Sharpen Your Story: Essential Storytelling Tips for Nonprofit Giving Days

School has started across the country, and fall is almost here?—?a time when nonprofits are gearing up for Giving Days nationwide. This season inspires thoughts of new possibilities, adventures and dreams, motivating us to take steps toward positive change. One noticeable change is that more people are telling their stories through video?—?even us! Here at Social Impact Architects, we also find ourselves watching more videos and webinars (check out our latest ones on our website !) on content relevant to our work in the social sector. And we know we’re not alone. Videos are fun, easy to share, and, unsurprisingly, highly effective communication tools.

Every day, we learn more and more about why storytelling works and how nonprofits can leverage it to their advantage. And, with shortened attention spans, it is even more important that you get it right from the start. Here is what we believe are the three most common mistakes in nonprofit storytelling and how you can correct them for your upcoming Giving Days:

Mistaken Identity: Focus on the Why vs.?Who/What

Think back to the last time you gave your elevator speech . Did you start with who you are and what you do? If so, you’re not alone! This is a common mistake for all of us. In the social sector, however, people are most interested in the why of what we do. We should begin by sharing how we impact our clients and communities. Once we’ve engaged our audience, we can then share what we do and who we are. Trust me, they will be interested. Try this small tweak for one week, and you will see the difference.

Confused Identity: Focus on One Thing vs. Everything

We also have a lot to say about our programs and our work, but let’s be honest?—?when we throw it all out there, it just confuses most people. I call it the dreaded nonprofit buffet?—?it overwhelms folks! To break through the clutter and engage people, it is crucial to boil our work down to the one thing that folks will remember. In fact, Maurice Saatchi of Saatchi and Saatchi, a famous advertising agency, calls it “one-word equity.” For example, Mastercard’s word is “priceless,” and former President Obama used “forward” in his political campaign. This may be hard to accomplish in the social sector, but I encourage you to identify the single word, or “big idea,” for why you exist and connect everything else to that one thing. Brainstorm your one word using our exercises .

Stolen Identity: Stories Exist No Matter?What

If you don’t tell your story, others will. Do you want them to control the message, or do you prefer to control it? We recently worked with an amazing nonprofit on a strategic plan. Yet, when we asked its supporters and constituents to describe the nonprofit, the one word they mentioned most was “old.” While this is good for credibility and a great foundation to build upon, “old” is not a word that moves people to support a cause or organization. The nonprofit realized it needed to take ownership of its story to positively and more accurately shape its reputation in the community. Through op-eds and social media, it effectively shifted its reputation from “old” to innovative and forward-thinking.

We hope these tips help you refine the story you tell about your organization. If your story isn’t resonating or is getting lost in a sea of noise, take a step back, try some of our exercises (Exercise 1?—?Elevator Pitch , Exercise 2?—?“Big Idea” , Exercise 3?—?“Hollywood” Outline ) and rethink how to best communicate your story. We promise it works?—?we have been doing this work for over a decade, and it is the shot of adrenaline that social sector organizations need. We’d love to hear how your organization has used storytelling to better reach your audience.