This example is fictional — an invented organization in a situation the sector will recognize. The skills it names are real library skills; the people and the organization are not.
Who: A 40-year-old community theater — small staff, big volunteer base, loyal donors who mostly give $50–$250. The annual report has been a rushed four-pager every December.
Skills: Annual report for the report itself; Storytelling to feed it material worth reading.
Each example shows one or two skills at three depths: beginner (one draft), intermediate (a repeatable rhythm), and advanced (a connected workflow). Human review remains part of every level.
Beginner — a report people finish
Replace the wall of text with a short, honest report built around one strong story and the numbers that matter.
- Install the annual-report skill and answer its intake questions: highlights, numbers, audiences.
- Use the storytelling skill to develop one dignity-centered story from the year. Obtain permission for the actual channels of use and give the subject a chance to review; do not upload identifiable material to a tool without appropriate authorization.
- Ask for a four-to-six page draft: story first, financial snapshot, donor thanks.
- Have the finance owner reconcile the snapshot to approved figures for the same reporting period, and the program owner verify activity claims. Confirm story/photo permissions for this publication, then have a board member proof the approved draft.
Worked example: a story beside reconciled numbers
What you bring: All details are fictional. In the theater's fiscal year ended June 30, 2026, ticket revenue was $110,000, contributions $40,000, and other revenue $30,000. Production expenses were $120,000, administration $32,000, and fundraising $20,000. An invented participant, Alex, joined the backstage crew and later led a set-change team.
What you ask:
Use the annual-report and storytelling skills to draft a short story and financial snapshot. Use only these facts, name the fiscal period, reconcile totals, and do not invent a testimonial or claim that the story proves program-wide impact.
What comes back, excerpt:
Alex began the season on the backstage crew and later led a set-change team. This is one example of a participant taking on new responsibility, not a measure of outcomes for everyone.
Fiscal year ended June 30, 2026: Revenue totaled $180,000 and expenses totaled $172,000, leaving an $8,000 excess of revenue over expenses. This summary does not establish available cash or unrestricted funds.
What the human changes: The finance owner confirms classifications and any required qualifications. For a real story, the editor verifies the account with its subject and checks permission for each planned use.
Ready-to-use check: The financial totals and period reconcile; the story is factual and approved for the named channels; a final editorial review checks names, captions, and claims. The invented example is not a publishable testimonial.
Intermediate — a planned editorial rhythm
Schedule production around the organization's fiscal close, finance-review timetable, and audience needs. Collect material throughout the year so the report does not start from scratch.
- Set a quarterly reminder to log season highlights, photos, and numbers as they happen.
- Capture two or three story candidates per quarter with the storytelling skill.
- Set draft, reconciliation, and publication dates relative to the fiscal close; do not assume October is right for every organization.
- Reuse the design, but recheck narrative, numbers, reporting period, and permissions each year.
- Adapt material for the year-end appeal only after confirming that the consent covers that use; seek renewed permission when it does not.
Advanced — one narrative, many channels
Run the annual report as the flagship of a full reporting ecosystem: web, funders, major donors, and the 990 all drawing from one source.
- Keep a single impact-narrative document updated quarterly.
- Derive the report, a funder one-pager, and web impact pages from that narrative.
- Keep a permissions record for each story and photo, including approved channels and any limits; check it before reuse in donor or appeal work.
- Have finance reconcile report claims with the financial statements and applicable Form 990 period, explaining classification or timing differences rather than forcing unlike figures to match.
- Refresh the flagship narrative after the relevant fiscal close and review milestones, and whenever a material fact changes.