Acton Circle

Acton Circle is a social impact design studio transforming how purpose-driven organizations share their stories. We create annual reports that transform into evergreen assets working year-round for organizations’ missions.

Annual Report Design Intensive  |  Annual Report Template Kits

Founder + Creative Director

O. Wheeler Design Studio LLC

I provided graphic and web design services for clients ranging from small business owners to major tech companies and Fortune 500 companies.
 
After taking my experience from consulting and forming my first design studio, I shifted my focus and rebranded myself to have a greater impact on the world by partnering with purpose-driven organizations.

Design Consultant

Everlaw

Collaborated with and coached designers through complex design problems, product ideation, and any interpersonal issues that arose. Helped designers expand their expertise and deepen their impact. Took responsibility for quality across product and brand design; this included promoting design guidelines, establishing a design system, and setting a high design bar. Partnered with product, engineering, and other stakeholders to ensure projects were well-defined and successfully executed. Fostered and championed a design culture across the organization.

Design Manager

Developed creative design solutions for Everlaw’s document review platform; took highly complex workflows and created comprehensible user interfaces. Worked closely with cross-functional teams to deliver the best user experiences. Ensured brand consistency throughout Everlaw’s product, systems, and marketing collateral/campaigns.

UI/UX Designer

Accela

Conceptualized, designed, and executed digital and print projects, including websites, landing pages, microsites, advertisements, emails, marketing collateral, presentations, icons, event graphics, and other lead generation assets. Managed multiple workflows in a deadline driven environment. Collaborated with designers, developers, copywriters, and product marketing managers.

Associate Graphic Designer
October 2014-2015

Visual/Graphic Designer

WEBCOR Builders

Designed print and digital marketing collateral including ads, booklets, social media graphics, and powerpoint presentations. Assisted Marketing team with the design of RFPs. Took job-site photographs for use in advertisements, proposals, and other marketing materials.

Graphic Design Intern

AG DESIGN GROUP

Created original design concepts for print, web, and UI design. Proactively managed social media content calendar; generated content, commentary, and posts that were interesting, on-brand, and resonated with core audience.

Junior Designer

Your impact? Incredible. Your visuals? Let’s just say… they ain’t tellin’ the whole storyyy. 😅

I see it all the time:

→ A huge lift for the team and a total headache that ends in a rushed PDF (Worst part? Donors don’t connect.)

→ Three months on the annual report… three minutes of attention. Then poof! (Talk about deflating.)

→ Donor materials get done, but don’t get results. (All that effort? Invisible.)

Sound familiar? Thought so.

After 12+ years helping purpose-driven organizations—from national nonprofits to scrappy teams—I’ve seen it over and over: when design is strategic, it’s not “just decoration,” it’s a tool.

It’s the bridge between “We should support them” and “How do I give more?”—helping donors feel connected, confident, and ready to act.

Now picture this:
✦ A report your board is proud to share with their networks
✦ Visuals so clear and compelling donors instantly get the “why”
✦ Tools your team can reuse without reinventing the wheel

Not a dream. Just our everyday work.

Receipts? Say less…

“We really loved the Annual Report that Acton Circle created… They followed our direction really well and made a beautiful and fun report that highlighted our programs perfectly.” 
— Joanna M., Planet Women

“We’ve heard only praise and accolades for their work – some have said it’s the best-designed materials we’ve had to date!” 
— Marketing Director, Education Access Nonprofit

And then there’s our work with Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, where we brought their risk factor hub to life.
→ 1.9 million people reached // → 220,000+ engagements

BIG impact.

Whether you need a custom-designed report or a plug-and-go template, we’ll make sure your design matches your impact.

☻ Annual Report Design Intensive: 2-3 focused weeks to design your annual report and supporting materials you need to share it well

☻ Premium Template Kits:  For the “in-between” orgs that want more polish than DIY but don’t need a fully custom project

Ready to make your annual report work year-round and stop lettin’ your visuals play small?
Let’s do somethin’ about it:

Book a call → www.actoncircle.co/book-a-call

Shop Canva templates → www.actoncircle.shop

Learn more about the intensive → www.actoncircle.co/services/annual-report-designer

———

When I’m not creating beautiful work for purpose-driven teams, I’m chasing my kids, people-watching with my husband, or lifting in my garage gym (these design muscles aren’t the only ones working 💪).

You’ve got the mission. We’ve got the design chops. Let’s make it happen.

— Olivia

I’ve reviewed, designed, and rescued more nonprofit annual reports than I can count. Here are 5 mistakes that quietly KILL trust (and make your hard work wayyy less effective):

1️⃣ Treating your report like a one-and-done project
If your report disappears after launch and you’re just on to the next thing, that’s a HUGE missed opportunity.

✅ Design with REUSE in mind. The report content you poured your all into for weeks, if not months? It should live EVERY-FREAKIN’-WHERE → social posts, decks, mailers, one-pagers. One report can fuel content ALL YEAR if you build it right.

2️⃣ Leading with infographics instead of story
We’ve all seen it: pages full of icons and numbers (maybe a short label) with no real explanation. It looks impressive… BUT numbers alone don’t mean anything without context, emotion, or story.

✅ Start with HUMAN STORIES. Show faces. Add quotes. Let the numbers back it up.

3️⃣ Not establishing your visual voice
Every awkward image, hard-to-read paragraph, or disjointed layout chips away at your credibility. And if you’re using all the accent colors in your palette at once?! It’s NOT creative; it’s just confusing your audience.

✅ Invest in a solid visual foundation. That means templates, examples, and guidelines crafted by a design EXPERT who can see the whole system.

4️⃣ Bringing design in at the VERY END
Design isn’t the “final touch.” It’s the BRIDGE that turns content into connection.

✅ Bring your designer in earlyyy. A fresh set of eyes can strengthen your storytelling in ways you can't see because you're too close to the work.

5️⃣ Talking about what you did instead of what THEY made possible
Reporting isn’t about recapping effort; it’s about creating alignment: between your results, your mission, and your donors’ belief in both. When donors see their fingerprints on your success, they stay invested.

✅ Ask before every section: “Why should donors care?” If you can’t answer that, rewrite it.

You’re not selling a report. You’re building belief.

When people trust what they see AND feel seen in what you share → that’s when the volunteering, the giving, the supporting, the sharing, the [enter whatever action you seek] happens.

The best communicators inform anddd ignite trust through purposeful storytelling, on-brand design, and transparent results.

Stop cranking out reports just to say you did it.
START creating evergreen trust assets that make people stop, read, and care.
That’s the Acton Circle way.

Running a little last-minute this year?
You can still create a powerful, intentional, and on-brand annual report.

When you’re ready to make your report more true-to-you, the link’s waiting for you in the comments. 😉

#nonprofit #annualreport #visualcommunications

Olivia Lopez-Wheeler

Graphic designer for nonprofits | Annual Reports that repurpose into multi-channel content • Donor Materials • Canva Templates | Founder + Creative Director @ Acton Circle

I used to think structure would kill my creativity.


I didn’t have to use a template? OMG HALLELUJAH.
Having no really specific technical requirements just felt like a gift from God.

Until it didn’t.

For a long time, I…
▶️ Assumed that more time = better results
▶️ Tried to keep everyone happy with every version
▶️ Lived in reaction mode instead of setting any kind of rhythm

BUT this meant that projects took too long.
Designs got messy.
And by the end, I was tired. Second-guessing everything I made.

Creative freedom without direction? It was disorienting.

One afternoon, as I was juggling math with my kid, a client revision, and trying to figure out dinner (iykyk), I sat there thinking…

This is TEWWW much.

Everything’s loud. Everything feels urgent.
And I don’t even know where to start.

I realized: I didn’t need more freedom.
I needed to “prioritize and execute” (as my husband likes to say).

So instead of living with ALL flexibility and ZERO direction, I started building structure. In work *and* in life:

▶️ Fewer daily priorities (because I can’t do it all)
▶️ Tools that help me jump-start my workflow
▶️ Setting expectations for how I work (instead of bending to every client’s system)

And I see the same thing with nonprofits struggling to create their materials.

So much heart. So much vision.
No system to hold it.

But if there’s one thing to take away from my experience, it’s that…

Design without structure = stress.
Design with direction = connecting with your people, building credibility, and having a brand that actually sets you apart.

And THIS is the kind of design support that I hope to give the orgs I work with.

What about you?
Has structure helped or hurt your creative flow lately?

#nonprofitdesign #designsupport #nonprofitlife #nonprofitmarketing

You bookmark their annual report. Screenshot their Instagram. Save their website to your “inspo“ folder.

But your materials still feel... kinda slapped together.
I get it.

You see orgs like charity: water or that one local nonprofit whose stuff is always weirdly on point.

Clean brand. Consistent. CREDIBLE.

And you think: “If we just had a good designer...“ or “They must have a huge budget...“

The pattern I see across 60+ purpose-driven orgs I’ve worked with?
That level of presence AND look you love? It didn't happen by accident.

And it’s not about luck or having a ginormous budget.
Those brands didn't just “get lucky“ with a good designer.

They slowed down.
They invested in the RIGHT areas.
They built systems that made consistency and good branding easier.

Look:
If your brand doesn’t reflect the quality of your work, donors assume your WORK isn’t quality either.

Unfair? Yes.
Reality? Also yes.

So if you’re trying to get that same credible presence, don’t copy the LOOK → adopt the PROCESS.

What does that mean?!

Slow down and build the habits.
Invest smarter in the right areas.
Be intentional and set the standard.

Messaging. Visuals. Timing. Tone.
It all works together when built with intention.

The orgs you’re screenshotting? Many have smaller teams than you think.
They stopped reacting and started building.
THAT’S how you stop admiring the polished brands and start becoming one.

Be honesttt: if someone looked at your brand right now, would they immediately understand your impact?

Ready to build the systems that make you the org others screenshot? 
I’ve got a couple of openings. Hit me up!

#branding #nonprofit #nonprofitcommunications

“We’ve done so much in the last 15, 20, 25 years… but where do we go from here?”

What starts as a design conversation usually leads to this underlying challenge.
And I hear it A LOT from orgs that are deeply trusted by their communities, getting real policy passed, and moving big infrastructure projects forward… yet still duct-taping their comms together behind the scenes.

They’re not beginners. They’re not underperforming.
They’ve just outgrown the scrappy systems that used to work fine.

A lot of folks hit this moment and think:
“Let’s just refresh the brand.”
“Let’s hire someone to finally run socials.”
“Let’s make an impact report!”

And sure, any of those can help. But they’re NOT the whole answer.

The real shift happens when you stop treating comms + marketing like a side quest... and start seeing it as the connective tissue across development, operations, and leadership.

You can’t keep asking a non-designer to 
→ Hack together every funder deck in Canva
→ AND write the year-end appeal
→ AND manage socials
→ AND tell your 25-year story.

(If this is your current setup: NO SHADE. I see you. You ain’t alone.)

What *actually* helps is not just more content.
It’s breathing room. Clear roles. A plan that meets you where you’re at.

Here’s what that can look like:
✅ A team that knows what story they’re telling (and why)
✅ Tools that make it easy to reuse good work, not reinvent the wheel
✅ A comms rhythm that supports development, so you’re not always playin’ catch up
✅ A clear throughline from “we’ve done so much” → “here’s where we’re going next”

If you’re navigating this shift, I’d love to hear how it’s showing up for you!
What’s working? What’s stuck?

Mission-driven leaders are the ONLY people who can hit every goal and still feel behind.

Why do we do this to ourselves?!

Lately, I’ve been thinking about this pattern.

You wake up already feelin’ behind.
You move the goalpost the seconddd you get close.
You secure funding, launch programs, expand reach... and immediately start listing what you DIDN’T do.

And when you’re mission-driven, it’s not just about YOUR success.
It’s about the communities you serve, and the "if I don’t do it, who will?" weight you carry.

The brain folks say it’s rewiring neural pathways.
Therapists say it’s childhood stuff.
Coaches say it’s limiting beliefs.

Maybe they’re all right. 🤷‍♀️ 

But maybe it’s also this:
We forget to pause.

To notice what’s coming up without trying to fix it immediately.
To walk with it, not sprint away from it.

Because yeah, awareness without action? Doesn't change much.
But action without ALIGNMENT? That'll burn you out quick.

So here’s what I remind my clients (and myself):
Go back to your mission.
Not the 47 things on your strategic plan.
Your ACTUAL mission.

Then ask:
→ Are you spending most of your time on things that barely move the needle?
→ Are you adding projects out of guilt, comparison... or strategy?
→ Does the way you’re movin’ actually reflect what matters most?

That misalignment? That’s why you feel off.
You DON’T need a full organizational rebrand.
You don’t need another annual report you’re not repurposing.
You just need one better choice than yesterday.

→ Say “nahhh“ to one thing that doesn't serve the mission
→ Delegate one thing you've been white-knuckling
→ Invest in one area that's been draining you (hello, annual report!!!)

That’s it. That’s growth. That’s the work.

Mission-driven leaders: what's ONE thing you’re being too hard on yourself about right now?

Let’s reframe it together 👇

#missiondriven #nonprofitleader #leadership

Wrapping up not one but TWO annual reports this week 💃🏽 (and I can’t wait to show you once they’re live!)

Both clients booked our Annual Report Design Intensive, and here’s the fun part:

👉 One got a clean, static report.
👉 The other went all in with an animated report.

🥳 Both walked away with extra spinoff materials + assets (think brochures, postcards, email graphics, infographics) so they can keep showing up in front of their people MONTHS after launch.

I’m a firm believer that your annual report shouldn’t be a one-and-done project. It can (and should!!) be a great foundation for your content to come.

Sooo, if you’re curious how we do it (and how your team could actually enjoy report season for once 😉), shoot me a DM!

#nonprofitannualreport #nonprofitdesigner #annualreportdesign #nonprofitmarketing

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