Annual Report

In order to provide a complete picture, the report should describe the activities the association has carried out. It should outline the association’s internal activities, such as the number of member meetings and board meetings that have been held – but above all, it should show what activities have been organised for members and the wider public.

Structure of the Annual Report

1. Introduction and Board Members

In this section, you should briefly summarise the past year in an introductory text. Mention important milestones and events such as anniversaries or important rights issues and language initiatives that have marked the year. This section is also where you list who has served on the board (i.e. the chair, treasurer, secretary, regular members and deputy members) and state how many board meetings and member meetings (including the AGM) have been held.

2. Activities Carried Out (The Core)

This is the heart of the report. It describe what you have done over the course of the year. The best approach is to divide this section into different themes based on your activity plan:

• Cultural Activities: For example, handicraft (duodji) evenings, lectures, concerts and National Day celebrations.

• Language: Language-immersion sessions, courses and language exchanges.

• Children and Youth: Activities specifically aimed at the next generation.

• Rights Initiatives and Representation: For example, participation in consultations with the local municipality, the submission of official responses on land rights, or attendance at conferences hosted by the Sámi Parliament.

3. Membership Growth and Communication

This section shows how many members the association had at the start of the year compared to the end of the year, and whether there has been an increase in interest from any specific group (such as young people). You should also use this section to describe your outreach and awareness-raising work via social media, the local press, radio and other means.

4. Financial Summary

The exact figures are presented in the income statement, but here you can set out in simple terms which major grants have been received and whether the year ended with a surplus or a deficit. It is also helpful to explain the reasons for any significant differences from the budget – for example, if a surplus arose because a planned lecture was held online rather than in person.

5. Conclusion and Signatures

The report concludes with a short, positive outlook for the future from the board. After this, all regular board The report should conclude with a short, positive message about the future from the board. After this, all regular board members must then sign the annual report, either physically or digitally.

Tips for Making Your Report Even Better:

• Use Images: Photos from your activities will help bring the report to life and serve as concrete proof for funders that the activities mentioned actually took place.

• Mention Goals and Challenges: Demonstrate professional governance by explaining how things went in relation to your goals (‘In the activity plan, we set a goal to …’). It is also completely fine to mention challenges and explain things such as why a course might have been cancelled, for example.

• Language: If the association is involved in language revitalisation, writing part or all of the annual report in Sámi can send a strong and meaningful signal about the organisation’s commitment to the language.

Remember: The annual report must be submitted to the association’s auditors along with the financial records well in advance of the AGM, so that they will have enough time to write their auditor’s report.