“Storytelling” has become a buzzword for nonprofits seeking to imprint their work in donors’ minds — to the point where many organizations are experiencing “storytelling overload,” according to John Trybus, deputy director of the Center for Social Impact Communications at Georgetown University. Many groups, he says, are confused about what makes for a compelling story and try to frame all their communication as narrative, even when a different approach might be more effective.
In this video interview from The Chronicle’s Philanthropy NEXT conference, Mr. Trybus outlines five essential building blocks for nonprofit storytelling and explains how groups can take a page from for-profit companies’ communications playbook. He also talks about his experience working with the famed primatologist Jane Goodall and how her stories about chimpanzees transformed the scientific world.
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