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A charity annual report is like an elevator pitch for a year of fundraising. When you think about how to run a successful charity, these year-end documents serve as an internal pulse check and a public showcase of your impact.
Charities work hard year-round to run fundraising campaigns and accept donations online to fund their missions. But how can donors, funders and the public see the difference that funding makes? Annual reports offer a clear, concise summary of outcomes for donors, partners and stakeholders to engage with.
In the UK, charities actually produce two distinct documents: the statutory Trustees' Annual Report and Accounts (TAR), which every registered charity must file with its regulator, and an optional impact report or annual review shared with supporters. This article covers both, with the statutory requirements first.
England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own charity regulator and their own filing rules, so we will flag where the rules differ across jurisdictions.
Whether you are a UK charity preparing your annual report for the first time, or looking to make it more compelling, keep reading to learn:
A charity annual report is a way to summarise the past year in a physical document or digital asset. Organisations typically use these reports to highlight their most significant achievements, campaign highlights and moments of impact.
However, in the UK context it is important to understand that three separate documents often come together under the heading "annual report":
1.The annual return, a short online form submitted to your regulator each year, covering basic information about your charity's activities, finances and governance.
2.The Trustees' Annual Report and Accounts (TAR), the statutory narrative report plus financial statements that registered charities must file with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW), OSCR (Scotland) or CCNI (Northern Ireland). This is a legal requirement, not optional. It is published on the public register where anyone can read it.
3.The impact report or annual review, the optional, supporter-facing document that this article mostly focuses on. This is the creative, visually rich summary you share with donors, funders, volunteers and corporate partners to showcase your year.
The TAR differs significantly from a US Form 990. It is a narrative document signed by trustees, published openly on the charity register, and it must demonstrate your charity's public benefit as required by the Charities Act 2011.
Reports can serve multiple purposes and appeal to several audiences at once. Many charities use them to build relationships with new and existing donors, corporate partners, stakeholders, trustees, volunteers and sponsors.
Working from a template makes the process much more manageable. The most important goal is to accurately reflect the wins and learning moments of the past year in a way that captures the reader's attention.
What the Trustees' Annual Report must include
The Charity Commission for England and Wales sets out seven areas that every TAR must cover (CCEW guidance):
1.Reference and administrative information, charity name, registration number, principal address, names of trustees and any professional advisers.
2.Structure, governance and management, how the charity is constituted, how trustees are recruited, and how decisions are made.
3.Objectives and activities, what the charity exists to do, including a clear public benefit statement (the Charities Act 2011 requires this).
4.Achievements and performance, what the charity actually did in the year and how it contributed to its objectives.
5.Financial review, a narrative overview of the finances, including reserves policy.
6.Plans for future periods, what the charity intends to do next year.
7.Accounts, either Receipts and Payments accounts (for non-company charities with gross income under £250,000) or Accruals accounts prepared under the Charities SORP (FRS 102) for larger charities and all charitable companies. The Charity Tax Group provides detailed technical guidance on SORP requirements.
CCEW requires this filing within 10 months of your financial year-end. OSCR's deadline for Scottish charities is 9 months. All filings are published on the public register.
The value of a charity annual report
A charity annual report adds real value for registered charities. It also gives donors, trustees and potential collaborators the most essential information in one place.
Charity annual reports provide readers with:
Full financial transparency
Awareness of where donations are being spent
A simple way to view activities, achievements and impact
A clear view of future plans and vision
Confidence that the charity is meeting its legal obligations
Charity annual reports help charities:
Attract new donors, partners, trustees, grant-makers and volunteers
Demonstrate public benefit, which the Charity Commission takes seriously in assessing charitable status
Show how much your charity reclaimed from HMRC via Gift Aid (25p per £1 donated by UK taxpayers) and what that reclaimed tax paid for. Gift Aid is one of the strongest UK trust signals; supporters want to see the multiplier working
Strengthen grant applications to funders such as the National Lottery Community Fund and Arts Council England, who scrutinise recent accounts carefully
It is helpful to consider your main purpose before starting. Some charities have specific goals that will inform which format to use and what to include.
To help you choose the right approach this year, we have included a template and examples that can inspire fresh ideas and out-of-the-box thinking.
Charity annual report best practices
The first step to creating an impactful charity annual report is to clarify your primary goal and your audience. Your report's audience might include current community members, prospective supporters, advocates, or all of the above.
It helps to start by reflecting on your annual fundraising strategy to clarify the goals a report can align with. For example, you might want to reach more potential corporate partners and use this report to pitch collaboration ideas.
As you examine what makes a strong charity annual report and the options you have to customise it, your goal will help guide your decisions.
What to include in a charity annual report
Statutory content your Trustees' Annual Report must include (required by CCEW, OSCR and CCNI):
Reference and administrative information (charity name, registration number, trustees' names, principal address)
Structure, governance and management narrative
Objectives and activities, including your public benefit statement
Achievements and performance against your objectives
Financial review and reserves policy narrative
Plans for future periods
Signed accounts (Receipts and Payments or SORP Accruals depending on your income level)
Your governing document details (articles of association if you are a charitable company or CIO, trust deed if you are an unincorporated trust, constitution if you are an unincorporated association)
What to add for a supporter-facing impact report (optional, on top of the TAR):
Visually appealing content: Keep your report light and engaging with multimedia. Charities might include interviews, links to online photo galleries, embedded presentations, videos and playlists.
Your story and background: This may be a reader's first introduction to your charity. Include a snapshot of your founding story, mission statement, values and vision.
The progress you have made: Demonstrate your organisation's impact with specific numbers and visuals. Be transparent about fundraising results, key activities and how they all contributed to your goals for the year.
A future outlook: Excite people about how this year of impact leads to the next. Mention your vision for what is ahead and anything new you are working on where supporters may be able to help.
Donor appreciation: Recognise any major donors, partners or supporters who significantly contributed to your fundraising outcomes. You can list organisations and individuals, or add a thank-you letter to give a more personal touch to anyone who made a difference.
Financials and outcomes: Showcase fundraising totals and the precise impact on your community and beneficiaries. Be honest about challenges to help build trust. Pull figures directly from your TAR so the two documents are consistent. Regulators and grant assessors cross-check.
The Fundraising Regulator badge: Including this in your impact report signals to prospective donors that your charity meets the Code of Fundraising Practice.
Gift Aid impact: Show how much your charity reclaimed from HMRC this year and what that money funded. Supporters appreciate seeing the 25p-per-£1 multiplier in action.
How to choose a format for your charity annual report
Choosing your annual report format is about your audience and how they are most likely to engage with important information. Do not be afraid to try a few versions as you explore what resonates each year.
Physical reports
These hard-copy versions can be shared in person or posted. They can be brochures, postcards or even bound books.
Some people enjoy receiving a hard copy of an annual report for a more personal feel. You can increase that sentiment with a handwritten note from a team member to particular donors, or messages from beneficiaries with photos related to the results you achieved.
PDF reports
The most common format is a PDF that can be embedded into a website, offered as a free download, or printed for those who enjoy physical copies. A PDF is simple to create from a charity annual report template and keeps a consistent, clean design.
A PDF can also be saved as an image to share on your social media channels or embed into an email. This hybrid option can also become a physical mailer or printout for events so you can customise the experience by reader preference.
Online reports
Digital annual report versions can be posted on a charity's website or another online channel as a visually compelling summary. You may also see online reports as interactive websites, videos, presentations and social media posts.
Many people like to access digital annual reports because they always know where to find them and do not need to download anything. This option also allows your organisation to edit and add real-time information.
Hosting your annual report online means you can track analytics and page views, which provides valuable insights into how people engage with the information and what to change in future.
Video annual reports
Your charity's annual report can be a creative video or animation with multimedia elements that bring your story to life. This format can grab the attention of potential donors when they are choosing which charity to support, and offer financial transparency to stakeholders with a quick link.
Videos can be a series of short clips or a brief format you can use all year long, aligned with an easier way to track engagement and views over time and share on social media.
Charity annual report template [free download]
Kick things off with Zeffy’s free report template for nonprofits
A charity annual report template gives you an easy way to remember everything you need to include and keep things concise. We have put one together to show how different layouts, visuals and branding can work together to bring your report to life.
Charity annual report examples we love
The best way to understand what makes an excellent charity annual report is to look at what leading UK charities do well. The two examples below set the gold standard for the sector.
Cancer Research UK: a masterclass in outcome-led reporting
Cancer Research UK's annual review is one of the most widely read in the UK charity sector. Published on their website, it is freely accessible to anyone and follows a clear, trust-building structure.
Here is what we love:
Outcome-led hero stats: The report leads with research breakthroughs and survival-rate improvements rather than fundraising totals alone. The work comes first; the money follows in context.
Declarative mission recap: Short, clear sentences restate the charity's purpose on every major page. Readers never lose sight of why their donations matter.
Trustee-signed foreword: The Chair of Trustees and Chief Executive sign an opening letter, reinforcing governance accountability and giving the report legal credibility with the Charity Commission.
Funder acknowledgements: Corporate partners, major donors and legacy supporters are recognised by name, showing transparency and encouraging similar relationships.
Forward look: The final section sets out research priorities for the coming year, giving existing donors a reason to stay engaged and prospective donors a clear picture of what their money will fund.
You can find Cancer Research UK's current annual review at cancerresearchuk.org.
Macmillan Cancer Support: impact reporting done with restraint
Macmillan's annual report demonstrates how a large charity can communicate complex support services in plain, accessible language without resorting to emotional manipulation.
Here is what we love:
Plain, declarative language: Macmillan's voice ("We help people get through cancer. Your donations make it happen.") carries throughout the annual review. No adjective stacks, no exclamation marks in body copy.
Beneficiary stories alongside statistics: Individual case studies sit alongside sector-wide numbers, so readers understand both scale and personal impact.
Volunteer and staff recognition: The report explicitly acknowledges the contribution of volunteers, which resonates strongly with the small-charity audience Zeffy serves.
Gift Aid transparency: Macmillan is clear about Gift Aid reclaimed from HMRC and how that income contributed to services, setting an example worth following.
Consistent branding: Colour, typography and photography are consistent throughout, giving the document a professional quality that builds trust on first impression.
You can find Macmillan's current annual report at macmillan.org.uk.
Quick tips and free tools to create your annual report
The best practices and examples above can help get your wheels turning. When you consider that every registered charity will likely produce some form of annual report each year, the tips and tools below will help yours stand apart.
9 quick charity annual report tips to take with you
1.Start early and plan to stay calm in the busy giving seasons.
2.Show more than you tell through visuals and numbers accompanying short, supportive text.
3.Consider the modern reader who likes to skim and access short video clips as you find ways to trim down the information you share and the format you use.
4.Stay transparent about your organisation's most successful initiatives as well as challenges, to build a trusting relationship with your readers and let them know where they can help.
5.Encourage readers' enthusiasm by providing a way for them to continue learning about your organisation at the end of your report.
6.Get donors involved by collecting feedback throughout the year about what they are most curious about, to create your most valuable report yet.
7.Communicate financials from running costs to income to give the full picture to your community members.
8.Tell detailed stories through the information in a way that takes the reader along for a journey that feels easy to follow and appeals to the emotions.
9.Mirror your statutory Trustees' Annual Report. Pull headline figures and public-benefit narrative from the TAR you file with the Charity Commission (or OSCR / CCNI) so both documents stay consistent. Regulators and grant assessors cross-check.
Free tools to create your annual report
You are never alone when it comes to crafting a document you are proud of. In addition to templates, there are many free tools for UK charities at your disposal.
Check out these options and more to produce a report you are proud of, without straining your time and resources.
Canva: Design support with report-specific templates and brand kits that keep your report looking professional and compelling year after year
Hemingway App: A writing tool that helps edit content and trim down text for simple readability, appealing to a wider range of readers
ChatGPT: Inspiration prompts to create your report outline and structure (for example, "Write me an annual report outline for my charity using this information")
YouTube: An easy way to host video reports or supporting multimedia to embed into your online report and share with a simple link that you can track analytics on
Start your most impactful year with Zeffy
Zeffy is the only 100% free fundraising platform for UK charities: no platform fee, no transaction fee, no card fee. Ever. We focus on giving charities the tools they need to create the most impact from their fundraising and expand communities with experiences donors enjoy. Zeffy also supports Gift Aid handling, so you can make the most of every pound your supporters give.
Every registered charity in England and Wales must file a Trustees' Annual Report (TAR) with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The TAR must cover: reference and administrative information (charity name, registration number, trustees' names); structure, governance and management; objectives and activities, including a public benefit statement; achievements and performance; a financial review including reserves policy; plans for future periods; and the charity's accounts.
For charities below £250,000 gross income (non-company charities), accounts may be prepared on a Receipts and Payments basis. Larger charities and all charitable companies must prepare Accruals accounts under the Charities SORP (FRS 102).
The optional supporter-facing impact report sits on top of the TAR and can include visuals, beneficiary stories, Gift Aid impact figures, funder acknowledgements and a forward look at the year ahead. See the CCEW guidance for full statutory requirements.
This depends on the size and legal form of your charity.
Small charities (gross income of £250,000 or under, non-company): may prepare Receipts and Payments accounts, which is a simple summary of money received and paid out, plus a Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
Larger charities and all charitable companies: must prepare Accruals accounts under the Charities SORP (FRS 102). These comprise a Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA), a Balance Sheet, a Cash Flow Statement (required for larger charities) and supporting notes. The Charity Tax Group provides detailed technical guidance on SORP requirements.
All accounts are filed with the charity's regulator and published on the public register, where anyone can view them.
No, they are three distinct documents. The annual return is a short online form you submit to your regulator each year confirming basic details about your charity. The Trustees' Annual Report and Accounts (TAR) is the full statutory narrative report plus financial statements, which must be filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR (Scotland) or CCNI (Northern Ireland), and is published openly on the public register.
The impact report or annual review is the optional supporter-facing document that showcases your year to donors, funders and the wider community. It is not a legal requirement, but it is an excellent tool for building trust and demonstrating impact. Many charities align the key figures and public-benefit narrative in their impact report with what they have already filed in their TAR, so the two documents are consistent.
Yes. All registered charities in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland must file an annual return and Trustees' Annual Report with their regulator. The depth of the accounts required depends on your income and legal form.
In England and Wales (CCEW): non-company charities with gross income under £250,000 may use Receipts and Payments accounts; all others must use Accruals accounts under the Charities SORP. Filing deadline is 10 months after financial year-end.
In Scotland (OSCR): all charities must register regardless of size, and file accounts and a Trustees' Annual Report within 9 months of financial year-end.
In Northern Ireland (CCNI): phased registration is ongoing; all charities on the NI register must file annual reports and accounts. Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) must register with CCEW regardless of income level.
Yes. Every registered charity's Trustees' Annual Report and Accounts are published on the Charity Commission public register (England and Wales), the OSCR register (Scotland) or the CCNI register (Northern Ireland). Anyone can search a charity by name or registration number and view its filings.
This is a strong UK transparency norm. Prospective donors, grant-makers and corporate partners routinely check the public register before committing to a relationship with a charity. A well-written TAR filed on time is itself a trust signal.
The optional impact report, by contrast, is shared at the charity's own discretion, typically on its website, by email to supporters and at events.
All filings are published on the respective public register. If your charity operates in Scotland as well as England and Wales, you must register separately with OSCR and file with both regulators.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
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