To effectively communicate your not-for-profit's mission and objectives, you must be able to tell a story. Good stories help build long-term relationships with stakeholders. There's no definitive way to tell one — you can (and probably should) use text, spoken word, graphics, photos, video and even music. However, there are some tried and tested ways to make your story more effective.
7 Tips
To convey a good story that will fire up donors, grant makers, association members, staffers, volunteers and your larger community, try to do the following:
- Set your organization apart. Most people are bombarded with charitable solicitations and sometimes, it's hard to distinguish one organization from another. For this reason, your nonprofit needs to tell a story with unique details. Although its mission may be comparable to those of some other nonprofits, your story is yours and yours alone.
- Take a cue from the corporate world. What makes for-profit companies identifiable by consumers? Usually, it's a tagline, catchphrase or visual image. The same is true for thriving nonprofits. Think of words and pictures that embody your nonprofit and that are likely to stick in the heads of those who read and see them.
- Choose shareable stories. If you're a nonprofit leader, you may be used to telling certain stories about your organization at conferences and other events. Think about the stories that go over best and that are most likely to be shared by others who hear them. You'll need an army of staffers, volunteers and constituents to be motivated to repeat these stories and recruit new supporters. Also make sure you tap these stakeholders' personal stories — for example, the story of someone whose life has been changed by your organization.
- Don't just tell — show. As you know, a picture is worth a thousand words. You probably know that annual reports can be dry reading and that photos of events, volunteers at work and the community you serve are essential for engaging readers. Communication vehicles such as your nonprofit's website and social media accounts are even more dependent on photos and video. Don't neglect the power of a picture to tell a compelling tale.
- Make it memorable. According to a study conducted by the Stanford VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab, stories are remembered up to 22 times more than facts alone. So don't overwhelm your audience with facts and figures. Use the short amount of time you have to engage people to tell an emotional story that enmeshes them in your nonprofit's mission.
- Convey transparency. Most donors want information that connects charitable expenditures to outcomes. A story that can tie donations to specific programs and to improved lives and communities will be the one they remember. Support your story with data and other hard facts.
- Inspire immediate action. Ultimately, your story should inspire your audience to pitch in and work for your cause, whether it's by donating funds or supplies, volunteering with the population you serve, soliciting petition signatures, or inspiring others on your behalf. So give them something to do and encourage them to do it now.
Brainstorming Actionable Ideas
The bottom line is, don't let your story become an afterthought. Spend time with your leaders and staffers brainstorming ideas. Once you arrive at a compelling, actionable story (or stories), make sure your stakeholders use it whenever the opportunity arises.
