There's a very important point about nonprofit storytelling at The Far Edge of Promise: Why Better Storytelling Won't Lead to Larger Gifts.
How many of us have said, We need to tell people our story?
And how often have we meant by that, If we could put our facts and beliefs into other people's heads, they'd become faithful donors?
That's exactly what we don't need to do:
Everyone agrees that donor engagement is a key to receiving a commitment. But donor engagement doesn't occur because we tell them what we want them to know. Instead, donor engagement occurs when they tell us what we want them to know. My counsel is that a donor is ready to make a meaningful gift when she says to me, "Jason, we need that new science building!"
The stories we tell should not about ourselves -- how effective, and cool, and world-changing we are. The stories should be about how donors connect to the cause we mutually care about.
The donor who tells you that you need a new science building is one who has made your story part of her story. That doesn't happen when you endlessly brag about yourself. It happens when enter the donor's world by telling her story as it relates to the cause.
