STORY TELLING 101

AUGUST 14, 2020

AGENDA

Story Telling 1012

01 Start with your WHY

02 Compel People to ACT

03 Make the Right ASK

04 Create Consistent Campaigns

Every organization speaks about WHAT they do.

Some discuss HOW they do it.

Few explain WHY they do what they do - outcomes.

We communicate from the outside in.

HOW WE COMMUNICATE

The Golden Circle by Simon Sinek

IF APPLE COMMUNICATED LIKE WE DO

4 Story Telling 101

WhatWe

make great

computers.

HowBeautiful,

easy to use, user friendly.

Why?Want to buy one?

START WITH WHY

Communicate from the inside out.

You need to speak first about your WHY - outcomes.

Discuss HOW and WHAT through the stories you tell.

APPLE STARTS WITH THEIR WHY

Why?In everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo and

thinking differently.

HowWe make sure

our products are beautifully

designed, simple to use and user

friendly.

WhatWant to

buy one?

People aren’t interested in WHAT you do.They want to know WHY you do it!

START WITH YOUR WHY!

WHY? HOW WHAT

Donors aren’t interested in the mechanics - WHAT you do…They want to know the outcomes you achieve - WHY you do it!

We believe every child deserves a

quality education.

We help children with learning

disabilities learn to read.

Will you say yes to making a

difference in the life of a child?

AGENDA

Story Telling 1018

01 Start with your WHY

02 Compel People to ACT

03 Make the Right ASK

04 Create Consistent Campaigns

9

Vision - the world that needs to exist for you to no longer be necessary.

Enemy - The entity that prevents the vision from being achieved.

Hero - The hero fights the enemy to achieve the vision. Invite donors to join a fight NOT fight alone.

Recipient - The individual or group that will benefit when the hero fights the enemy to achieve the vision.

CREATE

COMPELLING

CALLS TO ACTION

IN YOUR

FUNDRAISING

PROPOSITION

10

Vision Enemy Hero Recipient

Every child in Toledo has access to a

quality education.

Families in low-income

communities do not have access to

good schools.

Compassionate people fighting

to provide academic

support so no child is left

behind.

Thousands of children (1 in 6 children) with

developmental disabilities.

DEVELOPING YOUR CALL TO ACTION

YOUR CALL TO ACTION

1 in 6 children in Toledo has a learning disability. Today, with your help, we can give them the academic support they need to read on grade level.

11 Story Telling 101

DONATE

I want to help a child learn to read!

THE LEAKY BUCKETIncrease donor retention, increase donations.

10% increase in retention increases the lifetime value (in dollars) of your donors by 200%

Fundraising School: Create a Fundraising Plan 12

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Vision Obstacle Hero Recipient

What would the world look

like if your organization

no longer needed to

exist?

What is preventing your vision

from becoming a reality?

Who can help bring about the

changes needed to make your

vision?

Who will benefit from

your efforts to right this wrong?

YOUR TURN

AGENDA

Story Telling 10114

01 Start with your WHY

02 Compel People to ACT

03 Make the Right ASK

04 Create Consistent Campaigns

15

• Segmentation

• Donor interest

• Recurring or one time?

• Gift Arrays

MAKINGTHE RIGHT ASK

AGENDA

Story Telling 10116

01 Start with your WHY

02 Compel People to ACT

03 Make the Right ASK

04 Create Consistent Campaigns

THE RIGHT STORY

• Emotionally powerful

• Speaks to the

transformative power

of your work.

• Makes readers’

feelings come alive.

TOLD IN THE RIGHT WAY

• Structured, emotional narrative.

• Begin with a setting• Move on to a crisis• Trigger an intervention, &• Resolve a problem.

Make the reader the HERO

of the story

TOLD IN THE RIGHT WAY• Trigger negative emotions in setting and crisis stages

• Use positive emotions in the intervention and resolution stages.

• Conversational tone -as if you’re swapping stories with a friend over a cup of coffee.

Anger, fear, sadness, disgustHope, pride, fulfillment

TOLD TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE

• Donors

• Volunteers

• Supporters

• Businesses

• Grantmakers

People who share your WHY

AT THE RIGHT TIME

1. Convey an urgent need requiring urgent action.

2. Tell readers there’s no time to waste.

3. Real needs presented in real time.

4. Without their help, real people will fall through the cracks.

FINDING THE BEST STORIES

22 Story Telling 101

The best stories are in the trenches:

Ø Program directorsØ Social workersØ VolunteersØ Clients

Spend time in the trenches where services are delivered so you can talk with people.

FINDING THE BEST STORIES

23 Story Telling 101

You can also find them here:

Ø Past client follow upØ Case notesØ Tell Us Your StoryØ Clients

COMPELLING STORIES

• Consistent messaging & graphics• Printed direct mail materials•Website landing pages mimic

offline appeal• Facebook posts/landing/images • eMail images

• “Snippetize” your stories

Example: Believe You Can Make a Difference Campaign by Grizzard Communications

https://vimeo.com/67350208

I Don’t Know What We’d Do Without ASP

“I Don’t Know What We’d Do Without ASP”

Same child.

Source: New River Communications

http://www.newrivercommunications.com/appalachian-service-project/

DO YOU WANT TO TELL COMPELLING

STORIES THAT INSPIRE PEOPLE

TO GIVE?

Start with your WHY

Compel People to ACT

Make the Right ASK

Create Compelling Campaigns

30 Story Telling 101

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QUESTIONS?

Rachel Ramjattan, CFREBest-selling author

& National Program Directorwww.nomoreducttapefundraising.com

Rachel@nonprofitplusteam.com

Connect on LinkedINFind me on Facebook

Tweet @RachelNPP

954.618.8151

http://www.nomoreducttapefundraising.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelramjattan/http://www.facebook.com/rayramj