In philanthropy, the saying is that people give to people, not causes. Connecting at the level of hearts and minds has always been critical to building long-term relationships with donors, and also with grassroots supporters. And the best way to do that is through storytelling. Now that YouTube, Vimeo, and other Web 2.0 tools are giving so many nonprofits a “channel” for their stories, personal narrative is being rediscovered. But to tell a compelling story requires critical elements.
What makes a compelling story about mission?
1. Focus on outcomes. Everyone loves a success story. Reality TV is filled with them: obese person becomes thinner, aspiring chef wins the prize, talented singer gets a record deal. Think of the success stories in your organization, but instead of listing them as bullet-points, express them through anecdotal stories.
2. Focus on people. The people who make it happen and the people whose lives are changed. Who are the people who made a difference in students lives? What are those students doing today? Who is the volunteer who went into a community and changed it for the better? What is happening in that neighborhood now? What would have happened to that child without a medical intervention paid for by others? What kind of life does this child have today? Interview-driven narratives are highly successful at building the case for donors and volunteers.
3. Show why your organization matters. Somewhere in the narrative, you need to show viewers why your organization made a tangible difference in the outcome. It wasn’t just random acts of kindness that led to this success. It was your people, your dedication, your/their dollars at work.
4. Engage viewers in their own narrative. Make sure there is a call to action somewhere in your story, usually at the very end. “How can you make a difference just like Alice did?” “With just 20 cents per day, you can change the life of a child like Shawn.” “Join us at our XYZ event to make your voice heard.” Think about what story viewers want to create for themselves after watching yours.
5. Provide follow-up options. If a viewer is moved by your narrative, they should easily be able to click somewhere next to the video or case study to do something–sign up for the conference, make a donation, become a member. Despite the tendency to want sheer numbers—hey, our video got 20,000 views!—you really want qualified viewers. And viewers who will ACT once they’ve heard your story. So be sure you provide a way they can engage other than passive viewing. The framework around the video should have clickable links. And if you are participating in Youtube’s nonprofit program, you can embed links to your nonprofit site directly in your video content.
Telling and hearing stories is our oldest human instinct. Web 2.0 just makes it easier to share.
Amy DeLouise helps nonprofits tell their stories, strategize about their futures, and influence the world around them.