Let Me Tell You A Story (Again)
- Chris B.
- May 20
- 2 min read
Fundraising is driven by stories.
Stories from donors, volunteers, clients, board members, and community members. Stories of impact, of generosity, of triumph.
But while there's no shortage of advice about how to get stories, we don't spend enough time talking about what do with the stories after we get them.
For a lot of my career, I was convinced that stories were fleeting and fragile, and that the audience for my stories only wanted to hear new stories, every time.
I think the truth is that stories can be told and retold. That good stories demand to be retold - even to folks who have heard the story before.
Stories are like ingredients that can go into multiple recipes. A video clip from an in-person event can be shared on your socials. A partial transcript can be used in a newsletter.
To stretch this tortured metaphor even further, the type of dish you are preparing - and the type of ingredients you are using - depends on who you are cooking for.
Stories of impact and generosity might help inspire potential donors. You might use stories of gratitude when talking with current supporters. Maybe a volunteer group is hungry for a story that tells the story of the future and the vision of your organization.
None of this is particularly difficult, but it does take some time to reflect and think about what the story is about, who might benefit from hearing it, and how to best use it.
Have you told and re-told stories to your supporters? What do you look for in a great nonprofit story?
PS - I help clients use impact stories to drive donor engagement. If you're ready to do more for your mission, respond to this post and we'll get started.
PS - Join me on June 17 for a free webinar hosted by Auctria. I'll be talking about ways to design an engaging fundraising event. Register here: https://www.auctria.com/webinar/designing-engaging-events-three-questions-that-matter/
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