Whether told in a direct-mail letter, video, newsletter, or tweet, your nonprofit’s story should help you connect with potential donors and deepen ties with current supporters.
Experts say there are simple steps nonprofits can take to elevate their storytelling from mundane to meaningful:
1. Stop talking about all the great things you do.
If all an organization talks about is the great work it does, there isn’t an opportunity for the audience to connect.
“Honestly, nobody cares about your organization,” says Chris Davenport, the producer of Movie Mondays, a weekly video series featuring fundraising professionals. If you want to connect with potential supporters, talk about them and what they value, Mr. Davenport says.
2. Think about your audience — and tailor your story to them.
Define the audience you’re trying to reach, figure out what’s important to them and what connects them to your mission, and then stay on topic, says Ian Adair, executive director of the Martinez Foundation, an organization that works to improve teacher diversity in Washington state.
For example, when Mr. Adair’s organization communicates with school human-resources directors, it addresses their biggest concern: staff attrition. That allows the foundation to consistently focus on its support services.
3. Always include a call to action.
Nonprofits often think that a great story will stand on its own, says fundraising consultant Vanessa Chase, but an absent or watered-down call to action is a missed opportunity.
And saving the call to action for the end of your story — in any medium — is not a good idea, says fundraising consultant Tom Ahern, who specializes in donor communications.
“People don’t read direct mail the way they read a novel,” he says. Their eyes skip around, so make sure not only that you ask for something, but that you ask more than once.
4. Don’t become locked into one type of narrative.
“Nonprofits only want to tell stories of client impact, but there are so many other characters and stories to tell,” says Ms. Chase.
Telling stories of donors, volunteers, or the organization’s history can be beneficial to creating a more well-rounded picture of your nonprofit, says Ms. Chase.
5. Get out of the office.
Witness the work you’re writing about and talk to those doing the work, says Mr. Adair. Find out why the program is important, and learn about its impact firsthand, he says.
Seeing services in person will make your writing more vivid and allow you to add details that will draw in supporters and help them connect with the mission.
6. Avoid jargon, acronyms, and overused words.
“There’s a total disconnect between the amazing work groups do and the lame language they use to describe it,” says Erica Mills, founder and CEO of Claxon Marketing, which created a tool called the Wordifier to help nonprofits choose better words to describe their work.
7. Be honest about your impact.
When using data to demonstrate your organization’s effectiveness, it’s important not to overstate the organization’s achievements, says Andrew Means, founder of The Impact Lab, a data, research, and strategy firm.
When a charity takes credit for change in someone’s life that is clearly unreasonable based on the program they’re running, Mr. Means says, “that just undermines the credibility of the whole organization.”