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Storytelling in Volunteer Engagement
The document provides guidelines for effectively sharing volunteer engagement stories, emphasizing the importance of both quantitative and qualitative data to illustrate impact. It discusses best practices for measuring success beyond numbers, including understanding the community and volunteer experiences. Additionally, it offers tips for creating engaging videos and infographics to communicate these stories effectively across various platforms.
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Storytelling in Volunteer Engagement
- 1. Page Jennifer Bennett, CVA SeniorManager, Education & Training VolunteerMatch jbennett@volunteermatch @JenBennettCVA NOVAA May 14th, 2015
- 2. Welcome! Take a fewminutes and write any questions you hope I’ll answer or any goals you have for today’s training on the post-it notes. 2
- 3. 3 What story areyou telling now?
- 4. 4 What story areyou telling now? What kind of information are you sharing about volunteer engagement now? • Numbers – Hours, people, trees planted, etc. • Are you including an answer to the question Why? • Does the story tie back to your mission?
- 5. What’s your story? CASAGuardian Ad Litem http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc9Ew6uHddY – Some quantitative information, but mostly answering the question why? – Outlining and illustrating the impact Even if you don’t have cute kids (or puppies) there can still be an emotional connection to the work your organization does. 5
- 6. What kind ofinformation is out there? • Quantitative – can be measured or counted with numbers – Hours given, trees planted, meals served • Qualitative – descriptive, can be observed but not counted or measured – Compassionate, friendly, outgoing, skilled Both can be used to describe volunteers and the work they do, and the impact on your community 6
- 7. What are youmeasuring now? The usual stuff • Number of volunteers • Hours given per volunteer and an estimated dollar value • Amount of trees, meals, etc. • Money donated • Cost per volunteer to run your program – not always a good measure of how successful your program is or how engaged your volunteers are 7
- 8. What could youmeasure? It starts to get a little tricky… • The Scarce Resources Model – ROI for Volunteers - Tony Goodrow, Better Impact http://www.betterimpact.com/ROI/ • The actual value of the work – Move beyond an average $ amount • The impact on the community – What difference does that tree, sandwich, etc. make? • The impact on your volunteers – Increased health, sense of contributing, place in the community 8
- 9. Why does itmatter? • What questions do you want to answer? • What kind of information is persuasive? • Who wants or needs this information? – You, organization leaders? Funders? The community? Volunteers? • What story do you want to tell? • What do you want others to know about the work volunteers do in your organization? 9
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- 11. How can youfind this information? Quantitative Information • What are you tracking now? – Where is it, and is it easy to get it out? Reports, queries, etc. • Can you answer the questions you need to answer? – If not, why are you tracking that information? • What other questions do you need/want to answer? – Where is that information? If you’re not tracking it now, can you? And can you report on it effectively? 11
- 12. How can youfind this information? Qualitative Information • Surveys – Clients, visitors, members. Volunteers – past and present. Paid staff – program managers, those that do/don’t work with volunteers • Interviews – As a volunteer what kind of change do you see in your clients after they are comfortable reading? • Evaluating impact from a different perspective – Not just numbers. Volunteers planted 250 trees – Why does that matter? What does that change? 12
- 13. How do youfind this information? • Work with volunteers! – Track the quantitative information effectively. Database volunteer, best practices for data entry. – Reports that work! SQL volunteers, database administrator, applications engineer – Ask the right questions. Surveys written and conducted by volunteers, evaluated by volunteers. – Ask your volunteers – Qualitative information about their experience, the differences they observe in clients, visitors, the community. 13
- 14. Getting past numbers Whatkind of information is informing your story now? • What matters to your organization? – How do you deploy your mission in the community? – What are the values or goals that drive your work? • How are your clients, or the community, helped by the work you do? – What’s the problem you’re trying to solve? – What’s different or better because of the work you do? 14
- 15. Getting past numbers •Who are your volunteers? – What do they do? – Why does it matter? • What does it look like or feel like to be a part of your organization? 15
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- 17. What informs yourstory? What do you need to know (besides volunteer hours) to tell your story? • Things that you track now – Clients, outcomes, trends over time, etc. • Other information from within your organization – Volunteer interview, client stories, etc. • Information from outside your organization – Research, reports, studies, etc 17
- 18. 18 What’s your story? •The 5 W’s – Who, What, When, Where and (W)How and of course Why! • Build your story arc – Set up the story – What’s the problem or conflict? – What’s the resolution or solution – What’s the call to action?
- 19. Tell Your StoryWorksheet 19
- 20. 20 What moves you? Yourstory should reflect the values and culture of your organization. • Be authentic – Stay true to your mission and your work. • Humor is hard – You might want to be funny, but you are not actually that funny. – Humor is subjective and can be insensitive. • What matters in your organization? – What do your volunteers, donors, clients tell you is most important about the work you do?
- 21. 21 Getting Started Get theideas flowing • What’s your story? Workshop it. Creativity works best with other brains present. – Who else should be involved? – What’s the voice of your organization? – What do you sound like? What does it feel like? – Identify the places you’ll need help or support – Where could that come from? Who do you know? • Remember there’s a learning curve – Changing the way you talk about volunteer impact happens over time
- 22. 22 Getting Started • Findthe overlap between minimal and viable – You can spend a long time trying to tell the perfect story, don’t let being perfect keep you from sharing that impact! – Don’t over think it! • Just do it!
- 23. Let’s watch anothervideo VolunteerMatch’s Fighting Hunger Together Initiative with Walmart Foundation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_Y- ibkBpUs&list=PL888C27F940F2C800&index=31 – Created by our high school intern – Basic art supplies and my Cannon PowerShot (point & shoot) + $15 tri-pod – One afternoon to film, one afternoon to edit 23
- 24. 24 Best practices forvideos Think about what makes a video watchable • Short! – About two minutes – Don’t expect people to “schedule time” to watch your video – The internet is full of distractions • Steady – Get a tri-pod, use it. Shaky videos are hard to watch and distracting • Hold your scenes – Quick cuts are hard to follow
- 25. 25 Best practices forvideos • Storyboard – It doesn’t have to be fancy but you need to outline your scenes – Online tools note cards, cartoon panels – The internet is full of distractions • Sound – People talking require additional tools/editing – Consider word panels or music to start • Camera – We have powerful camera in our pockets. Point and shoots have exceptional video
- 26. 26 Finding resources What doyou need help with? • All of it! I have no idea where to start. – Find a professional – recruit a skills-based volunteer – Reach out to journalism or visual arts classes – Approach corporate partners or other CBOs • I could just use a little support or advice. – Crowdsource or engage micro-volunteers for feedback – Do you have experts in your volunteer corps? – Online how-tos and discussion groups
- 27. 27 How are youtelling your story? Now that you have your story share it! • Informally, internally, externally, formally – Updates and town hall meetings – Infographics and videos – Board and funding reports – Social media channels and community partners • Incorporate the story into your volunteer engagement program – Recruitment channels – Recognition events – All of your stakeholders – especially your volunteers!
- 28. 28 Tell your story! •Use the worksheet to think through your story – Remember to include others in the brainstorming! • Engage others with the skills or experiences to make it happen – Database administrators, researchers, interviewers – Graphic designers or videographers • Determine what story is the best fit for each communication channel – Not everyone is inspired or influenced by the same information
- 29. 29 Tell your story! •Share your story and solicit feedback – Evaluate the results for education and outreach • Social media – Facebook, YouTube, Twitter – Spread the word • Promote on your own channels – Website, newsletter, email • Tap those community connections – Who do you know? – Who do your board, volunteers, donors, know?
- 30. Thanks for attending! Joinus online: Like us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/VolunteerMatch Follow us on Twitter: @VolunteerMatch Visit Engaging Volunteers, our nonprofit blog: blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/ Find the slides and resources: http://www.slideshare.net/volunteermatch/novaa-storytelling For any questions contact: Jennifer Bennett @JenBennettCVA jbennett@volunteermatch.org 30
- 31. Resources for videosand infographics 31 More Video Examples DoGooder Video Awards http://www.youtube.com/user/nonprofitvideoawards Free Resources I’ve Used Windows Movie Maker http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/get-movie-maker-download Screencast-o-matic http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/ (Free or Low Cost) Top lists for Free Editing Downloads Macs - WonderShare.com http://www.wondershare.com/video-editor/free-video-editing- software-mac.html PCs – Tech Radar http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/applications/best-free- video-editing-software-9-top-programs-you-should-download-1136264#null Best Practices and Guide Into Focus http://see3.com/intofocus Infographics 5 Online Tools Article http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-krum/5-great-online-tools-for- _b_5964874.html