Let’s say you run a nonprofit that focuses on environmental causes and you’re launching a new marketing campaign. There are lots of ways that you can share information about your nonprofit, but what’s the best strategy for connecting with donors? Take these two approaches for example:
- Version 1: Glaciers are the largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet and contain an estimated 75 percent of the world’s supply. Due to climate change, glaciers are melting at a rapid pace, which has drastic effects on sea levels worldwide.
- Version 2: Dr. Erika Peters knows that the world’s glaciers are in danger. “It’s become a common refrain of the environmental movement to discuss the destruction of our glaciers, but it’s a refrain for a reason,” she says. “Losing our glaciers has serious implications for climate change.” Peters, who has been passionate about saving glaciers since she was seven years old, wants to raise awareness about this important issue before it’s too late.
Which version is more compelling? While the first version has more facts, it reads like a textbook rather than a captivating reason to care about your cause. Now, the second version feels more personal, including a quote from an expert to emphasize the importance of your cause. Let’s face it — you have to take the time to be intentional with your mission messaging and storytelling to draw readers in and connect them with your efforts.
Storytelling is what makes the second draft stronger than the first. By incorporating storytelling into your nonprofit marketing campaigns, you resonate with your audience, grow awareness, and create a captivating donor experience. In this guide, we’ll walk through our top steps for crafting a great story:
- Establish a goal for your campaign.
- Create a compelling arc.
- Focus on emotional impact.
- Adjust your story for different channels.
Whether you’re spreading awareness about your cause, marketing a virtual fundraising event, or trying to recruit new volunteers, storytelling is a must to draw in your audience. Let’s get started!
1. Establish a goal for your campaign.
Before you craft your story, take time to determine the goal of your campaign. Different campaigns lead to different conversions, so make sure your story aligns with your desired outcomes.
If you’re focusing on an awareness campaign, build your story around the problem you’re trying to solve. However, if you’re fundraising, you might want to focus on the impact your nonprofit has made using real data and supporting stats. When you set goals for your campaign, target your story around the desired action you want to see from your donors.
We recommend using the SMART goal method. SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Time-bound
Setting parameters for your goals — from fundraising to newsletter signups to awareness — ensures that you can actually achieve them and that you have a clear idea of what your story campaign needs to do.
As you’re discussing your goals, keep your nonprofit’s branding strategy in mind. The story should align with your brand. Developing successful brand storytelling helps your audience learn more about your cause and your mission while helping you build a deeper connection with your constituents.
2. Create a compelling arc.
A great story doesn’t just appear out of nowhere — it’s a carefully constructed series of events that draw your reader in. This development is called an arc.
An arc helps your story feel natural and ensures that donors feel a personal interest in your story, and want to know what happens next. Here’s how to create a compelling arc:
- Introduce your character: An interesting and compassionate character connects donors to the story. Be sure to introduce your character. You don’t need to provide every detail about your character, just enough so that your supporters get a sense of who they are and why they’re important to your cause.
- Establish the challenge: Next it’s time to establish the challenge that they encountered. This challenge or problem should be relevant to your nonprofit’s work. Tip, don’t make it so challenging that readers are doubtful your character or nonprofit can overcome it.
- Share the solution: Your arc closes when your nonprofit is able to solve the problem. This can be anything from a new initiative that has benefited your character or resources that your character can use to drive change.
Think of the arc as the skeleton or outline of your story. Once your arc is well-established, you can then fill in the gaps with anecdotes, statistics, or other relevant information that will bring your story to life.
3. Focus on emotional impact.
With your arc laid out, it’s time to fill in the gaps and create a story that will resonate with your readers. To generate the impact you’re looking for, you should focus on the emotional impact of your story.
According to The Giving Experience Survey by OneCause, 63% of donors contributed because they cared about an organization’s mission, and 60% donated because their funds would make a difference. This is great news for your nonprofit — it means that moving stories will likely inspire your donors to contribute.
There are lots of ways to create emotional impact, and most nonprofits already have an emotional component to their mission. Here’s how you might build emotional impact in your story:
- Your character has a problem that is impacting their life.
- Your nonprofit is positioned to solve that problem.
- Donations and support make a huge difference, and you clearly explain how.
- You share how your nonprofit will use the donation and why they matter
Eliciting emotions from your donors ensures that your story and cause are memorable and moving. For example, many peer-to-peer fundraisers tend to share their personal experiences, which evokes an emotional reaction in their friends, family, and social networks.. Sharing these experiences tends to inspire others to give, so take the same approach with your storytelling.
4. Adjust your story for different channels.
To share your story among as many people as possible, use a multi-channel marketing strategy. Certain channels are better than others. Focus your marketing efforts on the following channels:
- Social media
- Website
- Blog
- Direct mail
Depending on the marketing channels you select, you may want to optimize your story for each channel. While social media requires more images, direct mail might allow for more details about your story. Think of the best practices for each channel, and then adapt your story accordingly.
You can also implement other marketing strategies to effectively reach your target audience. Donor segmentation, for example, can help you group your donors based on shared characteristics. If you have more than one story, you can share various versions with different groups based on what you think would resonate best with each group. This way, donors will feel like they have more of a personal connection to your stories, which is the main goal!
Storytelling is a powerful tool that can help nonprofits connect with supporters far and wide. Take the time to firmly establish your character and arc, all while emphasizing the important role that your nonprofit plays in resolving the problem. This way, your future donor will know without a doubt that their contribution will make a difference. Happy writing!
Support Center