Storytelling is without a doubt, the single most powerful tool to drive awareness for nonprofits in the digital age. Not-for-profits need to understand the increasing importance of storytelling on digital channels where you are not physically available to demonstrate your work and neither your followers will give you any attention unless you are able to earn their attention.
Solution > A great story!
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Even though humankind have been communicating through stories from thousands of years but it’s even more important for non-profits who seek the engagement of stakeholders and communities to make an impact.
Creating a good story means that you are able to convince more people to participate in your cause, that ranges from people endorsing your non-for-profit on social channels, become an active member by volunteering, or contributing financially as a donor.
Let’s discuss why stories are so powerful for nonprofits:
1. Good story helps us remember
As a not for profit you have a lot of things that you want to talk about, including the schools you helped in building, the children that get schooled through programs, the homeless people provided with food and shelter, and the skills building workshops that helped over 200 people to find jobs for themselves. It’s much more likely that stakeholder will be able to relate and remember all of this if we instead of presenting them as individual facts project it like a complete story.
2. Stories influence our decisions on a daily basis
In 1990 a story was conducted to research how people on juries came to decisions. The study observed that almost every time the jury member construct a story based on the facts they received. The story that they create over the facts is constantly reevaluated, analyzed and reconstructed as both lawyers present convincing facts. The challenge for the lawyers is to present the facts in a way that positively influence jury member internal stories. Ultimately, the decision gets in the favor to whomever side whose story matches their own the closed.
3. Stories influence our generosity in a positive way
Studies conducted by not-for-profit marketers concluded that stories always have a positive impact on donors and community stakeholder who has a vital contribution to a success of a program. Studies also found out that non-for-profit marketing agencies who are able to form positive stories around cause have got 2 times more donors than nonprofits who have no stories to support their programs.
Elements of a great story
In order to make a great story around your not-for-profit services, these three elements are mandatory.
1. Character
Remember that a good story cannot run on anyone’s personality, although it has a significant contribution for visual reasons but the character should be your primary and common protagonist. This means that your story should not focus on the individuals but rather on the exclusivity of her characters plights and her inner motivation to change the conditions for the better.
2. Desire
The second most important factor in a good story is the desire, protagonists desire to change her own conditions, a desire that one day the condition would not be the same. The desire of protagonist in your story should be clear, specific and definite.
3. Conflict
Conflict refers to personal and societal challenges faced by the protagonist. Conflicts are like oxygen for a good story: good character, a strong desire, and strong conflict means that the protagonists will rise more suffering and hardships.
Many not-for-profits do not like to talk about conflicts due to the fact that they don’t know how to form a positive story around those challenges faced by their protagonists. Storytelling for non-for-profits is not easy but at the same time, it’s vital for your marketing whether you are looking for awareness, donors, or want more engagement from all the stakeholders.
To make your not-for-profits activities more meaningful and feed your stakeholders with a purpose and meaning that is larger than the sum of all activities, you need an amazing. A story that gets everyone emotionally attached!
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