This presentation by Bridget L. Brandt is designed to teach conference attendees how to tell a great story. Participants in my sessions all leave with a great story to tell. www.donorexperience101.com

1. Nonprofit 101
Donor Experience 101
Bridget L. Brandt

2. HELLO!
Bridget L. Brandt
Donor Experience 101
#bridgetlbrandt
I don’t know everything, but
I’m usually right…and always
funny! 

3. What we are going to do today…
1 Learn why story telling matters
2 Work together
3 Create our story

4. Why do this?1

5. The Harsh Reality
#bridgetlbrandt
DONORS
DONORS

6.  Stories create an emotional
connection
 Buy based on emotion /
Rationalize it later with facts
Why Stories?
6

7. WHY STORIES
Because that is what donors
want to hear.
7
- Community Philanthropy 2.0 survey
80% want
to hear
about
IMPACT
74% want
to hear
success
stories
71% want
to hear
about
organizati
on
43%
financial
accountabilit
y

8. So let’s do something!2

9. Charity Water--https://youtu.be/rphhfy4qCfc
Simon Senik--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYeCltXpxw
GREAT not good stories
9

10. Why do we do this?
• Passion
How do we do it? How are we successful?
• Share what makes you good.
What do we do?
• What happens if we cease to exist?
Why How What
10

11. 1. Stories should be about real people who need something, hopefully something that YOUR
organization provides.
2. Allow the person in your story to have a real name, age, and to speak for themselves.
3. Minds wander, get real quickly. In about 4-10 seconds your listeners tune out if you haven’t
grabbed them. Don’t tell me you are going to tell me a story about someone, just tell it. Start with
the person’s name, age and a few descriptive words.
4. Keep your story short. Six words to two minutes is the length I recommend.
5. Allow your story to cause me to feel something. Anger, sadness, happiness, pride—it doesn’t
matter what the emotion is, I just have to feel something.
6. Your story should have a moment when people see themselves or someone in their own lives.
Could be their aging parents, the daughter of the person who made their latte today or their own
child.
7. The best stories are told by the person themselves. Clients telling their own stories are the
most moving way to share how your organization makes a difference.
11
TIPS of GREAT STORIES

12. Donor Experience 101
Bridget L. Brandt
Build My Story

13. Where will we get the stories?
13
BUT

16. THANK YOU!
BRIDGET L. BRANDT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donorexperience101
WWW.DONOREXPERIENCE101.COM