I worked with Chicago Community Bond Fund to create year-end reports from 2017 until the organization sunset operations in 2024. CCBF was a nonprofit bail fun that posted bail bonds for people who could not otherwise afford it, allowing them to remain free and in the community while fighting their cases. CCBF was a founding member of the Coalition to End Money Bond, a group that was instrumental in the passage of the landmark act that abolished cash bail in Illinois.

CCBF’s annual impact reports highlighted the organization’s achievements as they grew into a major voice for reform in Chicago and across the state. They helped to document CCBF’s work and increase their credibility for decisionmakers and donors. Each edition also highlighted the stories of individuals who were impacted by pre-trial detention in order to center the voices of those most impacted by inequitable policies and create opportunities for connection.

When I first began working with CCBF, the organization was undergoing a great deal of growth. While they had buy-in from the community, having a traditional, print-ready annual report was important to increasing the organization’s visibility and authority for audiences including funders and lawmakers.

By 2020, the organization decided to prioritize social media distribution of the document to meet their audience where they were. We prioritized shorter text, engaging visuals, and easy to understand graphics to help the document stand out in social media feeds.