Nonprofit Storytelling in A Digital World - HandsOn Tech Boston

Julia Campbell
President/CEO of J Campbell Social Marketing
http://www.jcsocialmarketing.com
HandsOn Tech Boston
October 17, 2013

#npstory @JuliaCSocial @handsontechbos

About Me
 I help nonprofits find success online.
 I am:
 A former one-woman development & marketing
department for small, community-based
nonprofits.
 A current consultant, volunteer and Board

member.
 A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.
 A mom.

Takeaways From Today
 Why storytelling is so vital to a
successful nonprofit marketing
& fundraising strategy
 How to use digital tools to tell

your nonprofit’s story
 How to make your message
stand out and cut through the
clutter and noise
 How to use video-sharing tools
to connect with supporters

Obligatory Seth Godin Reference
“The most common style of public speaking, one
that’s often used by politicians and is
surprisingly common among investment
pitches, is based on sentences…
The sentence is not a natural building block of
public speaking, and it’s tiring, for both the
speaker and the audience. It’s hard to maintain
any sort of energy in either direction.
Building. A. Speech. Around. Words. Is. Even.
More. Difficult.
Full post at:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/09/wordssentences-paragraphs-stories.html

Obligatory Seth Godin Reference
“The real opportunity is in speaking in
paragraphs, or even better, in stories. The
storyteller naturally engages our attention,
and she matches her emphasis and cadence
to the rhythm of the story.

Here’s how to know if you’re on the right track:
if you stop a story in the middle, the audience
will insist you finish it.
Isn’t that what you want?”
Full post at:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/09/wordssentences-paragraphs-stories.html

Storytelling Is Not New
 First modern public awareness campaign – 1787, the

Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade
 Used stories – conditions
in the slave trade,
“broadsides” (graphics),
public speaking,
advocacy
 Mixed facts and
emotional appeals


Why Storytelling?


Example A:
“Any money that you donate will go to Rokia, a seven-yearold girl who lives in Mali in Africa.
Rokia is desperately poor and faces a threat of severe hunger,
even starvation. Her life will be changed for the better as a
result of your financial gift.
With your support, and the support of other caring sponsors,
Save the Children will work with Rokia's family and other
members of the community to help feed and educate her,
and provide her with basic medical care.”
Full study at: Stanford Graduate School of Business Center for Social Innovation:
http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/increase-charitable-donations-appeal-heart


Example B:
“Food shortages in Malawi are affecting more than three
million children. In Zambia, severe rainfall deficits
have resulted in a 42% drop in maize production from
2000.
As a result, an estimated three million Zambians face
hunger. Four million Angolans — one-third of the
population — have been forced to flee their homes.
More than 11 million people in Ethiopia need immediate
food assistance.”
Full study at: Stanford Graduate School of Business Center for Social Innovation:
http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/increase-charitable-donations-appeal-heart

Why Storytelling?
 People don’t

remember bullet
points.
 People respond to
emotion.
 Feelings, not
analytical thinking,
drive donations.

Why Storytelling?
 Stories help you

express your mission
to the lay person.
 Statistics might shock
and awe, but they will
rarely get people to
take action.


What Storytelling Will Not Do


What Storytelling Will Not Do
Fix bad management.
Fix a lousy program or service.
Replace other marketing
strategies.
Replace fundraising tactics
like direct asks and one-onone meetings.
BUT if done well, it will
augment all other
communication efforts!

How To “Do” Storytelling?
 Think of your audience.
 How can you tell a story in a way that will

resonate with them?
 What is important to them?
 Resource:

http://storytellersforgood.com/videos/


How To “Do” Storytelling?
 Stories have a trajectory.
 They do not need to be

candy-coated and positive –
they need to be authentic.
 Ideas for stories: This is how
we started, this is who we are
today, this is where we’re
going, this is how we have
been challenged along the
way

Mindset Shift
 Storytelling requires an

entire change of mindset.
 Most nonprofit
communications are

boring, not compelling
and easy to ignore.
 Why is this? How can we
change this?


Don’t Ignore the Data
 Stories alone are not enough.
 You must be able to back up what you are

doing or show that this is a real problem.


Types of Stories
 Value Stories
 The core values of
your nonprofit
 Why you do what you
do
 What are you
passionate about?

Reference: http://www.thegoodmancenter.com

Value Stories
 Example – The Robin Hood Foundation
 http://www.robinhood.org/about
 The video starts out immediately with people
who have been helped – you immediately
connect with them.
 Offer “social proof” – Geoffrey Canada;
Chairman & CEO Of Goldman Sachs
 Efficient, effective – 100% charity
 Students proudly saying where they are going to
college

Types of Stories
 Creation Stories
 The why and the how of
your organization
 What is the need
 Story of the founders
 The real WHY you exist


Creation Stories
 Example –Environmental
Defense Fund
 Started by a small group of

passionate conservationists in
Long Island.
 They wanted to save the osprey, bald
eagle and peregrine falcon.
 Went to court, got a ban on DDT in
1966. In 1972, they played a large role
on a nationwide ban.
 They play up the “strong foundation”
and grassroots approach which
informs their work today.

Types of Stories
 “Striving to Improve”

Stories
 Express resiliency
 Show that your org is

always trying to improve
 Mistakes, lessons learned
 Helps other organizations

Types of Stories
 Example – The Denver Foundation
 10 Years 10 Stories – Celebrating 10 years of
inclusiveness
 Stories from the Journey – stories told by the
nonprofits awarded grants
 Nonprofits discussed what they learned and
what they still have to work on.
 Focused on their target audience and thought
about what would resonate with them.

Stories Should Cover:
 The WHY: Your cause and the lives you are changing
 The HOW: Your programs and services.
 The WHAT: The impact you are having on the world


Where To Find Them?
 Everywhere!
 Everyone is responsible!
Cannot exist in a silo
 Is not just the marketing
or development
department’s job!!!!
 Get on the front lines


Everyone Has A Story
Everyone has a
story – it
might not be
one that you
can use, but it
might lead
you to an idea
or person who
can help.

Casey Hibbard, Stories That Sell
 “Praise” letters – talk with the

submitter, collect more details
 Ask clients – include a “share your story” page
on your website, conduct surveys, ask at live
events
 Stay positive
 Keep it varied – Make A Wish Foundation
doesn’t just tell about the people that
benefit, they also tell the stories of the wishgranter, the volunteers and their sponsors.

Bay Area’s Committee on the
Shelterless (COTS)
 Video of a man whose life was saved by COTS
 No multiple takes or tricky editing
 He’s talking to an audience, live


The Lazarex Cancer Foundation
 The Bracelet Story – one couple that helps Lazarex
through fundraising because the organization
helped their son


Per Scholas
 IT professional job training organization – free
tech education to unemployed & low-income
adults


Houston Ballet
 Their Flickr account provides a backstage pass to
their productions.


Conservation International
“If it's raining where you are, the ocean played a role. If
you drove to work, the seas are absorbing the carbon
dioxide from your car. If you ordered seafood for lunch, it
may have traveled halfway around the world to land on
your plate.
No matter where you live on Earth, what you do affects the
ocean — and what happens to the ocean affects you.”


Mine The Gold
“Think of the story itself as gold. You mine the
gold, capture the story.
Then you bring it back to your office and you need to
pound that gold into different shapes and sizes
depending on whom you’re talking to, or also
where you’re telling it.” ~ Andy Goodman


Getting Started
Have a system.
 Collecting stories and story ideas.
 Capture and save your stories – Story Bank
 Dropbox, Google Docs, Basecamp
 Whatever you use – make sure it is accessible
 Social Media Committee – story witnesses
 Figure out a way to start thinking through this
lensiPhones, tablets, anyone can be a reporter

Getting Started
Define goals.
 What are your priorities?
 Program development &
fundraising – structure
around those stories
 Getting on social media is
not a strategy!


Getting Started
Empower others.
 You cannot do it alone. Period.
 Hold a staff meeting to train on storytelling.
 Change the culture – have an email listserv
or start staff meetings with an
exchange of stories.


Think Like A Journalist
You are a media organization.
You need to be writers,
publishers, photographers,
videographers
It’s not about your
organization, it’s about what
you are doing in terms of
impacting the world.
Use different platforms
depending.

Channels for Storytelling
 Website
 Blogs
 Email newsletters
 Publications
 Social media
 Public speaking, community education
 User-generated – how can you encourage your
online community to share their stories?

Go Multichannel
Don’t put all your eggs in
one basket!
Be where your supporters
are, not where you want
them to be.
Be consistent in your
brand and in your story
– you don’t have to tell
the exact same story
across channels.

Use Video
 Think about stories that are shareable.
 Don’t say too many things!!! Simple is better.
 1-2 minutes, lose viewers every 10-20 seconds
 How will you visually tell your story?
 Who will guide the narrative?


Use Video
 Beginning – What’s at stake? The before
(“I was homeless”)
 Middle – What has changed?
 End – What does the future look like?
 Call to Action
 What will the viewer be

compelled to do?


“Break the Fourth Wall”
 Create a candid “making of” video for a
fundraising, advocacy or awareness campaign you
are launching.
 Take a tip from Wikipedia and live broadcast the

results of your fundraising campaigns and the
decisions you are making based on those results.
Resource: Alia McKee, Sea Change Strategies,
http://seachangestrategies.com/ferris-bueller-trick-break-fourth-wallunpredictably/


“Break the Fourth Wall”
 Develop a “Why I Do This Work” video series that

shows why your staff have dedicated their lives the
cause.
 Create a fun photo board of staff desks — including
those in both exotic and not-so-exotic locations.
The idea is to push beyond traditional direct
marketing techniques to show a more relatable,
identifiable you.
Resource: Alia McKee, Sea Change Strategies, http://seachangestrategies.com/ferrisbueller-trick-break-fourth-wall-unpredictably/

Promote Your Story
 Using influencers
 Using Online Brand
Ambassadors
 Partnership with other
organizations, compan
ies, businesses –
“Brandscaping”

 Bloggers
 Celebrities

What Makes Stories Memorable?
From “Made to Stick” by Dan
and Chip Heath
1) SIMPLE
2) Unexpected
3) Concrete
4) Credible
5) Emotional


Common Mistakes
 Using only data. Facts
are not a story!
 No reason for the story –
it’s not clearly stated in

the beginning.
 No context.
 No protagonist.


Common Mistakes
 Thinking that slick video production = great
story.
 Silo-ing the storytellers.
 Thinking it’s a one time deal.


In Conclusion…
 For nonprofits especially, storytelling through pictures

and videos is KEY to communicating your mission!


In Conclusion…
 Always about the WHY

– not the what you do or
how you do it.
 Be authentic.
 Be credible.
 Get over your fear.
 Figure out ways to
measure your success.

Resources
 The Starter Guide to Nonprofit Video Storytelling (free







download): http://www.startstorytelling.com/
Nonprofit Storytelling for Crowdfunding & Online Fundraising:
http://www.causevox.com/nonprofit-storytelling-crowdfunding/
DoGooder Awards:
http://www.youtube.com/user/nonprofitvideoawards
TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge:
http://www.techsoup.org/community/communityinitiatives/techsoup-digital-storytelling
SocialBrite: http://www.socialbrite.org/sharing-center/media/
Nancy Schwartz – Getting Attention:
http://gettingattention.org/2012/11/nonprofit-communicationsfail/

Questions? Feedback?
 Tweet questions or post them on my Facebook Wall:
 @JuliaCSocial #npstory @HandsOnTechBos
 http://www.facebook.com/jcsocialmarketing
 http://www.handsontechboston.org
 Thank you!


Nonprofit Storytelling in A Digital World - HandsOn Tech Boston

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