Companies are shifting their view of their CSI initiatives, bringing their CSI and ESG teams closer to core functions through mergers, reorganizations, and changes in priorities. And with the increasing regulations and rising stakeholder pressures, companies are paying closer attention to their impact initiatives. But increased attention is a double-edged sword that comes with both risks and opportunities.

When we talk about our work, there are three types of stories we tell - our core story, our current story and our future vision story. This blog is part two of a two-part mini-series on how to make the most of numbers and narrative and how to use them together. RCIC is so excited to have guest-writer, Leyla Farah of Narrative Arc, to share her insights and expertise.

Impact reports intend to showcase an organization's purpose and commitment to creating positive change in the world. However, in today's savvy and discerning world, readers crave authenticity and meaningful reporting rather than being subjected to another marketing exercise. To create an impact report that delivers meaning, we will need to go beyond the surface-level numbers and build a strong narrative.

Your impact report is a journey, and your job as author is to bring your audience along for the ride. No matter if you are reporting ESG metrics, Philanthropic giving, or outcomes of funded programs, if your report is hard to navigate and doesn’t tell a story, you are going to lose your reader. And then what is the point?

Theoretically, all impact reports are delivering similar information, in a similar format, so one would think they would all be somewhat the same. But they aren’t - each is uniquely designed to share their company’s message. At the same time, they are also not completely unique snowflakes.

We can’t write a report for every audience or all of our goals. It would be a mess. To be successful, an impact report should be written with audience and outcome in mind - What does your audience need? What do they care about? And what do you want them to do?

Impact reports occupy a unique space between marketing & communications, and accountability & compliance. A well-written impact report both understands both its audience and its business value, and is crafted to deliver.