![8 Tips for nonprofit [& for profit biz] storytelling | Storytelling = Nonprofit Sustainability | Scoop.it](http://img.scoop.it/AOKyPrlFa07w8YQAUVpCMjl72eJkfbmt4t8yenImKBVaiQDB_Rd1H6kmuBWtceBJ)
What’s your story? Finding and telling an organization’s most compelling stories is always my first step in the consulting process.
Here are 8 great storytelling tips for any nonprofit or for profit business. It's all about how to find your stories.
There are plenty of articles on how to tell a really engaging story that moves people to action. But where do you get those stories from?
Follow these tips and you will soon have a wealth of stories to choose from! I particularly like tip #6 -- Listen. Yes! So often this is left out of the equation. We are so busy thinking about the questions to ask and how to respond that we forget that the magic in evoking stories is simply to listen delightedly -- not critically.
And then tip #8 -- don't polish your stories too much. Well, keep them authentic but do clean them up a bit. There is no excuse not to have a well-crafted story. Not everyone on video is a good storyteller. And turning a recorded story into a well-written story takes crafting. My advice? Craft an awesome story while keeping it authentic --you want the person telling the story to be shown in the best light possible! Via Karen Dietz 
You’d think that a problem makes for an interesting story. But when it comes to telling the story of game-changing innovation, the “problem/solution” model is broken. This is why so many brands and causes have a hard time telling their story. When it comes to business, you want to introduce a paradox, not just a problem.
What a great post from colleage Michael Margolis on how to re-think the problem/resolution elements of a story into presenting the possbility & then the obstacle being faced.
This is an especially important insight for nonprofits to get because the problem/resolution set up starts out with a negative -- which can be a turn-off for people. As Michale says, we are surrounded by enough problems these days.
So turn the problem/resolution dyamic on its head and shift to presenting the possibility/obstacle dynamic instead. That way you are leading with a positive, and then presenting the obstacle to overcome. Obviously then people's participation in the cause/business will help the obstacle be overcome. Or part of the obstacle has already been overcome with people's help.
Now, I would suggest doing the same for any business -- present the possibility and the obstacle, and then the resolution or call to action.
I be you'll feel better setting up your story this way, and so will your audience. Let me know how it goes! Via Karen Dietz 
In 2010, RMHC launched a “Day of Change” campaign to drive people to donate spare change at their local McDonald’s restaurants. Using social media to spread the word virally, RMHC generated 180,000 interactions on the global Facebook and chapter pages, ultimately increasing online donations in August 130% compared to August 2009 and significantly generating more to their donation boxes. 
Storytelling imbues all aspects of our lives. We turn on the TV and, before we realize, we are listening to a story. It may be fictional if we are watching a film, or it may strive to give an objective and balanced précis – a journalist’s sound bite. If we are religious, we listen to the stories of our imam, vicar or priest and return home to relish the daily happenings of our loved ones as they recall their events of the day. We swim amongst stories.
In relation to working with children and young people in development, I am not convinced that the uses of storytelling have been thoroughly explored. Part of the problem is that it’s just not taken seriously. Via Gregg Morris ![2 Examples of Non-Profit Content Marketing [that could be] | Kurat | Storytelling = Nonprofit Sustainability | Scoop.it](http://img.scoop.it/D8kUOuCdh2VcEaqk_OvQIDl72eJkfbmt4t8yenImKBVaiQDB_Rd1H6kmuBWtceBJ)
Here are two tear-jerking examples of why non-profits have the most opportunity when it comes to a content marketing/social media strategy. It all comes down to effective nonprofit storytelling. The purpose of this paper is to explore narratives in a new nonprofit arts center. It includes macro-, meso-, and personal narratives that keep the center organized in the midst of the chaotic everyday activities. It advocates the explanatory force of narrative as an alternative to organizational life cycle theory for understanding organizational startups.
Herrmann, A. F. (2011). Narrative as an organizing process: Identity and story in a new nonprofit. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management, 6I, 246-264. Via Kathy Hansen 
Movement stories are essential, perhaps even inescapable. A movement is defined in part by what stories unite it, and what traditions it draws upon. Telling stories links individuals to larger movements, and these movements to the past. But there are drawbacks, too. As a story attains the status of legend, it becomes more dramatic and perhaps more inspiring, but it loses some of the messy detail that people identify with. History, on the other hand, is often more prosaic, even boring, but at least allows us to place ourselves more squarely within it. Via Gregg Morris 
Here are some ideas to get you started choosing and using stories in your annual reports to deepen the connection with your audiences. 
"In your brain, you have neurons called “mirror” neurons. These brain cells are essentially the “soft-wiring” behind empathy. It’s why you feel sadness when a friend is struggling, and happy when they overcome an obstacle. You experience their ups and downs as if they are yours.
This video explains more about the science behind empathy. You’ll learn why stories work better than stats in your online (and offline) appeals. You’ll learn why pictures elicite a strong emotional response than text."
Don't let the title fool you -- even though this is slanted to non-profits, we all need to know this information.
By watching this video (which takes very complex notions and breaks them down into simple-to-understand chunks), you will learn a alot about empathy. I quibble with a few points, but overall it's a good synopsis.
What is the connection to story? Well, by sharing a story you connect with your audience through empathy. So the more you understand about how and why empathy works, the more you will master business storytelling.
Enjoy the video and let me know what you think! Via Karen Dietz This piece was written by Raf Stevens, author of "No Story No Fans"
I selected this because the author gives some very good tips on how to use storytelling that lets your audience know who you are and why they should trust you. People work with and buy from people they like. If you're not connecting with others through your content online, this article will help you.
Intro:
Many organizations are not even aware that their message has lost all connection with their audience
The strange thing with all this is that the solution to creating compelling content is so obvious: Use stories and storytelling
Do you think that you or your business is in touch with its own stories? And can they be told in a way that connects them with their audience in this hyper-connected world?
Chances are this might not be the case if you have trouble answering any of the following questions:
**What story really defines you?
**How does your story fit with the heart of your organization?
**How is your story emotionally engaging to your audience?
**Can your audiences retell your story?
**In what ways can they develop trust in your story and act upon it?
Here are a couple of good takeaways:
Remember the universal truth:
Nobody wants to be sold, but everyone wants to be helped. Create content that:
**answers your audience's questions
**provides them with answers and solutions or demonstrates how your offerings can help them in their everyday lives
Build trust
Honesty among people is important, but trust is critical for marketers to gain audience support. So make sure your story demonstrates why you arae worthy of your audience's trust.
Curated by Jan Gordon covering "Storytelling, Social Media & Beyond"
Read full article here: [http://bit.ly/t2Wx1d] Via janlgordon 
Most organizations have forgotten the art of storytelling, which is why their messages aren’t being remembered. Here are three points to consider. 
The Art Of Storytelling In Business Communications And Public Relations...
Perfect article. Great read. Fabulous examples. Easy to implement. Follow the "Our Story" structure for your "About" page!
For nonprofits, imagine how much better your "About Us" pages and grant proposals would read if you followed this example. Via Karen Dietz 
Characters are absolutely critical to a good story. There’s a reason why we cheer for Rudy when he finally gets to play, why we cry for Bambi, and why we love it when Harry Potter defeats the despicable Lord Voldemort.
If someone is to change the way they see your issue and/or be motivated to act, they must be inspired by a person they can relate to and root for. Based on our experiences, here are three of the six common pitfalls regarding characters in nonprofit storytelling, along with examples of how some groups are doing it right. A second blog post will cover the other three. |
Merely knowing what a charity does isn’t always enough to convince potential donors to lend financial support. Sometimes you have to know who the charity does it for, too.
Now how creative is this?!! I love that nonprofit Aspire uses an infographic to share a story, and also creates a very effective video story about their email campaign using the infographic.
The infographic is not about the organization, but about the people it serves. Yeah! They got it right!
Enjoy this material. You too can do this! And I encourage you to do so. It is quite ingenious and it will gain you results. Via Karen Dietz 
I firmly believe that strong storytelling leads to more donations. Storytelling is the substance that fundraisers need to use to be more effective online fundraisers. Because of that, we interviewed Cara Jones, Founder at Storytellers for Good and an Emmy Award recipient. She shares her expert advice in how non-profits can use storytelling for fundraising, how they can get started, and tips on how to craft the most compelling story. This is an invaluable read. Check it out below.
The Power of Storytelling for Nonprofits
Nonprofit communications too often get tangled up in the language of data, generalities, and high-level objectives, which keeps supporters at arms-length from the emotional core or their organization. To be effective, they need to tell a compelling story, giving supporters a one-to-one connection to the impact a donation can have. Find out how one organization communicates with stories that carry the emotional resonance to touch and connect with supporter, and read about four resources for undertanding and utilizing the power of storytelling.
The link to this story is here: http://lindaziskind.com/the-power-of-storytelling Via janlgordon 
Here are some tips on how you can elicit stories about your organization from colleagues, board members, donors, clients, grantees, and others.
Whenever I work with an organization, the toughest part is figuring out how to make storytelling a sustainable activity. This article helps solve one part of the problem -- how to evoke & collect stories from your stakeholders.
Evoking stories is a skill. I've worked with plenty of organizations who have tried to collect stories and failed miserably because they did not know the specific techniques for evoking stories in others.
So thank you Thaler for these 7 tips! Follow them and you will evoke amazing stories from others. These tips will make all the difference for you. Via Karen Dietz 
I realized that the most sophisticated communication technology we have when it comes to building relationships is simply ourself. And the best tools are well-crafted and told stories. After all, they say a story is the shortest distance between two people and telling your organization’s story is really no different than the stories we share with each other every day.
However, if you’re going to enter into the realm of ‘Narrative Philanthropy’ I’ll warn you… it does require a wee bit of work. 
Organization communication has the power to be effective through the use of seven types of stories, all essential to success. 
The question is – when organisations write up their funding bids, should they put training as a small part of their budget? Or should it be offered as part of the support package a funder offers?
I think that funders should make it a requirement of accepting a grant that recipients are compelled to keep a blog, capture photographs or produce some kind of content which they should be able to use online. In turn, the charity or community group can use this content for their own marketing, communcations and profile raising.
I know for many charities, particularly smaller ones, this kind of content gathering will be seem as a big ask, especially with feedback forms and other paperwork to fill in, but I have a sneaky feeling that this will be a key part of impact reporting in the year ahead. Via Gregg Morris 
Advice on planning, building, and promoting digital stories By: Brian Satterfield (Note that these principles apply to all storytelling, not exclusively to non-profits.) 
One of the greatest challenges for non-profits today is how to increase donations.
No matter what time of year it is, nonprofits are always faced with the challenge of raising funds. So I have several resources to share with you that I trust will help you find, craft, and share your stories better to make your fundraising more successful.
There's a PowerPoint presentation and audio recording that go together talking about the how and why stories work in fundraising, worksheets to help you develop your non-profits core stories, and an academic article talking about what nonprofit stories must have in order for them to work.
Enjoy... Via Karen Dietz 
So, you want to be a storyteller. Six tips to help you craft stories for impact. 
So as fundraisers, how can we tell the real story – expose the true heart of an organization – when our messaging is only one part of a huge multi-dimensional website?
The answer is simple: Create a microsite that allows you to focus on a particular topic, present specific calls to action and, with the help of social media, reach large numbers of people much more quickly than a traditional website.
In my first post about the need for more characters in nonprofits stories, I recommended that people, not organizations, be the protagonists, that they struggle some in their journey, and that we hear them speak (through dialogue/quotes).
This post covers three other important ways to improve your characters and your stories. Please let me know if you have had success with others! |
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