Each year, The Duke Endowment releases a uniquely themed suite of materials that together comprise its annual report—a print publication and microsite that speak to the real-life impact of its grantmaking, and two downloadable addendums documenting financial details and grantmaking. As a signature communication, the annual report is always distinct and highly creative year to year. But in 2024—the high profile 100th anniversary of the Endowment’s founding—it needed to also carry the themes and messages of the centennial campaign, while minimizing development time amid all the other activities.
For nearly 20 years, Williams Group has developed the annual report themes, titles, design approaches and digital experiences that tell the story of the Endowment’s work. In this centennial year, our aim was a look and feel that aligned with the organization’s reflective mindset, that highlighted enduring grantee relationships through which so much impact has been made, and that offered an opportunity for audience engagement. To that end, we created Committed to the Carolinas: Reflections. Custom postcards “authored” by grantees shared gratitude and impact and also served as a thematic mechanism to introduce their narratives. Both the print and digital versions also included a fillable postcard that audiences could use to share their own reflections.
“Reflections” was enthusiastically received by The Duke Endowment and the thousands of readers who received, downloaded or visited the annual report. The Endowment received scores of postcards from individuals sharing their own community stories, and staff were thrilled to have a piece that was complementary and able to help advance their overall centennial campaign.
Launch the site