The DIY Impact Report Toolkit: Essentials

Essential tools and guidance to help you build an engaging, professional impact report

The DIY Impact Report Toolkit Essentials is a complete, user-friendly reporting package designed specifically for charities, CICs, community groups and non-profits who want to showcase their impact - clearly, confidently and professionally - without needing design skills or specialist software.

Whether you’re creating your very first report or refining a long-standing one, this toolkit guides you step-by-step from planning to publication, helping you produce a polished report you’ll be proud to share with funders, partners, supporters and your community.

Who It’s For

Perfect for:

• Charities and voluntary organisations
• CICs and community groups
• Teams without a dedicated communications or design lead
• Anyone who wants a structured, simple way to show the difference they make

You only need a free Canva account - no premium features required.

What’s Inside the Toolkit

Everything you need to create a professional impact report is included:

Fully Editable Impact Report Template (in Canva)

• 100% customisable
• 5 professionally designed front cover options
• Replaceable icons, colours, fonts, and images

Guidance

Clear, practical instructions for every section, including:

• Choice of front covers
• Welcome message
• Organisational one liner page
• Our Work (about us) page
• Our Priorities template
• Why We Do What We Do infographic
• Our Year at a Glance
• The Difference We Made
• Project / service spotlight template
• People's Story template
• Partner / funder quote graphics
• Reducing our Environmental Impact template
• Diversity, Equality and Inclusion template
• Our Year in Pictures gallery pages
• Client quotes page graphic
• Collaborative working thank you page
• Final thoughts / closing page
• Back cover

Planning Tools and Checklists

• Quick-start guide
• Final proofing checklist

Bonus Support

The pack also includes:

• Impact Report Do's and Don'ts
• FAQs
• Optional links to additional services such as report reviews, power hours and full design support

What You’ll Achieve

By the end of using this toolkit, you will have:

• A credible, professionally designed impact report tailored to your brand
• Clear, meaningful impact data presented in a visual, accessible way
• Real stories and outcomes that show the difference your organisation makes
• A well-structured, repeatable reporting process you can use year after year
• A report that’s ready to share with trustees, funders, commissioners, partners and supporters
• A deeper understanding of how to demonstrate real impact, not just activities
• Practical tools and templates you can reuse with confidence

Why This Toolkit Works

✔ Designed specifically for non-profits

✔ Removes the overwhelm from impact reporting

✔ Uses plain English, clear structure and accessible design

✔ Reflects what funders and partners want to see

✔ Saves time and reduces stress

✔ Gives you the confidence to share your work widely

What People Love About It

This toolkit has been designed with the needs of small and medium organisations in mind. With clear layouts, editable templates, and friendly guidance, it helps you tell your story in a way that feels professional - without needing to hire a designer.

Take the Stress Out of Impact Reporting

You don’t need to start from scratch.

You don’t need design skills.

You just need this toolkit.

Create a polished, engaging impact report that truly shows the difference you make.