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Nonprofit Storytelling: How to tell better stories and raise more money Elizabeth Turnbull July 14, 2010 Special Thanks To Our Sponsors

Nonprofit Storytelling

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Once upon a time… Storytelling is an art that brings a nonprofit‘s mission into the hearts (and pocketbooks) of its supporters. In this webinar, we’ll talk about what makes a good story (and what doesn’t), where to find moving stories, and how to tell stories to increase donor and volunteer engagement in your nonprofit.

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Page 1: Nonprofit Storytelling

Nonprofit Storytelling:How to tell better stories and raise more money

Elizabeth TurnbullJuly 14, 2010

Special Thanks To Our Sponsors

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A Proud Sponsor of NonprofitWebinars.com

Helping ordinary people raise extraordinary amounts for nonprofits is all we do, and we love it.

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Today’s Speaker

Hosting: Sam Frank, Synthesis PartnershipAssisting with chat questions: Chris Dumas, FirstGiving

Elizabeth TurnbullTurnbull Marketing Group

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Once Upon a Time...

• Who cares?

• What makes a story “good”?

• Where can I find a good story?

• How do I tell a story effectively?

• Where do I tell my story?

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Who cares?

• Everyone with money to give. And that means that you care, too.

• Fewer charity dollars going around means that you have to step up your game and make your mission relevant to your donors.

• If you don’t have a story to tell, then what in the world are you doing out there?

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What makes a story “good”?

• Characters you can relate to

• A plot you can believe in (and that’s relevant)

• Well-executed

• A call to action that moves you

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Characters you can relate to

• Personable

• Sympathetic/Vulnerable

• Have a fulfillable need

• Have a succinct story that relates directly to your mission

• Whenever possible, not you

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A plot you can believe in• No conflict, no need

• Clearly expresses the need

• Has a story-like feel (think feature story in your favorite magazine)

• Ties in directly to your mission

• Relevant to your donors

• Succinct

• Invites the reader into the character’s world

Food For The Poor. 2009. The Great Depression Campaign.

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Well Executed

• Good writing (or script)

• Descriptive — try to involve all of your readers’ senses

• Clear and easy to read (or watch)

• Professional quality

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A call to action that moves you

• Direct—no hemming and hawing

• Repeated

• Urgent—Why me?Why now?

• Doable

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• Everywhere! Every single living thing in the world has a story—the hard part is seeing it

• Start at home

• Talk to the people you serve

• Be nosy—ask questions that touch the heart

Where can I find a good story?

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Be nosy• What do you hope/pray for?

• What do you want for your future? For your children’s future?

• How has our organization helped you? What was life like before we began to help you?

• What do you want to tell our friends and supporters?

• Why should our friends & supporters help other people like you?

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How do I tell a story effectively?

• Focus on the details that pull at the heart strings—make them weep

• Be succinct—leave out the dry information

• Hook your audience from the very beginning

• Use action words, present tense and adjectives

• Don’t just tell a story—show it

• Tie everything back to your mission

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Hook, Line...and Wallet

• Imagine...

• Come with me on a journey...

• I want you to...

• I need you to...

• Start with a quote from the main character

• Transport your audience directly to the scene

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Mahalia

Climbing the sagging steps leading up to the dilapidated house teetering 6 feet off the ground in Georgetown, Guyana, I keep my eyes on 8-year-old Mahalia, who bounds ahead of me with no apparent fear of falling through the rotted wood. She leads me inside, where missing floorboards, bowing walls and a rusted piece of tin—more a strainer than a roof—form what bit of space she has to call home. I have come to listen, and Mahalia is just about to tell me a secret.

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Where do I tell my story?

• Use them everywhere you can—online, brochures, newsletters, fundraising letters, benefits, annual reports

• Illustrate with compelling photos

• Send your audience online for the rest of the story—websites shouldn’t be just content-driven, they need to be story-driven

• Make short videos—feature the people you serve whenever possible

• Tell one good story in each e-Newsletter

• Use your blog to tell stories, not to give status reports

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On Your Web Site

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On Your Web Site

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On Your Web Site

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On Facebook

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On Facebook

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On Facebook

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On Twitter

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On Twitter

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On Twitter

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Happily Ever After

• Pull at heart strings

• Be succinct

• Make it personal

• Tie it back to your mission

• Tell stories all the time, everywhere you go

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Let’s keep in touch

Elizabeth Turnbull

email: [email protected]

twitter: @ejturnbull

telephone: 919.741.5072

www.nobullfundraising.com.Sign up for our eNewsletter for helpful tips on nonprofit fundraising.

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Chris Dumas [email protected]

707-812-1234

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