Annual Reports

A Manual
Prepared for Xchanges Journal

How to Use This Manual

This manual was written in the format of an
annual report. As you move through this
manual pay attention to the major section
headings:
a letter from the Editor
Table of contents
meet our awesome team
take part in our mission
learn about our finances
study our numbers
look deeper at our programs

These section headings indicate the main

information you will want to include in the
Annual Report you create for Xchanges.
We've included both narrative and examples
that explain and demonstrate what information
falls into each heading.

Design Tip!
Throughout this manual weve included
graphic placeholders.
Wherever you see a turquoise box, a
traditional annual report would include a
graphic photograph, screenshot, or
clipart.
Here, these boxes will include tips for using
proper design elements to create a wellformatted and designed presentation.

a letter from the Editor

Dear Xchanges Staff:
The purpose of this manual is to explain how to write an annual report that will effectively communicate
important operational and financial information about the Xchanges journal to interested parties. A letter
from the editor or other organizational leader begins most traditional annual reports. As an overview of
information that will follow in the annual report presented in a formal, yet conversational tone, sets the tone
for the remainder of the report and is the first opportunity to establish a relationship with the reader. For
Xchanges, Dr. Newmark would be the ideal person one to write this segment of the report.
Audience and Credibility
An well-written annual report should create a feeling of trust between the journal and its investors; for
Xchanges, we are not defining investors as those with a financial stake in the journal. Rather, we see the
annual report as a way for Xchanges to inform academic a readers of the ways the journal can benefit
them in their academic and professional lives: writers looking for publication, writers who have already
published, editors of similar journals, and instructors who would like to use Xchanges as a pedagogical
resource.
Format
An effective introductory letter will be recognizable in format. Use a standard business letter format: typed,
with the heading a letter from the editor where you would find an address block in a mailed letter. It
should include a signature at the bottom. It would also be a good idea to include contact information of the

editor or president. Providing this information creates the feeling of accessibility to journal staff and
reinforces the idea that you are presenting organizational information candidly. Text formatting should
remain fairly simple. 12-point type, while standard, may not be possible within the space allotted for this
letter. Journal staff should use the principles of design spread through this report to determine the best text
formatting for the letter. If all else fails remember: keep it short, keep it clear, and keep it appropriately
conversational.
Content
Your annual report should provide operational and financial information about the journal. This letter is your
first opportunity to personalize the mission of Xchanges and to compel the reader to continue with the
report. Take this opportunity to explain why the staff of Xchanges is willing to put the time and energy into
putting out the journal each year. The letter should outline what information will be found in the report and
point readers to important information (such as the upcoming personnel information, financial information
and programmatic information in this manual), as well as, any calls-to-action included in the annual report.
Finally, end your letter with a brief but positive acknowledgment of what you plan to accomplish in the
upcoming year.
Sincerely,

Derek Dorman
Derek Dorman

Kelsey Manning
Kelsey Manning

Erica Webb
Erica Webb

table of contents
Editor...........................................................

awesome team........................................................

take part in our

Mission.........................................................

learn about our

Finances........................................................

a letter from the

meet our

using graphs...........................................................................

by the

numbers.............................................................

learn about our

programs........................................................

10
12

Introduce your Key Personnel:

The personnel listing is still part of the introduction of an annual
report.
Standard practice for annual reports, this section would include the
editors of Xchanges, key staff and, possibly, the review board. We
advise you to also include titles and the areas of expertise for journal
staff and review board members if you chose to include them. For
further credibility, photos and contact information can also be
included.

A personnel key can appear in rows or grids and is usually found after
the letter from the editor or table of contents. This helps to build a
sense of community with your reader and, if you use photographs of
key personnel, puts further personalizes the journal since readers will
be able to put a face to any staff named throughout the annual report.

Derek Dorman
Technical & Professional Writing, UNM
Dormand@unm.edu

Kelsey Manning
Spanish and Portuguese, UNM
Manningk6@unm.edu

Erica Webb
Organizational Communication, UNM
edwebb@unm.edu

meet our Awesome

Team

take part in our Mission

Nothing draws a reader into information quite like a mission statement!
Including this simple, straightforward explanation of why Xchanges exists is a
great way to reinforce the importance of the work done by journal staff and
authors in the fields of technical communication, composition studies, and rhetoric
& writing.

Your mission statement does not have to take up an entire page of your annual
report (although it can). You can also include the mission statement as call-out
box or as the header or footer of an early page within your report. The important
thing to remember is that you want readers to know what your mission is so
The accomplishments you highlight later in your report can be easily connected to
your mission in the minds of your readers. As English 414 students:

Design Tip!
Make sure to keep all objects,
colors, and textures
.

balanced

Heavy elements such as titles,

photos and large blocks of text
can throw off the feel of a page if
they are all on one side.

Our Mission is to create a manual that will guide you

through the annual report writing process.
6

 Red Rover 2014

mission statement as a call-out box

Feeding America 2015

mission statement as part of page

learn about our Finances

Xchanges does not have a budget aside from funds applied by your editor. At present, presenting financial information
in your annual report is not necessary. However, we have still included instruction on financial reporting in this manual.
If you plan to use your annual report as part of an application for funding, or if the journals funding source changes, you
will want to include this information.

What is Included in an Annual Report Financial Statement?

Your financial report should start with a description of the company and an overview of its operations during the past
year. It is here you will highlight major achievements which may include: any expansion of the company, positive sales
results, staff performance, etcetera. Any future expectations should also be included.
Balance Sheet: cash in bank, outstanding receivables are listed on the left-hand side. Liabilities, outstanding payables,
mortgages, loans, and company net worth listed on the right-hand side.
Income Statement: Profit and Loss for Fiscal Period. Include overhead and fixed costs, such as rent, salaries, utilities
and expenses, and subtract them from the gross profit to get your net profit amount.
Cash-Flow Statement: this includes the amount of money in the company; investments and payments made to buy or
sell items. Also included is the total interest on all accounts, loans, and income taxes.
Footnotes: Include footnotes for financial items which may require an explanation.

Simple Financial Report Template

Income Statement
For the Period Ended ______________

Revenue

20____

20____

Sales Revenue (Less Sales Returns & Allowances)

Service Revenue
Interest Revenue
Other Revenue

Total Revenues
Expenses
Advertising
Bad Debts
Commissions
Cost of Goods Sold
Depreciation
Employee Benefits
Furniture and Equipment
Insurance
Interest Expense
Total Expenses

Design Tip!
Watch your

alignment!
$ 000000

$ 000000

20____

20____

Use text boxes (rather

than typing directly onto
a slide or page) to more
easily move blocks of
text around a page.
Some programs (ex.:
PowerPoint, InDesign
or Publisher) allow you
to easily use guidelines
and auto-alignment to
make aligning your
items easier.

$ 000000

$ 000000

Design Tip!

using graphs

Avoid using providing too much

information-even in graphic form!
Graphs provide a way to report data in a concise and meaningful way.
If there is a small sample size, graphs are an excellent means of visualizing
data and statistics in an accessible format. Graphs are best used for
information that highlights the accomplishments of the journal.

Acceptance Rates
Category 4

2.8

Category 3

1.8

4.4

2.5
2 2.4

Category 1
0

1
Series 3

2
Series 2

3.5

Category 2

Publication Submissions By Year

4.5

4.3
3

Keep graphs simple, use

coordinating colors and only
include directly relevant
information within your graphs.

4
Series 1

200

80

150

60

100

40

50

20

2011

2012
Volume

2013
High

2014
Low

2015

Close
9

by the Numbers
Although Xchanges may not need to share financial information, there may be other numeric information that you wish to
share or highlight graphically. Its important to remember that inforgraphic representation shouldnt be the only time that a
numeric achievement is represented in an annual report. Instead, a by the numbers page will reinforce any information
that has already been shared and further orient the readers to upcoming programmatic information in an eye-catching way.
You can include graphical representations of your data on many pages highlighting the achievements you detail there.
You can also group interesting by-the-numbers information on a single page for increased impact.

Design Tip!
Remember to place your graphics
together in
Feeding America 2105

proximity

so they form a

visual unit rather than spreading them

out haphazardly around the page.

Some examples of information that could be shared in a graphic format would be submission rates, college professor
engagement with the journal as a pedagogical tool, or the numbers of potential readers reached by conference
attendance.
10

 Oregon Humane Society 2014

traditional financial information included in an annual report

Robin Hood 2014

by the numbers information included in an annual report

11

Traditional non-profit & corporate annual reports will usually address the
different divisions they have or programs they offered during a given a time
period. Most organization base their annual reports around their fiscal
calendar. In the absence of this, we recommend that Xchanges uses a
calendar year when determining their dates. As a small, single purpose journal
Xchanges does not, yet, have a wide range of programs to discuss. For their
first annual report, we recommend that Xchanges use this as an opportunity to
discuss the specific steps that it has taken to further solidify the journals
presence. In general, the program section of an annual report should:
Showcase Your Organizations Achievements: This is your opportunity to
showcase the journals current achievements.
For example, this year
Xchanges could include a successful move to the University of New Mexico,
mention any awards that Xchanges has received, detail the journals presences
at conferences, or discuss the role Xchanges has played in the success of a
staff member, previously published student, review board member, or intern.
Use a Narrative Format: Your programs-publishing interdisciplinary works by undergraduate and graduate students and
using the publishing the writing and publishing process as a pedagogical tool are your primary programs. The best annual
reports will tell the organizations story through many eyes. Use personal stories, photographs, and call-out boxes to draw
attention to the human aspects of Xchanges. Not all stories included need to come from within the journals staff. You can
solicit articles from others involved with journal and doing so will showcase Xchangess impact in a well-rounded fashion and
lend the journal the credibility that comes with personal testimonials.

learn about our Programs

Keep It Specific: Xchanges is unique. Keep the focus on what you bring to the world of open-access, digital publishing
and use graphics, headings and call-outs that draw attention to that information.
In their annual report to
shareholders The Buckle uses
specific keywords that they feel
are representative of their
programs!
Include A Call to Action: Readers do not always know what you want them to do the information provided in your
annual report. As a result, all your hard work creating it may go to waste if you dont include a call to action. For nonprofits, a call to action may be a remit envelope, for Xchanges we recommend including a page at the end of your
annual report instructing readers on who to contact if they are interested in submissions, joining the review board, or for
ideas using Xchanges as a teaching tool in their classrooms.

Design Tip!
Have the final review of your
Annual Report done by a
single editor who can look for
and correct for consistency !

For more information on writing annual reports,

or to hire us to write an annual report for you,
please contact us at the email below:

annualreports@English414.com
13

Prepared by
Derek Maier Dorman
Kelsey Anne Manning
Erica Webb