find your voice: master your nonprofit’s brand story 7 storytelling essentials to inspire &...
TRANSCRIPT
Find Your Voice: Master Your Nonprofit’s Brand Story
7 Storytelling Essentials to Inspire & Mobilize Your Stakeholders
Presented by:Sarah Saunders, Power2Persuade
Why Bother With Stories?
“Anyone who has a new idea and wants
to change the world will do better by
telling stories than by any amount of
logical exhortation.”
– Stephen Denning
The Storytelling Challenge
“The research identified an overwhelming
need for thought leadership and capacity
building to strengthen storytelling [for
social impact organizations].”
– Digital Storytelling for Social Impact, The Rockefeller Foundation (2014)
Mrs. Kelly’s Story
BEFORE• Deteriorated beyond repair• Highly inefficient• Utility bill ($500+) > 50%
monthly income• Risked losing home
"Something must have happened to Mrs. Kelly."
Mrs. Kelly’s Story
BEFORE• Deteriorated beyond repair• Highly inefficient• Utility bill ($500+) > 50%
monthly income• Risked losing home
AFTER• High quality, new manufactured
home (ENERGY STAR)• Low-interest, fixed rate mortgage• Utility + mortgage < old utility bill• Home for 4 generations
"Something must have happened to Mrs. Kelly."
“We've got to get more housing like this in our territory!”
Mrs. Kelly’s Story
BEFORE• Deteriorated beyond repair• Highly inefficient• Utility bill ($500+) > 50%
monthly income• Risked losing home
AFTER• High quality, new manufactured
home (ENERGY STAR)• Low-interest, fixed rate mortgage• Utility + mortgage < old utility bill• Home for 4 generations
Inspired national, replicable model for low-income homeownership {
"Something must have happened to Mrs. Kelly."
“We've got to get more housing like this in our territory!”
Social Impact Storytelling: 7 Key Ingredients
#1: Define Your Goals
Team Sameer & Team Vinay
Asian American Donor Program
After 11 weeks:• 480 bone marrow drives• 24,611 new people registered• 3,500 volunteers recruited• 2 matches found
#2: Build Your Path to Impact
#2: Build Your Path to Impact
Spread the word
Make others care
Explore problems & solutions
Instill a sense of urgency
Equip others to help
ConcernedConcernedAwareAware InformedInformed CommittedCommitted EngagedEngaged
Be ready to share stories at every stage of the ‘conversion’ process…
#3: Focus On Your Audience
Remember: it’s not about you…
#3: Focus On Your Audience
It’s about those you serve – and those you inspire to action…
Potomac River Cleanup
#4: Get Active
Charity: Water
#5: Celebrate the WOW!
http://deathtothestockphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/DeathtotheStockPhoto-License.pdf
Why Focus on Emotions?
“People will forget what you said, they
will even forget what you did, but they
will never forget what you made them
feel.”
– Maya Angelou
Muttville
Senior Dogs Rock!
#6: Find Your Authentic Voice
http://deathtothestockphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/DeathtotheStockPhoto-License.pdf
No Kid Hungry
#7: Foster a Storytelling Culture
Signs of a Strong Storytelling Culture
You’ve developed & articulated a clear storytelling strategy
Your content and distribution platforms align with that strategy
Senior management encourages storytelling throughout the organization
All staff understand what makes a compelling story & how to tie it to your strategy, values
You're using meaningful metrics to evaluate storytelling effectiveness
Kedge
Thank You!
Questions
Sarah [email protected]
www.linkedin.com/in/sarahsaunders/
@Pwr2Persuade
Power2Persuade Blog (power2persuade.com/blog)