5 Nonprofit Storytelling Tips to Connect With Supporters
Movies, books, songs—though these concepts are conveyed through different media, they all have something in common: they tell a story. But stories aren’t limited only to fiction or entertainment. They also allow us to understand the world we live in and connect with the people and community around us.
Storytelling is a deeply human experience, and when done well, it connects individuals to organizations that may otherwise seem inaccessible. These tips for better storytelling will help your nonprofit build better relationships with its supporters.
Construct the beginning, middle, and onward
Whether you’re building a fundraising ask around a beneficiary’s story or reporting the impact of your work to an important donor, you should follow the tried and true narrative arc of all good yarns: beginning, middle, and onward.
Let’s break down what each step of this narrative arc might look like for a nonprofit dedicated to providing school supplies to underserved districts.
- Beginning: This stage lays the groundwork for the story. In our example, we might describe the moment that someone in the community—the nonprofit’s founder, a teacher at a local school, or maybe a major donor—noticed that there was a need. Teachers were struggling to fill their classrooms with pencils, notebooks, or other important materials for learning, and realized that there was work to be done.
- Middle: The middle part of your story is where your main character faces the challenge that they’ve noticed and strives to overcome it. This is when your nonprofit describes the hard work of achieving its mission. In this section, you could highlight a certain fundraising campaign, or the first years of getting the nonprofit up and running.
- Onward: Unlike other stories, which must come to a close, your nonprofit’s story isn’t over as long as there’s still work to be done. Instead, this part of the arc is how you convey to your supporters that the story is still going, and they can be involved. Explain to them the path to your desired future—a world where all students have the supplies they need—and how they can participate in the story of getting there.
Choosing the right story to tell can be a difficult first step. Consider stories unique to your organization, like the inspiration behind a specific fundraising campaign or the story of a long-time volunteer.
Personalize the narrative
A story has to be well-structured and coherent for your supporters to understand it, but that’s not all—it also has to be interesting. In an increasingly busy world, what will help your nonprofit’s story stand out and keep your supporters’ attention?
Research shows that supporters are “more likely to engage when they feel seen, heard, and emotionally connected.” In other words, your stories should lean into the details that connect your nonprofit’s story and work to your community.
For example, our school-focused nonprofit might include the names of local teachers and schools, and the stories of the children at those schools.
“Mrs. Powell, who was born and raised in our very own Beautifultown, has taught at Cornflower Elementary for thirty years,” is more interesting to someone with connections to Beautifultown or Cornflower Elementary than “Local teachers need your support!”
Combine qualitative with quantitative data
According to Getting Attention’s marketing statistics, audiences are 22 times more likely to remember a story than facts alone. But that doesn’t mean you have to stay away from the numbers of your nonprofit’s work. Instead, your storytelling can be the perfect vehicle to explain just how impactful your nonprofit’s work has been on your community.
The quantitative aspects of your work are the proof of what you do, but human stories help people understand what it means in real life. Here’s how UpMetrics explains the difference between quantitative and qualitative data:
[Alt text: A chart comparing quantitative data and qualitative data.]
- Quantitative data refers to data that can be given a numeric value.
- Qualitative data captures qualities, characteristics, experiences, and behaviors in a descriptive or narrative form.
Depending on the story you’re telling and the types of data that would be relevant, your nonprofit may look for this data from various sources. For example, pull dollar amounts or event attendee numbers from your auction or fundraising event tools, and request donor testimonials or feedback through surveys.
Once you know how to quantify your impact, you can more easily decide which stories illuminate that information most clearly.
Embrace the multimedia approach
Just as there are infinite stories to be told in this world, there are infinite ways to tell the same story. Your supporters spend time on various platforms, which is why it’s important for your nonprofit to tell its story in several different places.
Multimedia approaches for telling your story might include:
- Personal essays on your website
- Social direct messaging with supporters
- Video interviews with members of your community who benefit from your work
- Social media tools, like TikToks and Instagram Reels with trending sounds or threads on X
You can also diversify how you tell your story across all platforms. Combine images, videos, text, and statistics for the most engaging and informative communication possible.
Build individual connection
When you’re telling the story of your nonprofit, don’t forget about the importance of each individual listening. Your nonprofit’s story relies on the supporters who hear it and decide to get involved, deepen their engagement, or support you in whatever ways they can.
Emphasize connection in your story by:
- Segmenting your audience and tailoring the story to that segment’s interests and passions. For example, if you have a group of donors who always support one specific program, the story they’re going to be most interested in is the impact and power of that program.
- Messaging supporters individually so that they feel valued, engaged, and important to your cause. These messages can include updates on your work or follow-ups about how their gift supported a specific beneficiary.
- Using different impact frameworks to share details or outcomes. This will inspire individuals who are interested in your nonprofit’s work to continue their involvement.
- Meeting one-on-one with long-term supporters. Tell them the story of how their efforts have impacted their communities or your mission.
Building individual connections allows each and every supporter to see how their own lives are part of the broader story of your nonprofit.
Think about storytelling and connecting with your supporters as opening a window instead of posting a billboard. Instead of your outreach efforts being a sign that someone drives past on the highway and then forgets, you want your marketing to be the start of a true conversation between your nonprofit and its neighbors.
