Telling Your Impact Story

December 11, 2012Washington D.C NeighborWorks

Training Institute

Presenters

Alexandra Chaikinachaikin@nw.org

Online Media,Public Relations division

Sarah Parmentersparmenter@nw.org

Community Building and Organizing Program

Agenda for this Workshop

• Why stories matter• Who cares about our stories• Elements of good storytelling• Practice writing• Feedback

Introductions• Your name

• Name of your organization

• Your role in organization

• A story (novel, tv ad, video) you think is powerful

“Stories are more convincing than sets of data…numbers numb, jargon jars, and no one ever marched on Washington because of a pie chart.”

Andy GoodmanStory Telling as a Best

Practice

Why Stories Matter

• For millennia, humans have told stories to help us convey important messages/morals to one another

• Marketing is modern storytelling. It’s used to convince people to spend money and/or take particular actions

• Nonprofits can use stories to convey the effectiveness of their work and to motivate others to join the cause

Audience

• Who needs to hear your story?– Community members– Board members– Funders– Local and national media– Policy makers

What Makes a Good Story?

• A good storyteller makes the audience feel like s/he is part of the story

• A good story leaves the audience ready to take action

• Your work in the community leads to great stories every day.

The Power of One

While we want to tell how we affect change for all of our clients, a single story is more powerful than a group of less detailed stories

The Power of One - continued

Eduardo used knowledge from our foreclosure classes to renegotiate his elderly mother’s mortgage and she can now remain in the home she’s lived in for 25 years.

We taught 20 foreclosure prevention classes in 2012 that helped 52 residents save their homes from foreclosure.

VS.

Story Length

• Stories don’t have to be long to be powerful. Think of Nike’s “Just do it” slogan or Apple’s “Think Different” campaign.

• What matters to a story’s effectiveness is how the audience feels after reading it. Addressing four core story elements can make a powerful story in only one paragraph.

Four Elements of a Great Story

1. Hero2. Obstacle3. “Magic Tool” 4. Happy ending/Outcome

Story ExampleThe Collins family became homeless after single-mom Monica Collins lost her job in East Waco, Texas. However, with the help of NeighborWorks Waco’ financial education classes and job counseling services, Monica has found a new job and an affordable apartment. Monica’s sons Bryson and James have gone from getting Cs to As in school.

Practice Writing Stories

Think of a client your organization has helped and let’s practice turning their story into a powerful message that will resonate with your key audiences.

4 Steps for Powerful Stories

1. Describe the hero-client2. Describe the obstacle3. Describe how your organization provided

a “magic tool” to empower our hero4. Describe the happy ending for our hero

(and the community)

Writing Your Story: Step 1

• Describe the hero– Tell about the family/individual so we can

actually “know” them—for example, married, retired, Latino, three children, single mom, new to the community, disabled family member, etc.

Writing Your Story: Step 2

• Describe the obstacle – Be specific about our hero’s situation. It

doesn’t have to be a long description, just one that will feel familiar to the audience. Ex: natural disaster, job loss, community violence, poverty

Writing Your Story: Step 3

• Describe how your organization empowered our hero– Tell about the products, services, knowledge,

experience, and/or resources you used to address their situation.

– What unique gifts or assets did you offer that they may not have found elsewhere?

Writing Your Story: Step 4

• The happy ending. Say what happens to our hero (and the community, if appropriate)– What was the outcome for the hero? A new home?

New skills and confidence?– Tie the hero’s success to broader success in the

community. Ex: Martha’s community garden now serves 50 residents, providing them with fresh carrots, beets and other nutritious vegetables.

Where You Can Share This Story

• Newsletters• Annual Reports• Website, blogs and social media• Staff/board meetings (case studies)• News articles and press releases• On the walls and reception areas of your

offices• Editor@nw.org

Examples of How to Share a Story

Grant Proposal

Website

Social Media

Social Media

Feedback

• What did you think of this exercise?• How will this workshop affect the way you

tell stories going forward?

APPENDIX

• Winning the Story Wars by Jonah Sachshttp://winningthestorywars.com/ • Nonprofit Storytellinghttp://ow.ly/gaXGb • Using Storytelling to Engage and Motivate

Constituentshttp://ow.ly/gaXJm

Resources