The document presents a workshop on storytelling for grant writing by Betsy Baker, emphasizing the importance of creativity and passion in proposals. It outlines techniques for crafting compelling narratives, such as understanding characters, setting, and creating tension through needs statements. Additionally, it encourages writers to present their organization's unique identity while balancing statistical evidence with emotional appeal.

1. Storytelling for Grant Writing
PRESENTED BY
BETSY BAKER, MPA
WWW.YOURGRANTAUTHORITY.COM

2. A little about me…
Began career in nonprofit development
10 years as a grant writing consultant
$10 million in grants received
Speaker for the Foundation Center, the Grant
Professionals Association & the Association of Fund
Raising Professionals
 Regular contributor to OpportunityKnocks! and
CharityChannel
 Founder www.YourGrantAuthority.com , hosts
webinars, workshops and other grant writing
educational opportunities. Also helpful to aspiring
grant writing consultants.
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3. Listen Closely

4. Writing Styles
Sticking only to technique
and form = boring
Adding creativity and
passion = a much better
read for the grant reviewer!

5. All great stories have
 Characters
 A hero
 A “bad guy”
 Setting
 Time
 Place
 Plot
 Conflict
 Conclusion

6. How do you begin telling stories?
You have to know them first!

7. How to write your nonprofit’s best stories ever:
 Be an investigative reporter to get to know your
characters:
Executive Director
program staff
financial guru
program partners
 Research to intimately know your nonprofit’s stories
inside and out:
prior evaluation reports
online

8. Turning a conversation into written word

9. How to make your application have more personality
 Turn off that “editor’s voice” inside your head
 Write the way you speak rather than the way you
think you should write
 Think about words that describe your organization –
what gives it a unique place in your community

10. It’s Your Turn!
 A museum can be described as:
 Historical
 Archival
 Educational
 Kid-friendly
 Acclaimed

11. How to introduce your organization’s characters
in the Proposal Narrative
 Provide a “hook” by introducing your antagonist
character first
 Allow the protagonist – your hero nonprofit – to be
introduced next providing fundamental information
 Introduce other main characters such as your clients

12. Establish a sense of time in your proposal
 Your work is to support the future of your
organization
 Plan ahead
 Grant review can last anywhere from 4-6 months

13. Write to transport your reader to a physical location.
Location, location, location!

14. How to create “tension” with your needs statement
Introduce
characters
& location
Build the
tension
with your
needs
statement
Create a
climactic
moment

15. Apply storytelling to your needs statement by answering:
 Who are the people who have the need or the
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problem?
Where do the people with the need or problem live?
When is the problem or need evident?
Why does the problem or need occur?
What is the problem with the problem?

16. Example: your need describes the problem of
unemployment
 Who are the people with the need & where do they
live? Unemployed people living in Pike County, AL
 How is the need evident? Poverty
rates, homelessness and crime are higher here than
in the rest of the state (use stats)
 Why does the problem exist? It’s complex – lack of
safe schools, employment opportunities &
transportation
 Why is the problem a problem?
Poverty, homelessness & crime equals higher & more
long-term costs (again, use stats)

17. Statistics are important – grant
writers love a good statistic.
But you have to have heart in your
proposal to temper the stats!

18. “A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.”

19. You gotta have a hero!

20. Thank YOU! 
Stay in touch with me at
Facebook.com/YourGrantAuthority