An annual report can be an in-depth and comprehensive report on the activities conducted or held by the NGO or a Trust during the past year(s). It basically describes the accomplishments made by the organization. Most agencies prefer to read through the annual report to understand the assets, expenditures and grants received by the organization during the previous year. Non-profits often struggle with what should be included in an annual report and what should be left out.

Annual reports have also changed significantly over modern times. Once rather ponderous brochures typically written in standard language that only insiders could understand, annual reports now speak to a broader group of people and use easy to instantly comprehend text plus many more photos and infographics.