Powerful Storytelling
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1) Stories are powerful tools for fundraising and connecting with donors because they tap into human emotions and drive giving in a way statistics and facts cannot. 2) Scientific studies show stories increase levels of oxytocin, which fuels empathy and the desire to help others, and that emotional stories are better recalled and more effective for motivating donations than statistics. 3) To craft powerful fundraising stories, nonprofits should interview beneficiaries, volunteers, and donors to find compelling narratives with clear heroes' journeys, and should focus on story elements like angle, action, and resolution to draw in audiences emotionally.
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Powerful Storytelling
- 1. How to Find and Tell Powerful Stories
- 2. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing So what’s the story? PAGE 2 I
- 3. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing What we’ll cover: 1. Why stories matter 2. What science says about why stories matter 3. Why what you say in stories matters and how to do that 4. Real examples of powerful storytelling!
- 5. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing drives Donors’ gifts are an emotional transaction, not just a rational one. Remember this: Stories connect emotion and giving almost better than anything else.
- 6. “Giving does good things for me.” Mrs. Joan Donor says …
- 7. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Challenge Yourself What do stories look like?
- 11. True SenseTrue Sense • We are hardwired to learn from stories • They help us make sense of the world and create order Science Says … Emotional content = better recall of key points weeks later
- 12. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Your Brain on Stories Stories that are emotionally compelling actually alter brain activity: • Capture and hold attention (a scarce resource in the brain) • Create tension • Make us feel empathy for the characters • Transport us into their world
- 13. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing
- 14. A Tale of Two Studies
- 15. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Study #1 Paul J. Zak, Ph.D.: Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling (Harvard Business Review) Study measured blood levels of oxytocin before and after two video stories
- 16. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Study #1 Results Oxytocin (“feel good” hormone) synthesis was observed after the character-driven story, and fueled the drive to help others: “The amount of oxytocin released by the brain predicted how much people were willing to help others; for example, donating money to a charity associated with the narrative.” “Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling”; Harvard Business Review (Paul J. Zak)
- 17. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Study #2 Compared impact of giving from direct mail letters: 1. Stats about millions of starving children 2. Focused on only one starving little girl
- 18. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Study #2 Results The story of the little girl was much more effective in motivating people to give. People connect to stories, not stats! Statistics trigger the mind’s calculator. Stories trigger the heart. “Sympathy and callousness: The impact of deliberative thought on donations to identifiable and statistical victims”; Study authors: Deborah Small, George Loewenstein, Paul Slovic
- 19. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing What’s it Mean? One-to-one connections, like those created through stories, can fuel the desire to do something … like give in support of a cause.
- 20. Become a Story Sleuth!
- 21. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Finding good stories: One rule TrueSense® MarketingTrueSense® Marketing Look for the gold nugget — the part of the story that’s memorable and powerful.
- 22. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Where to Look • People helped • Families of people helped • Volunteers • Staff • Your donors
- 23. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing How to Prep Prepare questions (but don’t rely on them) Find an environment where people are most comfortable Bring a recorder if it helps Details that are “sticky” = memorable Wing it = often yields greater details that can capture hearts
- 24. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing During the Interview TrueSense® Marketing
- 25. Story Structure
- 26. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Arc Audience Angle Action Answer Affirm TrueSense® MarketingTrueSense® Marketing
- 27. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Arc • The basic structure of your story: a beginning, a middle, and an end • Typically includes a hero’s journey • Allows us to be a journey partner
- 28. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing
- 29. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing
- 30. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Medical details may not matter to some audiences, but if your high-end donor is a physician, it might! Audience First rule: Know your audience!
- 31. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Angle • This is the hook — what draws your reader/listener in and keeps them listening TrueSense® MarketingTrueSense® Marketing • Make it interesting and compelling • Unusual lead-ins draw people in and keep them engaged longer
- 32. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Action The action is the conflict — key ingredient of storytelling It sets up this important turning point in the story: THEN WHAT HAPPENED?
- 33. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing This is where you bring donors into the story: Because of you, something amazing happened. Something wonderful. Something that changed a life and resolved conflict! Well done, you!! Answer The resolution to the conflict.
- 34. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Affirm Who grows tired of hearing how great they are? Answer: No one. • “You helped, because …” • “Your gift meant that …” • “You gave hope to …”
- 35. Real Stories = Real Results Some Examples from Ronald McDonald House Charities® Chapters
- 36. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing What They Do Ronald McDonald House Charities Chapters create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. When treatment requires travel, their Houses are an affordable place near the hospital. • They keep families close • They help families heal • We work with 55+ RMHC Chapters • Creative Director on the account
- 37. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing 100+ Families Interviewed Chicago Cleveland Austin Atlanta Kansas City DelawareAugustaSouthern California
- 38. True SenseTrue Sense Fundraising based on real stories Nearly all of the appeals we produce are based on real RMHC stories. Sharing stories and powerful photos is proven fundraising — creating an emotional connection with donors and showing them their gifts at work.
- 42. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing
- 43. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing
- 44. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing
- 45. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing
- 46. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing PAGE 46 I January 7,
- 47. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing A Word About Imagery 1. A photo of one or two people is better than a group 2. Eye contact 3. Studies show need-based imagery boosts response Why this matters: We process visual elements 60,000 times faster than reading words!
- 50. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing What about story length? • Some appeals are driven entirely by story • Other stories are only a few paragraphs • Depends on the story itself and what you’re using it for • An example of a short but powerful story …
- 52. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing
- 53. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing What’s it all mean? • Powerful stories inspire and motivate us • They touch our brains and our hearts • They cause introspection and action • They move us from thinking to feeling to acting • They make us do something (donate, become a better person, learn, engage)
- 54. So, the next time someone asks about your organization …
- 58. … share a story!
- 59. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Who is TrueSense Marketing? Full-Service Direct Response Agency We believe donors are heroes — an unstoppable force for good through their giving. Complete end-to-end direct response fundraising in all channels.
- 60. True Sense TrueSense® Marketing True Sense TrueSense® Marketing Organizations We’ve Been Proud to Serve • Direct Mail • Digital • Broadcast • Print • Social • Mid-Level Cultivation
Editor's Notes
- Would a compelling, emotionally charged story have a greater impact on generosity and philanthropy?