The Travis Manion Foundation is an American non-profit organisation devoted to helping war veterans. It was established in the name of 1st Lt. Manion, a soldier killed in battle in Al Ambar province Iraq, in 2007, while attempting to save wounded fellow soldiers. Based in Pennsylvania, the TMF works as caregiver and its ambit includes a veterans leadership program, youth mentorship, and community engagement.
The TMF’s 2022—2023 annual report takes the form of a dedicated website that uses a suitably military colour palette of brass, silver, red and black (with American military stars occurring occasionally as icons). The content of the site is organised into ten sections and each is kept short and to the point.
Text is tightly written, short, and set in an easy to read sans serif. Audited financials and related documents are available for download and the report links to its parent site, for further information.
Video is the format chosen by the designers to do the heavy lifting. The report opens with a widescreen montage of veterans at various TMF events. They are shown working, exercising and at play.
The report is built around five testimonial videos, and again, these are short and impactful, helping to centre the report on veterans and their families, thereby allowing the beneficiaries of the TMF’s programs to tell their stories.
In its use of text and imagery, the report clearly communicates that despite life-threatening injuries and the long-lasting trauma sustained by veterans, their outlook remains firmly positive. This is a report worth studying for how precise and purposeful it is.
