As a nonprofit professional, you probably have your mission statement memorized by heart and are beyond excited to share your organization's purpose at a moment's notice. Perhaps you've seen or heard first hand the power of a good story for fundraising or constituent engagement. You want to create presentations, complete reports, and tell stories about your nonprofit that leave a lasting impact. You're keen to inspire supporters to take the next step in engaging with your organization.
But where do you start?
Storytelling is part art and part science. The art is where your creativity and imagination can really flourish. As for the science part, there are two components of stories that make a lasting impact: structure and data.
You don't need an English or Communications degree to tell great stories -- though that certainly wouldn't hurt! Just keep three components of an inspiring story in mind:
One of the most valuable professional presentations I've ever heard was by Nancy Duarte called "That Resonates with Me." In the presentation, Nancy Duarte provides the elements of a good presentation, or any good story, really. She would later share similar insights in her TED Talk "The Secret Structure of Great Talks." After thorough analysis of really excellent presentations, Duarte found great stories share a common pattern:
Think about your nonprofit and the story structure:
Tell your story from this perspective and you'll inspire your readers or listeners.
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Data can infuse your stories with tremendous power, so long as the data is accurate and relevant. It's a bit of a symbiotic relationship, really - the data needs the power of story to gain attention and the story needs the power of data to build trust in your organization and your programs.
"Data won’t get you a standing ovation; stories will. Stories inform, illuminate, and inspire. Tell more of them." ~Carmen Gallo, "Data Alone Won't Get You a Standing Ovation"
In our recent interview with the Salesforce.org Global Impact and Engagement team, we discussed two keys to using data to tell better stories. You need:
In other words, your data needs to paint an accurate picture of true impact –actual behavior and lives changed – not only outputs from programs. This is an important distinction: an output will tell you how many pounds of food you distributed, impact data will tell you how many people who are less food insecure.
Without impact data, you'll have compelling anecdotes, but won't have a story that will resonate as deeply with supporters than one that clearly draws the connection between their support and your impact. That type of story is one where they will find themselves reflected back in the hero's journey. . . the supporter's journey if you will.
In the world of nonprofit fundraising, it's common for large donors or government funders to request impact data, while other supporters may not have access to this data. We'd encourage you to share impact data not just with those who ask for it, but each supporter. Supporters contribute to your organization because they believe in the change you want to make in the world! They want to take the journey with you!
Let's imagine a supporter journey using what we know about story:
As they see their part in your story, they will be inspired and motivated to share it, too.
Of all the resources we have to inspire change and transform behavior, few can outperform a good impact story. Weaving impact data, information, and insights into the supporter journey for each supporter, not just for government grants or large funders, will:
We can't wait to read or hear your impact stories! If you'd like to connect with a Now IT Matters team member about tracking impact data in your CRM or sharing compelling impact stories, we'd love to talk with you.