But it seems that donors, sponsors, shareholders, or whatever you call those lovely folks you depend on, love them. Or at least they demand them. Sorta like Rumpelstiltskin. He provides what you need to get your work done and demands a steep payment in return: the output of your lifeforce. But he hasn’t really thought through what he’s going to do with that payment once he collects it. Can you picture Rumpelstiltskin changing diapers? Do donors actually read these long, mind-numbingly boring documents? But, as usual, I digress.

The catch: there’s some important critical info in those reports. It’s good to know what you’ve achieved. Documenting your accomplishments and failures matters. Your organization’s stories matter. Knowing where you’ve been and where you’re going and all that. Trick is to make sure you’re gathering and sharing the info that will work for you.

But there is a way. Call it out. Admit that annual reports are boring. Have some fun. That’s what the brilliant folks at the Amazon Conservation Association did. Enrique Ortiz, co-founder of the ACA, awesome Peruvian biologist, and one of my mostfavorite people ever, shared with me their masterpiece: The Los Amigos Moore Project Final Report, NON-BORING VERSION (download PDF, 5.5MB).

I read it. Twice. And so did the people at the Moore Foundation (yes, that Moore — a huge donor to things Amazon, as well as to Conservation International). Rumor has it one of the first reports read widely cover to cover. Ever ever.

The comic was produced with an application that turns photos into illustrations. Will ask Enrique and post name of it in the comments. Yes, I’m sure it took a lot of time to produce. But I bet you the team felt energized after creating it. It’s a wonderful example for the rest of us. Thanks ACA!