We don’t need to tell you about the importance of transparency and accountability, in the legal sector, when it comes to being an environmentally and socially responsible firm. Enter the impact repost – a crucial tool for firms and legal businesses striving to make a positive change, and to be recognised for their efforts towards people and the planet.
But the question is, what exactly should go into your impact report to make it truly impactful?
The basics – a table of contents for your impact report
Increasingly we’re working with firms that want to link their impact reporting to frameworks such as B Corp or EcoVadis, so that they can demonstrate progress within a recognised, global, framework. Here’s a link to a case study of one law firm that wanted to do exactly this.
If you’re not yet at this point, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t report on the work you’re doing and the impact you’re having. If this is the case, from a structural point of view, there are a number of things you could include. Let’s break it down.
- Leader’s message: A personal greeting from the person leading the firm or ESG activities. This is a great place to summarise your key headlines and to show the personal side to ESG at your firm.
- Mission, vision, values: It can be helpful, if you don’t have a framework that you’re working to, to use your firm’s mission, purpose and principles to explain your approach and priorities.
- Objectives, achievements and impact: Highlight your major accomplishments split across distinct categories – as a basic introduction you could use Environmental, Social and Governance… or Environment, People, Clients, Organisation… work out a structure that works for you. Don’t forget to include metrics where you can. This works best if you explain your goals and objectives as well as both progress made to date and plans for the future.
- Stakeholder engagement: Discuss your interaction with stakeholders – by this we mean, include some interviews and case studies to show, rather than tell, your impact.
- Future outlook: Share a conclusion that focuses on strategic priorities and ESG goals for the future. This is a really helpful way of showing that this isn’t just lip service and it gives you a starting point for next year’s impact report.
Top tips for your impact report content?
- Keep the language human. When it comes to the content itself, we’d always recommend keeping it as clear as possible – as plain-language aficionados ourselves our advice is always to use succinct, simple, and jargon-free written content.
- Clear objectives and goals relating to sustainability and responsibility are at the heart of any truly impactful impact report. They must clearly state the firm’s objectives and goals. What are you aiming to achieve through your sustainability and social responsibility efforts? Your goals should be specific. You should be able to measure them. They should be doable and relevant. And, they should have a deadline. These goals might apply to, for example, cutting emissions, promoting diversity, and helping local communities.
- Numbers don’t lie, and neither should your impact report. It’s essential to back up your claims with concrete data and metrics. This could include measures that are quantitative, like carbon footprint reductions and waste diversion rates. It could also include employee diversity statistics. You could also use qualitative indicators, like customer testimonials and community feedback. The key is to provide a comprehensive overview of your performance across various impact areas.
- Numbers may provide the evidence, but stories provide the soul. Include case studies and success stories in your impact report to bring your initiatives to life. Highlight real examples of how your sustainability efforts have made a difference. Share stories of individuals or communities positively affected by your sustainability efforts to illustrate the tangible benefits of your actions. This human-centric approach not only adds depth to your report, but also resonates on a personal level.
- A picture paints a thousand words. Don’t feel it all has to be written word, if you have data and information that can be communicated as a picture then break the content up with photos, graphs, tables and more.
- Involve your stakeholders. Ask for their input and feedback on your sustainability initiatives. Whether it’s employees, clients, referrers, or community members, their perspectives are invaluable in shaping your impact strategy and improving transparency. Be honest about your successes and failures, as well as any challenges or setbacks you’ve encountered along the way.
- Looking ahead is just as important as reflecting on the past. Use your impact report as an opportunity to outline your future goals and aspirations. What steps are you taking to further enhance your impact and contribute to positive change? A clear roadmap for the future demonstrates your commitment to continuous improvement and long-term sustainability.
Not sure where to start with impact reporting?
An effective impact report goes beyond mere numbers and statistics, telling your story and laying out a roadmap for your future impact journey. By including key achievements, benchmarks and goals, easy to understand data, as well as success stories, you can create a report that not only informs, but also inspires and builds trust.
Ready to tell your story? We’ve helped law firms both big and small navigate the minefield of impact report writing. But here’s what makes us different at ELE – we’re not just wordsmiths, we’re proud members of the B Corp family ourselves. We’ve spent years talking about our own impact and understand how to get it right. That’s pretty rare in law firm copywriting agencies.
Your purpose deserves more than just lip service; it deserves to be heard loud and clear by your clients and communities. With over twenty years of legal copywriting and design skills under our belt, we can help you produce reports that truly resonate with those reading them.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
