A nonprofit organisation puts a great deal of work into an introductory brochure, annual report or event programme. If that material already exists as a PDF, consider how readers will encounter it: as an email attachment, among the downloads on your website or as a publication they can open directly.
For nonprofit organisations, converting the existing PDF is free of charge. Publication arrangements are agreed separately. The starting point is the material you already have. This article explains where the format can be useful and how to begin the conversation.
What kinds of organisational material could it suit?
In a brochure for supporters, photographs, areas of activity and stories can work together to introduce your organisation. An annual report can use a sequence of chapters to give its information a clear structure. An event programme can help people browse what will be available before they attend.
An information brochure or an introduction for volunteers may also be suitable. The key question is whether the material works well as a publication in its own right and whether browsing it this way will be useful to your readers.
What does free creation mean?
I use FlippingBook Publisher to create an online flipbook from your existing PDF. This is the Publisher product installed on Windows; the manufacturer's official product page introduces the format. As a nonprofit organisation, you do not pay for this creation work.
We clarify where and how the publication will be made available and how later changes will be handled during our discussion. This establishes what is needed for readers to access the material before work begins. The offer covers creating a publication from an existing PDF; please mention separately if you need new writing, a visual identity or an entirely new layout.
Four steps from the PDF to publication
1. Discuss what you want to use it for
Start by describing the publication, who will read it and where you want to share it. An annual report accessed from your website has a different context from a programme circulated before an event. It also helps to know whether the PDF is final or whether its content is still likely to change.
2. Agree on the source PDF
I review the version intended for publication: whether the pages are in the right order, smaller text is readable, and names, dates and contact details are current. Choose only material your organisation wants to make public. A description is enough for the first enquiry; we agree on how to transfer the PDF.
3. Create the flipbook
The web publication is created from the existing pages. The checks cover the internal pages, navigation and phone use as well as the cover. It helps if you identify a few important elements in advance, such as a table, contact details or programme list that needs particular attention.
4. Discuss access and later versions
The publication can be presented through a link or embedded in a website; the Publisher embedding guide explains the latter. I work around the publication setup we agree on.
We clarify who manages that location, how you will link to the material and what should happen when a new PDF becomes available. If you also need a downloadable version, mention this in advance.
The aim is to make the information accessible to readers
Readability matters alongside the page-turning effect. A report with small text may still require zooming on a phone. Important details, such as an event's date and location, are therefore worth including in the text of your website as well, so readers can find them without searching through the full publication.
A flipbook is not automatically accessible, as the Publisher accessibility guide explains. Plan how readers can reach an alternative, such as your prepared accessible PDF or web text version.
What should you include in your first enquiry?
- Your organisation's name and that you are enquiring as a nonprofit.
- The publication's title or subject and its page count.
- Whether the PDF is final or further changes are expected.
- A link to the public PDF, if one already exists.
- Where you would like it to appear and who it is for.
You do not need to decide everything in advance. If you are unsure where to publish it, say so. A clear description helps us discuss your actual material and start with the task you need to complete.
Already have a PDF? Let us discuss it
Use the contact page to ask about a nonprofit publication and include the basic details listed above. We will then discuss your existing material, publication arrangements and how later updates will be handled.