First of all, Happy Holidays.
Not the best time to be on diet, but that’s where I am. I’ve lost 8 pounds and have to keep it off somehow.
Nonprofits and Storytelling
I was lucky enough to attend the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference here in San Diego in November. There were hundreds of people there. I had written a primer and wanted to see if I could improve it and possibly make presentations to nonprofits to help them with their storytelling. As you can guess, whether it is telling a story to entertain or to entice people to contribute money, the primary objective is to reach people emotionally. As it turns out a single story about a meaningful moment is far more effective than tables of numbers or discourses on programs and organization. At the conference, Steve Screen said, “An organization never doubled because it made its case better.”
You may only have a couple of minutes to capture your listeners’ attention. Just as in a movie, the story should be a roller coaster of disasters to small successes to disappointments to crucial lessons. Then a victory with a message that can inspire other people. These stories can come from staff, donors, volunteers, or customers.
Compare these two starts to a story:
- We’ve helped homeless throughout the city since 2001. The number of people using our services has grown by more than 50% in the last three years.
Or
- James was sitting on a piece of cardboard when we saw him. It was his third night down town, and he could barely stop shaking.
Which one grabs your feelings?
But what about data? Numbers that flow from the narrative convince listeners that the story is more than anecdote.
Here are some wonderful examples of experiences that some nonprofits created.
Civilla is a design-focused nonprofit studio based in Detroit. They took on a major problem in Michigan. The principal public-benefits application for the Department of Health and Human Services had grown to 18,000 words and 1,000 questions. The form was criticized as “bureaucracy run amok.” To illustrate how frustrating, repetitive, and overwhelming it was, Civilla made a presentation that visiting government officials will always remember. They printed out all the pages and pasted them together into a long scroll that was more than 40 feet long. Here is a picture of it.
Civilla interviewed customers and staff, stripped out redundancy, and simplified needed information. The new form shrank by 80% and could be completed in 20 minutes.
The Franklin Factory in Tennessee focuses on clean water in Africa. To illustrate what it is like to trudge for miles carrying jerry cans, they created an immersive experience called The Water Walk. They arranged for people to walk on a treadmill with a 3-D visual of the countryside in Uganda. Participants saw and heard the environment around them. Then they listened to a Ugandan woman tell them about her daily quest for water.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving fitted participants with goggles that impaired their vision in the same why mild alcohol impairment would. It was impossible to walk a straight line.
Leader Dogs for the Blind sponsored a special dinner to help donors empathize with those who are blind. The Dinner in the Dark organizers blindfolded all participants and led them to their tables in a dark gala hall. With the blindfolds on, they were instructed how to eat their dinners.
Events
Beyond Belief Podcast
I did my first interview dealing with religion. I spoke to Shalom Shore on his Beyond Belief podcast. Shalom interviews people who have left their religions. For me it was Christian Science. We had a wide discussion on Christian Science’s history and precepts as well as my growing up under its influence. I had some stories to tell about parents quietly taking children to doctors while insisting sickness wasn’t real, as well as how negative thoughts were repressed.
To hear the interview, copy and paste this link:
Pizza and Proceco for Cesar Chavez Service Clubs
It was great to see old friends at the Proceco and Pizza fundraiser that the Cesar Chavez Service Clubs held at the Meraki restaurant. The clubs raised $17k to help kids in elementary through high school discover themselves, get into college, and help their communities.
Snow Day in Pacific Beach
It’s hard to believe but kids in San Diego don’t get much of a chance to see snow. The annual Pacific Beach snow day was brought to us by Gary Kent and Brian Caine. They trucked in snow for the kids.
A Free Primer on How to Tell a Story
Would you like a free training manual on how to tell a story? Picking the right story and telling it well are keys to making a sale or inspiring a donation. The primer in the link below divides elements of storytelling into 28 short sections. As a subscriber you can get it for free to download from this link: https://carlvonderau.com/thank-you-for-subscribing/
Saving Myles
How about a good read for the Season?
All the Best,
Carl