The Tool Trunk

If you’ve noticed your funders asking fewer questions, offering longer grant periods, or giving more unrestricted support, you’re not imagining it. The landscape of philanthropy is shifting. In 2025, trust-based philanthropy is no longer just a buzzword—it’s an evolving movement reshaping the relationship between funders and grantees.

According to Nonprofit Tech for Good’s 2025 Online Fundraising Statistics, monthly giving now accounts for 31% of all online revenue for nonprofits. For organizations that offer it, monthly donations make up 46% of their online income—nearly half.

Even the best teams get stretched too thin. And when it comes to developing an annual report—a project that requires focus, strategy, and storytelling—that stretch starts to show. If your annual report always feels like it’s running behind (or rushed at the end), you’re not alone. Here's why it happens—and what you can do differently this year.

By blending storytelling with data, nonprofits can turn their annual reports into powerful tools

This isn’t a failure of good intention—it’s a challenge of capacity.

When it comes to nonprofit annual reports, financials are often the most misunderstood section—by both readers and the people assembling them. At Elephant Creative Co., we’ve helped dozens of nonprofits present their financial story clearly, confidently, and beautifully. Here's what we've learned about what to include, how to present it, and why unaudited financials are perfectly okay in an annual report.