SOCIAL IMPACT DESIGN STUDIO

Annual reports that honor your community and expand your circle of supporters

We design belief-building annual reports for nonprofits and foundations who know their next chapter requires showing up differently, and are done waiting to look the part.

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Find your best-fit path

Smartphone displaying a webpage titled 'Five in Five: Our Strategic Goals' with a smiling woman in academic regalia and colored sections listing five strategic goals.

Two postcards featuring diverse students walking with text saying 'Back to school' and 'Back to college' from Making Waves Foundation and Academy.

Open laptop on wooden desk displaying Tides website page titled 'Tides by The Numbers' with statistics and photos of diverse people.

The donors, funders, and partners you need to grow are already investing. Just not in you. Yet.

The organizations leading their sector aren't more deserving than you. They just look the part. And that visibility is what funds the next community served, the next program launched, the next life changed.

‍You've spent decades deepening your programs, building real community trust, and earning your place in this sector. The only thing standing between you and the funders, partners, and recognition you need to grow, is materials that finally match the depth of your work.

We close that gap with annual reports that reflect your real depth, open doors to the funders and partners you're ready for, and give your team a storytelling system that works all year.

It's time your annual report finally reflected the organization you've spent decades becoming.

start here

Wherever you are right now, there's a place to start

Annual Report Review

A fresh set of expert eyes on your report.

Annual Report Deep Dive →

Annual Report Design

We handle the strategy and design.

Annual Report Design Intensive →

DIY Reports

Templates for teams building in-house.

DIY Templates + Planner →

We’re Acton Circle, the go-to social impact design firm

Trusted by nonprofits improving education, health, and community well-being.

Since 2019 we've partnered with 60+ nonprofits and foundations—designing annual reports and storytelling tools that help supporters understand your work, feel compelled to support it, and keep coming back.

That’s BELIEF by Design™ in practice.

annual report design intensive

Your annual report shouldn't be a one-and-done document.

It should be the foundation everything else grows from.

We design digital-first reports—interactive, web-ready, and built to stay visible long after launch.

You walk away with:
‍
→ A report built on BELIEF by Design™
→ Assets designed for repurposing
→ A system your team can build on next year

explore the Annual Report Intensive

“A beautiful job bringing our foundation's report to life.”

Kris L., CEO, Chiron Community Giving Foundation

Open report showing pages discussing social determinants of mental health with a photo of urban buildings and text highlighting uninsured residents and rates of poor mental health.

annual report template kits

Building your report in-house?

Start with the same foundation our 1:1 clients use.

If you’re creating your report in-house, our DIY tools give you the foundation already built.

→ Annual Report Planner
→ The Belief-Building Annual Report Playbook
→ DIY Template Kits
→ Free Thank You Templates

Built from the same system we use with 1:1 clients.

explore diy tools

Annual Report deep dive

Not sure what's working in your current report?

Let's find out together.

The Annual Report Deep Dive gives you a fresh, expert perspective of your current report before you invest.

We identify what’s working, what’s weakening trust, and what deserves attention next. You leave with clear takeaways and a priority action list.

check out the Deep dive

free resource

Belief-Building Report Playbook

A practical guide to planning and designing an annual report that people actually understand and remember.

get the guide

THE ACTON CIRCLE DIFFERENCE

Why nonprofits choose us as their social change design agency

Because we only design for social change organizations.

We speak nonprofit and design. We understand multiple stakeholders, board expectations, and the weight of building public trust because we've been doing this work for over a decade.

Because you'll never wonder what's happening next.

Clear timelines, proactive communication, and built-in review points at every stage. You always know what's coming, why it matters, and how it connects to your goals.

Because we believe in depth over surface.

We're not here to make things look clean and professional. We're here to make supporters feel your mission. Every font choice, image, and layout carries meaning because it really is that deep.

Because you should know exactly what you're paying before you say yes.

No hourly rates or surprise invoices. Just fixed pricing with clear deliverables and zero scope creep. You know exactly what you're investing and what you're getting. Period.

our clients

From the orgs we've partnered with

They were where you are. Here's what shifted.

WHO WE SERVE

As a social impact design studio, here’s who we work with best

If you’re expanding access, improving well-being, and strengthening communities... your story deserves to be seen, felt, and understood.

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view our work

about acton circle

Behind the design is a team that believes in your mission as much as you do.

Olivia founded Acton Circle because she couldn't stop thinking about all the nonprofits doing extraordinary work that the world was missing, and materials that didn't come close to telling the story.

She built Acton Circle to close that gap, for good.

MEET YOUR DESIGN PARTNER

on the blog

Is your annual report the foundation your story can grow from?

We guide you through what to say, how to design it, and how to turn it into materials that support your work year-round.

Impact Report vs Annual Report for Non-Profits

Confused about impact reports vs annual reports? Learn how nonprofits should use each, when to separate them, and how to avoid overcrowded, forgettable reports.

What Is a Nonprofit Annual Report & What to Include

Learn what a nonprofit annual report is, what to include, and how to combine annual and impact reporting into one clear, trust-building story for donors.

How to Write an Annual Report Without Oversimplifying Your Work

Learn how to write an annual report that builds trust without oversimplifying complex community work. Context matters more than clean stories.

Design that builds belief. For the organizations doing the most important work.