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Nonprofit Storytelling

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In our recent Board Academy session focused on Fundraising and Resource Development, we discussed the importance of storytelling. To create a lasting emotional connection with the general public, media and donors, your board of directors––and actually every member of your organization––should be prepared to tell their own impactful story as it relates to your organization’s mission.

Given recent executive actions affecting nonprofits, storytelling to donors, media and Congress is increasingly critical. You need to be able to effectively communicate why your organization is important, and what would happen if it wasn’t here?

Here are some components of effective nonprofit storytelling from ChatGPT:

1. A Relatable Protagonist

  • Focus on a real person, group, or community that has benefited from your work.
  • The protagonist should be someone your audience can empathize with.

2. A Compelling Challenge

  • Highlight the struggle or problem the protagonist faced before your nonprofit stepped in.
  • Make the challenge specific, urgent, and emotionally resonant.

3. A Clear Resolution (Impact of Your Work)

  • Show how your nonprofit’s intervention made a difference.
  • Use concrete details, data, and personal testimonials to illustrate success.

4. Emotional Connection

  • Use emotions like hope, joy, or perseverance to engage your audience.
  • Show, don’t just tell—use vivid descriptions, quotes, and imagery.

5. A Call to Action (CTA)

  • Inspire your audience to take action (donate, volunteer, share the story, etc.).
  • Make the CTA clear, direct, and easy to follow.

6. Authenticity and Transparency

  • Stay true to the story and avoid exaggeration or manipulation.
  • If using real individuals, obtain permission and respect their privacy.

7. Multi-Channel Delivery

  • Use visuals, videos, and testimonials to enhance engagement.
  • Adapt your story for different platforms (social media, website, email, video, etc.).

Check out this Forbes article for more storytelling tips and tools. If you’re looking to invest in your storytelling abilities, the annual Nonprofit Storytelling Conference is a great resource.

Analyzing a New Fundraising Campaign

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During a recent Development Directors Roundtable, a participant expressed disappointment that a new fundraising campaign, which she had been excited about and had high hopes for, was yielding low returns. A discussion ensued about whether to bolster efforts—or throw in the towel.

While everyone agreed the campaign seemed like a strong idea, it was suggested that some further analysis was necessary.

I found an article from OneCause that offers a few reasons why taking time to analyze your fundraising campaign or event is worthwhile:

  • It helps you track how your campaign is doing so you can make adjustments and improvements along the way.
  • It tells you how well the campaign performed against your goals.
  • It puts benchmark data in place that you can use to improve future fundraising campaigns.

HERE are their 5 Tips for Analyzing Your Online Fundraising Campaigns.

How language shapes the way we think

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There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world — and they all have different sounds, vocabularies and structures. But do they shape the way we think? In this fascinating TED Talk, cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky shares examples of language — from an Aboriginal community in Australia that uses cardinal directions instead of left and right to the multiple words for blue in Russian — that suggest the answer is a resounding yes. It’s just 14 minutes long and worth every minute! Click the photo to view at TED.

Photo of Lera Boroditsky

Building Trust

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How do you run an organization without trust? How does a nonprofit board of directors fulfill its duties without trust? Not easily.

At a recent Spokes workshop, the presenters talked about the importance of trust in building a resilient and inclusive board culture, but they didn’t say much about how to build trust in the first place. Where does it come from?

So, I asked my new friend chatGPT to list the most crucial factors for building trust. Here is what I got:

  1. Sincerity – Honesty and authenticity in words and actions.
  2. Reliability – Consistently following through on commitments.
  3. Competence – Possessing the skills and abilities necessary to fulfill responsibilities.
  4. Care – Demonstrating concern for the well-being of others.

Considering my life’s experience, those make perfect sense to me. I also asked chatGPT to recommend a couple books on the subject of building trust. The Thin Book of Trust: An Essential Primer for Building Trust at Work by Charles Feltman appealed to me.

Feltman provides a framework for evaluating trustworthiness, helping readers identify areas where trust may falter. The book emphasizes that trust is dynamic, built through repeated interactions, and can be repaired when broken.

https://www.bkconnection.com/books/title/the-thin-book-of-trust-third-edition

The Culture-Building Concept of “Porpoising”

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In our recent workshop, Cultivating a Robust and Collaborative Nonprofit Culture, the Applied Wisdom for Nonprofits leadership team introduced us to the idea of “porpoising.” This concept involves a deep-dive into your organization to uncover valuable insights at all levels. When nonprofit leaders periodically porpoise and practice observant listening amongst the organization’s diverse groups, they can detect signs of trouble before things spiral out of control. To build trust, be present, visible, and respectful when someone shares a problem or issue. To maintain trust, demonstrate action on the information given. Applied Wisdom for Nonprofits suggests that “no news is bad news” and “bad news is good news if you do something about it.” If things are quiet for too long, it may be time to porpoise. And if you find bad news, it presents a great opportunity to find—and celebrate—solutions together.

More information on the Applied Wisdom for Nonprofits principles, including porpoising and the Bad News is Good News philosophy, can be found here.

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