From the Nominator

The annual impact report from the University of California, Santa Barbara is distinct this year, because it has a compelling, new editorial strategy. We wanted to give our supporters space to share their stories with depth and nuance, so the report has donor narrative features and highlights collaboration and growth. The report also looks at the people of our campus community. The report is produced entirely through a small team of in-house talents. Our team sets a rigorous editorial and artistic standard that elevates this piece into a keepsake. We understand our traditional audience, but we also use digital features, such as QR-code stories. The first few lines of the preamble summarize this year's vision: “Campus is never the same two days in a row. It could be subtle or striking—a new blossom, or a new building. UC Santa Barbara is ever evolving, and our supporters are part of that progress.” The result of our work is a high-impact piece that could only come from UC Santa Barbara. Our submission models how to engage audiences with quality annual-report content as part of calendar-year-end strategy. No element is used only once. Each photograph and story becomes part of our calendar-year-end communications strategy, creating a cohesive audience experience, from National Philanthropy Day through Jan. 1. Gifts increased 50% as a result of this distribution strategy.

From the Judges

This annual report is a great example of effective storytelling and donor recognition. It strikes the perfect balance between highlighting major donors and focusing on the next generation. The engaging stories and metrics make it a compelling read. It's clear that the creators know their audience and have optimized the report for print. This is a fantastic model for an in-depth annual report on private giving, and the theme and content can be easily repurposed. Overall, a professional and impressive piece!