2023.IgnitedFR_SummerStorytelling Slides_Bloomerang.pdf

How Storytelling in Summer Will Move Your Fall
Fundraising Needle - Bloomerang July 2023
©2023 Ignited Fundraising™ 1
How Storytelling in Summer Will Move
Your Fall Fundraising Needle
Thank You for YOUR

What Are You
Looking For?
Type in One Thing
You’re Here to
Learn Today
Share one inspiring word
to describe your mission
Lori L. Jacobwith
• Helping nonprofits raise $500+ million
from individual donors. And counting.
• Named one of America’s Top
Fundraising Experts
• Former Executive Director, CEO,
Development Director, Board Member
• Speaker/Trainer - 950,000+ people
& 7500+ organizations

What I Do
Build A Strong
Foundation
One Story At a Time

• 1 Staff
• 12 Volunteers
• $80,000 Budget
• Screening 250
children each year
What I inherited:
• 5 Staff
• 890 Volunteers
• $1.2 million Budget
• Screening 25,000
children each year
2 ½ years later:
I have a favor to ask…

1. The Big Secret
2. Fundraising vs. Development
3. Clear, Bold Communication = Success
4. Power of Story
5. Summer Storytelling
6. Next Steps + Q & A
Today
The BIG
Secret

Success for ANY Organization:
Communication
Communication
Communication
A “Failure to Communicate”

Infographic Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project 2017
Donor Retention
Two Quick Questions

Biggest Fundraising Challenges?
How Many Active Individual Donors?

Last Thing Before We Dive In
Fundraising
vs Development

Fundraising
The raising of assets and
resources from various
sources for the support of
an organization or a
specific project.
~ Source: AFP Fundraising Dictionary,
(Association of Fundraising Professionals)
“The privilege of facilitating the
reallocation of the world’s financial
resources away from fear and
towards that which we love.”
~ Lynne Twist
Fundraising

Development
The total process by which an
organization increases
public understanding…
~ Source: AFP Fundraising Dictionary,
(Association of Fundraising Professionals)
Development: Everyone’s Job

Clear, Bold Communication
= Success
What Do YOU Want the
Community To DO?

Where & How Do
Let Them Know
Exactly What You
Want Them
To Do?

“Failure to Communicate”
Competing for Attention

Our work – Now more than ever
Engaging Communication
Teaches
Inspires
Invites Action

Word Choice
MATTERS
Utilitarian Communication
Donate
Attend
Help Us
Give More
Give Again

Inspiring Communication
Donate
Attend
Help Us
Give More
Give Again
Invest. Create.
Make an impact
Make a bigger impact
Fulfill your aspirations
Long-term partner
Hard
Donor Fatigue
We Can’t
Not Enough…
They Won’t
Scarcity Communication

Possibility Communication
Hard
Donor Fatigue
We Can’t
Not Enough…
They Won’t
Learning to…
Inspire you
What if we could…
Aligned values
Long-term partner
“Support Moves Toward
Boldness & Clarity
Of Communication”
~ Lynne Twist, Author
The Soul of Money

Clear, Bold Communication
Clear
Clear Adjective
1. Free from doubt or confusion
2. Certain in the mind; sure
3. Easy to see or hear; distinct
4. Evident or obvious
Collins Essential English Dictionary
2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006

Bold
Bold Adjective
1.Courageous, confident,
fearless
2.Immodest
3.Standing out distinctly,
conspicuous
Collins Essential English Dictionary
2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006
Clear & Bold
Image Source: Free Arts Minnesota

Power of Story
Mission Moment Stories
Lori’s Definition:
“Any short, inspirational, example
of how your organization is making
an impact.”
About a person, usually, but not
always.
Image source: Community Action Duluth Facebook

Mission Moment
Stories Create Unforgettable
Emotional Connections
and Empathy
Brain Tension
Story from SWITCH
Source: The Happiness Hypothesis
by Jonathan Haidt

Conflict is the Oxygen in a Story
Engaging Stories
Don’t forget to:
Identify the transformations
due to their courage
and/or choices

Engaging Stories
Especially important:
Notice and use words
emotionally connecting
words.
Emotionally Connecting Words
Explosive energy
Cautiously hopeful
Gnarled hands
Uncomfortably shy
Smiled from ear to ear
Precious or vulnerable
Yours?

Watch Out For: Uninspired & Lazy
Mrs. Lee

Sympathy
Creates Distance
Sympathy is a Value Judgement
"Sympathy is when you
understand someone else's
suffering and feel sorrow or
pity for the experience they
are facing. -- It involves
having a value judgment on
someone else's experience."

Empathy Creates Connections
Empathy
“…the psychological
identification with or vicarious
experiencing of the feelings,
thoughts, or attitudes of
another.”

Impact
Put a Face On What
Happens
Share What it Takes
to Make That Happen
Image source: Iowa Heartland Habitat - Facebook

Share it Everywhere
Stories are up to
22 times more
memorable than
just statistics*
*Source: Ohio State University Study

Experience Your Mission
Image Source: New Jersey Audubon - Facebook
Summer Storytelling

Summer Storytelling
1. Summer Fun

1. Summer Fun
Source: Clare Housing Facebook page
2. Surprise Visits
Image source: College Possible Facebook

3. Video
• Collect testimonials
• Allow your supporters to
inspire others
• Make it simple to do
• Post quickly
• Have board & staff share
to expand your reach
Image & video source: Volunteers of America North Louisiana - Facebook
Dr. Webb
4. Email & E-newsletters
Source: Clare Housing enews
I'll remember what he said for the rest of my life.
"He was so nervous, he almost broke the chair."

4. E-newsletters
Image source: charity:water e-news
• Short. 250 words or less
• Sent regularly
• Teach
• Inspire
• Call to action
4. Social Media
Image source: National Park Service Instagram

4. Social Media
Image source: Clare Housing Facebook page
4. Social Media
Image source: National Park Service Instagram

6. Pre & Post
Event Messages
Image source: Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery
6. Pre & Post Event Messages
Image source: Center for Victims of Torture

6. Pre & Post Event Messages
Image source: Center for Victims of Torture
ignitedfundraising.com/stories-at-nonprofit-events

7. Mailed: Stories of Hope
7. Mailed: Stories of Hope
Image source: Volunteers of America NCNN

8. Phone
• Thank
• Quick update
• Listen
• Leave a message
Summer Storytelling
1. Summer fun
2. Surprise visits
3. Video
4. Email
5. Social media
6. Pre & post event messages
7. Mailed newsletter
8. Phone

Next Steps
Q & A

Cause Supporters to Feel Something
Image credit Vocal Essence
Fundraising
Deep, Profound,
Relatedness

Share
One thing I learned or
was surprised by…
One new action I will
take is…
Questions?

Thank You!
GO!
Share Powerful
Stories!
Thank You!

2023.IgnitedFR_SummerStorytelling Slides_Bloomerang.pdf

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2023.IgnitedFR_SummerStorytelling Slides_Bloomerang.pdf