How can you create an inclusive and respectful fundraising story?

Fantastic to hear that you want to create a fundraising story. This is oftentimes overlooked, but a very effective way to establish a connection with your audience. I understand that you want your story to be inclusive as well, and a suggestion would be to give good thought to which people, communities, or perspectives are often excluded or overlooked. Those are the ones you want to include!

Respectful language, diversity and accountability are to be considered inclusive of demeaning imagery. Many NGOs have done so for centuries and today, Africa and black people everywhere are viewed as poor, and hungry, broken and forest dwellers, a harm that will take centuries to mend. It is important to note that 21st centuries fundraising must ensure that dignity is accorded to humanity and any form of demeaning picture or imagery should be avoided at all times.

General audience is not target audience. Demographic audiences are not always enough. Specific demographic groups should be targeted as potential audience. Also, it is essential to know specific audience and it is necessary to conduct assessment of potential audience. For example, if you are trying to collect money to improve the life of children without parental care, you should explore potential stakeholders who are supportive in this field and understand needs of this population. Direct approach with clear information is the easiest way to present your intentions demonstrating details in the forms 5W+1H.

My understanding and experience is that any form of storytelling has to be anchored in whom you are targeting. A story may be great, but it may fall short of gaining any traction or impact if it does not land on the appropriate audience. Audiences have to relate to what you are trying to communicate BEFORE they can take any action, which is what one aims for in fundraising.

I have one professional observation here, Storytelling is one among most misunderstood phenomenon when it come to branding CSO for fundraising. In Storytelling the key player in beneficiaries and donors not the organization. People should see the beneficiaries beat the obstacles through donors to be successful, if you put your cso in the Storytelling Professionally you are competing with donors, however this is common mistake among many Storytellers nowadays

Language has significant impact on Storytelling, it is advisable to use subtitles and add sign language for disabled. Just make sure who are primary audiences to your story, than secondary audiences and tertiary audiences. Your language should follow the same pattern then.

In terms of transparency; transparency process starts immediately as soon as you start fundraising process. Once when you received funds from donor, even if it is a very small contribution, you should send a letter to express gratitude. In this letter we can present how much money we are collected and how much money we still need to collect to close up our fundraising story. This is the way to create stronger connection with our donor and they can decide to participate in our fundraising actions in the future.