information interesting and easily accessible.

SOFII's view

How good is this? From India’s legendary fundraising and communications consultancy MCC comes an annual report specifically designed to help India’s nonprofit organisations to communicate effectively and economically through their annual report. But you don’t have to be in India to benefit from this simple clear tutorial. Have a look now.

Type of charity:

Public/society benefit, special interests.

Target audience:

Individuals, corporations, granting organisations.

Country of origin:

India.

Creator/originator:

Team MCC

Name of exhibitor:

Ranjini Victor.

Date of first appearance:

August, 2008.

Summary/objectives:

MCC has consistently campaigned with voluntary organisations to produce brief, communicative annual reports. This annual report – besides showcasing the year’s work – also serves as a guide to the characteristics of a communicative annual report for public distribution.

Background:

MCC trains and offers hands-on support in communications and fundraising to voluntary organisations. We have been campaigning on the need to produce communicative annual reports that meet accepted standards of financial and organisational disclosure, through research into the quality of annual reports (in 1999, 2001 and 2007) and through annual workshops.

Special Characteristics:

Size: 8”x8”. Colour: two. Type of paper: 170 gsm art paper. Circulation: printed – 3000; e-mail: 3000. The eight-page annual report is designed in comic-book fashion with speech bubbles on every page highlighting the essential characteristics of a communicative annual report. Usually, the life of an annual report is one year; MCC hopes that people and their organisations will keep this annual report to use as a handy checklist when producing their own report. (Printing of this annual report was sponsored by MCC’s in-house voluntary payroll scheme, which allows staff to donate to causes annually selected by a staff committee.)

Influence/Impact:

MCC is getting anecdotal evidence and comments from organisations saying they find the report both interesting and useful. We are yet to track how this is influencing any other organisations to produce simple, readable reports.

Costs:

US$ 875 (sponsored).

Merits:

Annual reports are normally seen as statutory tools that no one reads. This report shows how an eight-page annual report can:

Communicate achievements, tell stories and thank donors.
Raise funds and other forms of support.
Build credibility by disclosing financial information in a manner that’s easy to understand and by following the Credibility Alliance’s norms of public disclosure in annual reporting.

It’s interesting as well as easy to read, inexpensive to produce – about 20¢ (US cents) a copy – and is a model that any organisation can easily adapt and use.