Overview of storytelling for nonprofit organizations. Includes exercises and practical information for most nonprofits.

1. Storytelling for
Nonprofit Organizations
An introduction
Laura Packer
thinkstory.com
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

2. Who am I?
evolving
daughter cancer
coach survivor
friend writer
cyclist
advocate
storyteller step-mother
human
teacher
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

3. Who are you?
• Your name
• Your organization and your role
• Something that brings you joy other than work
• When you’re done, raise your hand
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

4. What is storytelling?
Story: performance
ORIGIN late Middle English: Latin from Greek
historia -“finding out”
talking living
When we tell stories we are at once
acting
conveying information
and finding out more information.
lying writing
Humans are storytelling
creatures. (c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

5. The role of storytelling
(everywhere and in organizations)
• Inherent, built in
• Humanizes numbers
• Conveys culture and history
• Tough stuff
• Persuasive
• Transfers knowledge
• Builds community
• Fosters new ways of thinking
• Collaboration
• Fun, entertaining, powerful, poignant, etc.
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

6. The role of storytelling for non-profits
• Funding
• Attracting the right people
• Media attention
• Staff support
• What else?
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

7. So how does storytelling work?
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

8. Personal: Information vs. Story
• Of 1.6 million new U.S. cancer diagnoses in
2012, 500K+ will die
• 2nd most common cause of death in the U.S.
• $226.8 billion/year
• I am a cancer survivor
• You or people you love may be, too.
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

9. A When we tellstoryare at once
little stories we theory
conveying information
and finding out more information.
storyteller
Storytelling is all about
building relationships
and allowing the audience room for their
own experiences.
audience story
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

10. Storyteller’s toolkit
1. Listening
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

11. The role of listening
• Allows space for new creative thinking
• Empower the speaker
• Deepen relationships
• Deeply understand others
• Good listening can
be addictive
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

12. Competitive listening
• Listen for opening
• Listen to trump
• Listen to serve inequality meter
• etc
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

13. 1:1 listening
– Listener listens
• Don’t interrupt
• Be present
• Confidentiality
– Speaker speaks
• Not telling a story, just being listened to
• Silence is okay
• Emotion is okay
– Switch
Something you did at work that you are proud of
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

14. Organizational storytellers
• Who are you in your organization?
– What stories do you tell?
• Who are the other storytellers?
– What stories do they tell?
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

15. What is the story of your organization?
• History
• Mission
• Values
• Impact
• Success AND failure
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

16. Storyteller’s toolkit
1. Listening
2. Crafting the story
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

17. A specific example of your
organization’s story
• A time when your organization had an impact
– Listener listens
• Don’t interrupt
• Be present
• Confidentiality
– Speaker speaks
• Take your time, try to have a beginning, middle and end
• Silence and emotions are okay
– Switch
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

18. Storyteller’s toolkit
1. Listening
2. Crafting the story
3. Telling your story for a specific audience
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

19. Who is your audience?
Who are your stakeholders?
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

20. What kinds of stories do
they need to hear?
What will move them to action?
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

21. Select a specific stakeholder…
And retell your story with them in mind.
– Listener listens
• Don’t interrupt
• Be present
• Confidentiality
– Speaker speaks
• Not telling a story, just being listened to
• Silence and emotions are okay
– Switch
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

22. Storyteller’s toolkit
1. Listening
2. Crafting the story
3. Telling your story for a specific audience
4. Images
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

23. What are the images you want to leave
with your audience?
What are the emotions
you want to evoke?
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

24. Select a different stakeholder…
And retell your story with them in mind.
Include several specific sensory images.
– Listener listens
• Don’t interrupt
• Be present
• Confidentiality
– Speaker speaks
• Not telling a story, just being listened to
• Silence and emotions okay
– Switch
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

25. How do you foster better
organizational storytelling?
• Listen
• Ask
• Practice
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

26. So where do you find stories?
• Personal experience
• Stakeholders
• Media
• Traditional avenues
• Look for:
– Repeating images and emotions
– Themes
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

27. (c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

28. Questions
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

29. Thank you
• Wheelock College,
Department of Leadership and Policy
• Deanna Elliot
• you
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

30. If you’d like to learn more, please contact me.
• Laura Packer
• Thinkstory.com
• Laurapacker.com
• Skypw
• Truestorieshonestlies.blogspot.com
• @storylaura
• laura@thinkstory.com
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer