These are the slides from a free seminar I provided to a group at the Nonprofit Net in Lexington, MA.
Takeaways:
* How to use digital and visual storytelling strategies
* What stories you should be telling online
* How to use photo and video-sharing tools to connect with supporters
2. Julia Campbell
Digital Marketing Strategist for Nonprofits
http://www.jcsocialmarketing.com
Nonprofit Net
March 10, 2015
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
3. Takeaways
Why storytelling is so vital to
your nonprofit fundraising &
marketing strategy
The types of stories you need
to be telling on social media
Examples from nonprofits
who are doing storytelling
right
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
6. Why Storytelling?
People don’t
remember bullet
points.
People respond to
emotion.
Feelings, not
analytical thinking,
drive actions.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
7. What Storytelling Will Not Do
Fix bad management.
Fix a lousy product or service.
Replace other fundraising &
marketing strategies.
Replace tried-and-true
fundraising tactics.
BUT if done well, it will
augment all other
communication efforts!
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
8. How To “Do” Storytelling?
Think of your audience
FIRST and ALWAYS.
How can you tell a story in
a way that will resonate
with them?
What is important to
them?
What will inspire them to
action?
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
9. The Bad News…
Donor retention is at an ALL TIME low.
70% of all donors that nonprofits recruit into
giving a gift never donate again to that
organization! (AFP)
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
10. Boomers spend 19 hours a
week online.
71% use a social
networking site daily with
Facebook being the most
popular.
36% of boomers ages 50
and over own a
smartphone, and 32%
own a tablet.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
73% of online adults
use at least one social
networking site daily!
MYTH: Older Donors Aren’t Online
11. Your donors ages 74+ are
the fastest-growing
demographic on social
networks.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
12. The Good News…
More than 7 in 10 US
charity and nonprofit
social media
administrators found the
channels useful for raising
money!
1/3 of charities said it
was VERY USEFUL for
fundraising!
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
13. Change In Mindset
Become a storytelling
organization.
Most nonprofit
communications are
boring and org-centric.
Need to focus on
BENEFITS, not features.
Need to focus on PEOPLE,
not programs.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
15. Creation Stories
What was the need?
What is the need now?
Story of the founders
The real WHY you exist
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
Reference: http://www.thegoodmancenter.com
16. Creation Stories
Example –Environmental
Defense Fund
Started by a small group of
passionate conservationists in
Long Island.
They wanted to save the osprey, bald
eagle and peregrine falcon.
Went to court, got a ban on DDT in
1966. In 1972, they played a large role
on a nationwide ban.
They play up the “strong foundation”
and grassroots approach which
informs their work today.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
17. Continuous Improvement
Express resiliency
Show that your org is
always trying to improve
Mistakes, lessons learned
Helps other organizations
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
Reference: http://www.thegoodmancenter.com
18. Continuous Improvement
Example – The Denver Foundation
10 Years 10 Stories – Celebrating 10 years of
inclusiveness
Stories from the Journey – stories told by the
nonprofits awarded grants
Nonprofits discussed what they learned and
what they still have to work on.
Focused on their target audience and thought
about what would resonate with them.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
20. Behind-The-Scenes
Carolyn Miles of Save the
Children
Pinterest Board:
http://www.pinterest.com
/savethechildren/carolyn-
s-corner/
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
25. User-Generated Stories
“Why Didn’t You Just Leave?”
Writer Beverly Gooden shared her
own reasons for staying in an
abusive relationship on Twitter,
using the hashtag #WhyIStayed.
Within hours, hundreds of
survivors were tweeting their
own reasons for doing the same.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/12/why-didnt-you-just-
leave_n_5805134.html
26. Impact Stories
Showcase the
difference you are
making
Showcase the lives
changed
Doesn’t have to be
sugary sweet
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
27. Impact Stories
There was a point in time when Eddie didn't
want to live. "I was standing on the verge of
death," he says.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
http://www.denverrescuemission.
org/drm/stories/stories-eddie-
2014
28. Impact Stories
Greater Twin Cities United
Way
Success Stories section on
their website
They start with the impact
they had on the nonprofit,
then the direct impact on a
recipient of services
Miguel’s story
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
29. Impact Stories
Always show donors where
their money is going.
Make them smile when they
see the results their gift
helped achieve.
https://www.facebook.com/
BostonChildrensHospital
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
30. Where To Find Stories?
Everywhere!
Everyone is responsible!
Requires a big change of
culture.
No silos!
Get on the front lines.
Talk with people.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
31. Everyone Has A Story
Everyone has a
story – it
might not be
one that you
can use, but it
might lead
you to an idea
or person who
can help.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
34. How To Get Good Stories
Look over all of those thank you notes!
Ask clients – include a “share your story” page
on your website, conduct surveys, ask at live
events.
Be enthusiastic.
Explain the purpose.
Keep it varied. Make A Wish Foundation
doesn’t just tell about the people that benefit,
they also tell the stories of the wish-granter, the
volunteers and their sponsors.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
35. Have A System
Collect stories & all story ideas. Keep these
confidential for now.
Nothing is too small to collect.
Save your stories & ideas in a virtual Story Bank.
Use Dropbox or Google Drive.
Form a Storytelling Committee.
Start thinking like a reporter.
Use your smart phone, tablet, GoPro, flip camera.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
36. Mine The Gold
“Think of the story itself as gold. You mine the
gold, capture the story.
Then you bring it back to your office and you need to
pound that gold into different shapes and sizes
depending on whom you’re talking to, or also
where you’re telling it.” ~ Andy Goodman
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
37. Promote Your Stories
If you tell it, they will hear it!
Right??
Putting the stories on the
right channels and then
promoting them is HALF
the battle!
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
38. Channels for Storytelling
Website – HOME BASE
Blogs
Email newsletters
Publications
Social media
Public speaking, community education
User-generated –encourage your online
community to share their stories
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
39. Go Multichannel
Print, electronic, mobile and everything in between.
Be where your donors are, not where you want them
to be.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
40. St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Foundation
Used direct mail, email,
social media
Missives and personal
videos from Josh, a 16-
year-old patient at the
hospital
Use humor, insider info,
his genuine voice and
personality
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
42. “Here’s how to know if you’re
on the right track: if you
stop (your) story in the
middle, the audience will
insist you finish it. Isn’t
that what you want?”
~Seth Godin
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/09/words-sentences-
paragraphs-stories.html
43. My Two Cents
We all need to change
nonprofit culture.
We need to start
thinking visually
and start thinking in
“micro-content”
terms.
Stop with the
excuses.
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial
44. My Two Cents
Think of using social
media as showing
the world what you
do and why you do
it, in a compelling,
interesting and easy-
to-share way!
#nonprofitnet @JuliaCSocial