But these expense levels will be different for different organizations, often for legitimate reasons. Use Form 990 to explain why certain costs are relatively high. An older, established ministry with an established donor base which contributes regularly is not as likely to require as much fund raising as new organization that is trying to get its mission before donors. If so, explain the steps the organization took to insure that the transactions were reasonable. Continue to use your annual report.
Many charities prepare and distribute an annual report.
The annual report can be a powerful communication vehicle. It can present the full audited financial statements plus any other detail or analysis you wish to provide, including Form 990 data. Your organization fully controls what goes into the annual report. Communicate about what you do, why you do it, and the results of those efforts. Go beyond describing what you do to describe what happens as a result of your efforts.