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Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida Annual Report

Organization Name:
Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Southern Florida
City & State:
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Describe your creative piece – what is it and what has it been used for, and why is it innovative?
In scrapbook-style, our Annual Report illustrates the many pieces of the puzzle that that fit together to make each wish come true.From our donors and volunteers to our staff and board, this piece heralds the people who work tirelessly to make wishes take flight. Each intricate piece is highlighted in this 20-page work of art. A wish transports a courageous child from a world of uncertainty to a world of possibility. What better way to capture this than with photos and wish stories. The scrapbook theme was a natural fit for our Annual Report because it allows us in a whimsical manner to chronicle our accomplishments, recognize important individuals and humanize financial information. The theme also helps epitomize that regardless of whether a wish lasts hours or days, the impact of a wish come true lasts a lifetime. Just as you thumb through a scrapbook to remember good times, our Annual Report guides our supporters on a trip down memory lane, reminding them of the impact they made.
What issue or problem were you working to address with this piece?
At the Make-A-Wish Foundation®, we work tirelessly to educate our supporters about our mission and how donated funds are used to grant more than 500 wishes each year. In today’s economic times, we also face the challenge of securing the funds necessary to fulfill our mission and set our Foundation apart from the countless other worthwhile causes. By definition, the Annual Report must speak to current donors and potential donors alike, showing how donations directly change children’s lives. Each year, we must find innovative ways to raise funds and spread our mission. As the number of medically-qualified children on the waiting list rises, so does the need for more funds to turn their wishes into reality. The Annual Report is an important way for us to share our mission with current and potential donors alike. It has to be designed in a balanced way to tug at the reader’s heartstrings, yet report pertinent financial information, all the while being compelling and easy to understand.
How has your submission successfully impacted your organization’s ability to solve this issue/problem?
Within the covers of this piece, we share magical wish experiences, convince donors that their funds are being well spent, attract new donors and recognize special individuals, all while creating a historical record of our progress. The scrapbook theme is powerful because by its very nature a scrapbook is meant to be picked up. There’s just something about a scrapbook that makes you want to look at the pages inside, and that was certainly the case with our scrapbook-themed Annual Report. The Annual Report is an all-encompassing piece that can stand on its own or reinforce our mission after a meeting. When the piece was distributed at meetings, we have found that each reader skims the pages until they reach the information that interests them; however, because the information is presented in such a fun, child-like format, it is impossible for them to skim through the smiling faces and touching words without slowing down. Thus, they were exposed to more of the Make-A-Wish magic.