Storytelling tricks that help nonprofits make an impact

Consider these five tips to make your campaigns find new audiences and stick with them over time.

Ragan Insider Premium Content
Ragan Insider Content

Storytelling is part of what makes us human and is fundamental to who we are. For the nonprofit sector, storytelling has the power to get people excited about a particular organization and ultimately buy into its mission.

Why are stories so powerful for nonprofits?

Researchers believe we’re evolutionarily hardwired to respond to stories because they are “sticky” and we remember them.

Maya Angelou famously said that people will forget what you said, they’ll forget what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. Stories make us feel things and can even move us to action.

Elements of nonprofit storytelling

Though every story is different, they all follow a predictable pattern. Let’s take a look at some common approaches to storytelling.

[RELATED: Make sure your team is up to date on the latest skills, strategies and practices. Learn more about Ragan Training.]

The nonprofit story arc

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.