At Amenable, one of our core goals is to see goodness blossom, especially in difficult circumstances. For asylum seekers, “goodness” can feel just out of reach as systemic barriers and legal difficulties can make day-to-day life scary. That’s why we were thrilled when Restoration Immigration Legal Aid (RILA)—a nonprofit organization that offers pro bono legal support for migrants—asked us to create their annual report. We knew we had an opportunity to showcase work that promotes safety and a passion for welcoming immigrants.

Everyone knows annual reports are used to compile and communicate the important yearly data of a company. At Amenable, we believe annual reports can do more than just that. They not only remind readers of the accomplishments, areas to grow, and data of the last year but also the reason why the non-profit exists. When the report is done well, volunteers and leaders in non-profits will find themselves refocused and encouraged for the year to come. For RILA, their annual report needed to include the numbers from their last year, and the stories of the many lives in their community impacted by their work. As we collaborated with the team at RILA on their annual report, we were able to engage with and learn from a non-profit that cares deeply for their clients and reminds us why we love what we do at Amenable.

For the last seven years, RILA has been working incredibly hard with their clients through each and every immigration case. With over 128 active volunteers, they do their work pro bono, making it easily accessible for vulnerable and under-resourced people in their community. The beauty of RILA is not only the work that they do, but how the staff approaches each case with compassion, patience, and love. They want to see clients become legal citizens, of course, but they also want to see clients thrive in their new home for years to come. RILA helps their clients to work towards futures in which they are safe and protected. In systems that often seek to silence immigrants, RILA has not stopped being a voice for them.

The relationships that RILA has built are vital to who they are. They function in the community as neighbors—sharing meals, deepening connections, and being friends. They have established and solidified their presence well. RILA finds joy in seeing their clients (and friends) get homes, jobs, graduate college, and find healing. For us, at Amenable, getting to step into RILA’s world for a moment is rewarding and life-giving.

As we entered into their developed brand, we carefully examined the work that was already put into establishing the brand guidelines. RILA has a strong visual identity, so we collaborated with them to ensure that the report honored it.. Furthermore, RILA wanted the statistics and data to fit comfortably in the real world context of client stories, and that became a guiding imperative in our design. As we read the stories of the clients at RILA, we were deeply moved by their themes of victory. They contained painful memories and experiences, but they all pointed back to how they worked alongside RILA on their way to legal residency.

When we created RILA’s annual report, we used the existing color palette and typefaces, then added in some creative typography to convey the strength and resilience of their clients and the nonprofit team. Additionally, we gave RILA direction on how to frame client stories and honor their language choices in the quotes that were used. The client stories are the centerpiece of the annual report. They represent real life people, from many different places, who have chosen to share their stories with RILA. Their circumstances are all different, being mothers, daughters, husbands, fathers, sons, and ultimately people who have faced deep trials with strength and victory. Their individual stories are complex, but they are RILA’s neighbors, friends, and fellow community members and that is how we wanted to frame every single story told in the annual report. Even the typeface chosen for these stories is approachable, feeling more like a newsletter than a data update.

Restoration Immigration Legal Aid is not going anywhere, for the better of the community they exist to serve. Annual reports like the one we helped to design for RILA are one piece of the puzzle that makes a nonprofit truly successful. It was a joy for us to be able to witness our own core value of seeing goodness blossom through RILA’s work, through their compassion and strength in providing pro bono legal aid to their clients.


Note: In digital communication, we blur the faces of the individuals below to protect their identities.