Building Emotional Connections That Drive Action

For nonprofits, storytelling is a powerful tool. But telling a story isn’t just about sharing what your organization does; it’s about making people care enough to take action. This is where the “Know, Feel, Do” marketing framework comes in—a guide to moving audiences from awareness, to emotional connection, to meaningful engagement.

In simple terms, “Know, Feel, Do” helps nonprofits take audiences through three essential stages of connection:

• Know: The information stage, where your audience learns who you are and what you do.
• Feel: The emotional stage, where audiences move beyond facts and begin to care.
• Do: The action stage, where the emotional connection drives audiences to support or engage.

While the “know” and “do” stages are often well-covered in nonprofit communications, the “feel” stage is what builds a lasting relationship. Here’s why creating emotional connections is key—and how to do it effectively.

Why Emotional Connections Matter

Think about it: most of us know we should exercise more, eat healthy, or save for retirement, but information alone rarely prompts us to act. We’re more likely to take action when we feel connected on an emotional level. This is true for supporters, too. Data and program descriptions are helpful, but alone, they don’t create the kind of emotional resonance that drives people to become donors, volunteers, or advocates.

To get audiences to the “do” stage, nonprofits must spend time in the “feel” stage. When people emotionally connect with your work, they become more than spectators—they become partners in your mission.

How to Build Emotional Connections Through Storytelling

1. Go Beyond the Facts Facts and figures are essential, but stories are what turn those numbers into something meaningful. For example, if you’re a food bank, sharing that you served 100,000 meals last year is impactful, but it doesn’t fully capture the difference those meals made in someone’s life. A story about a single family’s experience can convey the dignity, relief, and hope your work provides. Emotional connection isn’t built with data alone; it’s built with context that resonates.
2. Use Relatable Experiences To help your audience understand the impact of your work, relate it to something familiar. One organization working with cystic fibrosis, for example, used the universal experience of breathing to help viewers imagine what it’s like to struggle for each breath. When your audience can identify with what someone is going through, they’re more likely to empathize and want to help.
3. Let the Audience Be the Hero In many nonprofit stories, the organization becomes the “hero” of the narrative, swooping in to solve the problem. But in the most engaging stories, it’s the supporter—the donor, the volunteer, the community member—who is the hero. Position your audience as an essential part of the change. They’re not just watching from the sidelines; they’re driving the impact.

Making the Leap from “Feel” to “Do”

The goal is not just to make your audience feel but to move them to act. Once they care, give them a way to help. Create a clear “do” moment: whether that’s donating, volunteering, or even sharing your story with others, make sure there’s a tangible next step they can take. Emotional connections are the bridge between information and action, and they are what turn supporters into long-term champions.

In today’s crowded media landscape, it’s easy for messages to get lost. But when nonprofits focus on making people feel, they create stories that stick—stories that inspire people to not only care but to take action.

Emotional connection is the bridge between awareness and engagement—but it takes the right approach to get there. That’s where we come in.

Our team specializes in helping nonprofits craft stories that move audiences from knowing your mission to feeling its impact—and taking action to support it. Whether you're looking to refine your messaging, deepen donor relationships, or create campaigns that resonate, we’re here to help.

Let’s start building emotional connections that drive lasting change. Contact us today to take the next step!