Wondering if you should hire a graphic designer? As nonprofit leaders and advocates in the field, our team at Yearly hears this question often.
While every nonprofit organization is different and has different needs, there are definitely some pros and cons to taking on a graphic designer to create your annual report. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through all the benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing your annual reporting design needs.
The pros of hiring a graphic designer
A graphic designer can be a great addition to any team. For small nonprofits who often don’t have the ability to hire a full-time designer for their marketing needs, outsourcing to a freelancer is always a great option. With so many talented professionals in the space, finding a hardworking designer is easier than ever.
Plus, hiring a graphic designer allows you to gain an outside, unbiased view of your work. That designer, an independent contractor or freelancer, might have the ability to provide a fresh new perspective. And well, hey, who doesn’t love that?
The cons of hiring a graphic designer
Despite the benefits that graphic designers might bring to the table, outsourcing your design needs can also backfire. Not only can contractors be expensive and competitive with their rates, hiring also requires an investment of time. To bring the designer up to speed on your needs, you’ll have to commit to some onboarding. Depending on your nonprofit, the onboarding process might be time-consuming and tedious.
Plus, hiring an outside contractor can always be risky. It’s never a guarantee that they’ll deliver on time, and be available for revisions or requests.
The solution
While there’s no “right” or “wrong” answer to whether or not you should hire a graphic designer, there is a happy medium solution.
Instead of relying on an already busy staff member to learn InDesign or, hiring an outside graphic designer, platforms like Yearly are a great resource.
Though we know we’re biased, we created Yearly in part as a response to this very issue. Cost-effective and easy-to-use, anyone from your organization can create a professional and beautiful annual report. Zero design skills necessary. No need to outsource or ask your staff to learn a new skill—Yearly takes care of everything for you.