The Boston University Men’s Rowing Financial Report serves two purposes. It updates stakeholders on the financial status of BU Men’s Rowing—with comparative statistics for six years—and provides a review of the BU Men’s Rowing Alumni Association’s major activities, such as fundraising initiatives and identifying new officers. Considering the length of text (and explanatory text for new BUMRAA members), we opted for a graph- and table-based depiction of important figures. For example, we faced the challenge of providing an explanation of BU Men’s Rowing’s eight endowed funds, their founding years, and the families who provided them, as well as their uses for current consideration; repeating those explanations within a narrative could prove tedious to a reader. The table format reduces the text size and the drag on the narrative. Importantly, our athletics and marketing communications departments were able to provide us with terrific photos. The mix of new (and stylistically interesting) photos with black and white archival photos clarified the storied history of BU Men’s Rowing and the depth of the legacy with which donors are engaging. The report is capped with a list of donors within their specific giving societies, a portion of the project we proofed carefully.
From the Judges
While seemingly simple in its overall design and approach, this is what we feel is ideal of an annual report: short, strategic, and completely focused on its audience. The creators are candid and strategic about the purpose of the publication through clear storytelling and sharing the impact of funds.
