Is your non-profit not a human services organization? Do you find yourself grasping at threads for stories to tell?
This is probably one of the most common problems that I get asked about at conferences, webinars and from clients.
You see – there’s this flawed assumption that we’re all holding on to within this problem. The assumption is this – the only “good stories” are stories about people who are our organization’s clients.
That is simply not true! Whether your organization is helping animals, the environment, preserving history, etc, you have plenty of stories to tell that are engaging, interesting and compelling.
Today I want to share with you an excerpt from my upcoming e-course that will give you a solution to this very problem. Please enjoy this excerpt from The Power of Storytelling – 4 Weeks to Engage Staff and Board Members as Passionate Fundraisers.
Who to Tell A Story About
While client stories are great, those are not the only stories your organization can tell. Let’s look at the types of stories at non-profit can tell – both characters and plot lines – to explore our options.
In terms of characters, the most common ones include:
– Staff members
– Board members
– Volunteers
– Donors
– Clients
– Beneficiaries (different from clients in that they did not directly access a service, but it has somehow affected their life.)
What Your Story Can Be About
When we think about non-profit story plots, we most often think of the triumphant success story. A client had a problem. They found a service or program that an organization offers. They accessed it and have come out on the other side of their problem. These are always feel good stories, no doubt about it. We know that they are thought-provoking and emotional engage readers to empathize with the character.
– The story about your founding
– The story about your vision for the future
– A story about your most loyal volunteer
– Stories about your board members
– Stories about amazing donors who have a big heart for your cause
The most important thing to keep in mind when trying to decide what story to tell is to think about who will be reading/seeing the story. Ultimately you want that person to care a result of the story you tell them. You can more easily facilitate this process by thinking about what story they would most want to hear.
The Most Important Story You Can Tell
As you can see there are many different types of characters and plot lines that we can draw on to tell powerful stories.
But there’s one that I haven’t told you about yet, and I think it’s actually the most important story you could tell. This story answers a very simple question.
What would happen if your non-profit did not exist?
We talk all the time about how important our organizations are to the communities we serve, but do people really believe that? Paint them a vivid picture to imagine a world without.
What would happen if the animal shelter wasn’t open anymore?
What would happen if no one was around to protect natural resources?
What would happen if . . . ?
Your task today is simple.
Answer the question, “what would happen if your non-profit did not exist?”
– – – – – – – –
I hope you’ve enjoyed this excerpt from The Power of Storytelling – 4 Weeks to Engage Staff and Board Members as Passionate Fundraisers! Early bird pricing for this outstanding e-course ends on Friday! Sign up today to receive $30 off your registration.
