By Shana Medel
How do you find and tell good stories? The ones that make your audience feel something, so much so they’re inspired to make a donation? Here to give you nonprofit best practices are Josh Kligman of Storyraise and Chris Miano of Memory Fox. Both are CEOs of creative tech companies that are helping nonprofits on a bigger scale. The pair tag teamed this webinar on gathering and telling multimedia stories, featuring real-life examples that’ll help your team create an ethical impact.
This webinar was facilitated by Carly Euler of Memory Fox. The transcript below has been edited for length and clarity.
Chris Miano: People telling stories to other people, it’s a very primal human function, long before people could even read. This is how information was transferred for thousands of years, from Virgil to Homer to Gilgamesh. The oldest tradition we have. Storytelling is fundamental to who we are as humans.
And video storytelling is the best way to resonate with potential donors and attract volunteers. Above all else, you’ll raise more funds. Classy actually did a study, and they found that fundraising campaigns that incorporate video almost doubled the amount of funding than campaigns that don’t. Video gives people a real window into their mission. It’s more memorable. Viewers retain vastly more information when they see it through video.
Lastly, it’s what people want. Short form videos on Instagram and Tik Tok have exploded as attention spans have dovetailed. We like to tell impact stories that meet the tastes of the time. And this is what people are using these days.
In a lot of ways, nonprofits have been given an impossible task of standing out in this increasingly crowded attention economy. And so, using authentic grassroots impact videos and community-generated videos will help level the playing field, that’s your secret power. We’re going to watch a great video from Kids’ Health Connections, which helps parents and their kids get the most out of their relationship with their family physician.
Chris Miano: An authentic, engaging video like this one brings a nonprofit mission right into your living room. Some of the most compelling videos are grassroots stories, beautiful stories from people who are experiencing your mission.
So we know video is important, but how do we actually start collecting it? Video doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. If you’re leveraging community-generated content, there’s an understanding that it’ll be a little loose and it won’t be perfect. But it’ll be accessible to everybody.
We built a simple framework at Memory Fox to help develop video strategy. Step one, before you even go talk to somebody, start at the end result. Then, work your way backwards to ensure that you get a result that will be well worth your time.
Step two, what type of content will satisfy the requirements for step one? Do you want video of the mission in action? Do you want videos from beneficiaries or volunteers? Maybe staff or donors who feel passionately about the mission? Video can come from everywhere. Every single person in your organization is an amplification, a method to amplify their story and the story of the organization and unite those things with the viewer.
And step three, what do you want to accomplish? What are the questions you want to ask that will elicit great responses? In a lot of ways, great questions can lead to great answers. But poor questions are going to cause your storytellers to lock up and prevent them from sharing their truth. Your goal is to elevate people. You’re trying to be ethical by giving them a platform to share their truth and to honor them.
To wrap it up: 1) What do you want to accomplish? 2) What type of content will help you achieve what you want? 3) What calls to action or questions will help you get that content? This worksheet will help you walk through this process.
Chris Miano: Remember the Kids’ Health Connections video? They used this framework. Step one, they determined they wanted community-generated video to attach to a grant application. They also wanted video to leverage on social media to increase attendance at their programs. Step two, they determined the very best videos would be testimonials from kids and parents enjoying the mission. Step three, their calls to action, the questions they asked were crystal clear. What was the most important thing you learned? Open ended, but with some clear direction to it. Would you recommend us and why? Why is always a great question. It really gives someone the space and the platform to speak their truth.
Here are some more examples of organizations that have great community-generated content campaigns:
1) Arbor Day Foundation has been wildly successful collecting content from their tree-planting events all over the country. Arbor Day Foundation also ties their collection campaigns to specific outcomes. For example, they designate a corporate sponsor that will receive the content, so American Express, FedEx, etc. And that helps make things a little more tangible. There’s a little more mobile work up front.
2) For Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, their key to success was knowing their audience. One of their focus areas is public health. During the pandemic, when they recognized there was vaccine hesitancy in their community and people had a lot of questions about COVID-19, they collected videos from children asking questions about COVID, the vaccine and the virus. And then they sent those videos to trusted doctors who could answer them. And they assembled all of these clips into YouTube video stories. Their efforts were directly related to an increase in vaccinations in their community. Kids, doctors, it was a great combination to influence people.
3) Wreaths Across America hosted their annual wreath-laying event, which has volunteers place wreaths on the graves of veterans. There were thousands of these ceremonies across the nation. Wreaths Across America collected over 8,000 pieces of content from these ceremonies to be used in their reports, to send to stakeholders, to send to grant-making organizations. They were able to assemble these videos into beautiful catalogs for everybody, and it really was a great way to show impact. They also followed up with volunteers who they didn’t receive video from and they asked, “Did you take any pictures or videos? Can you please send them to me?”
Chris Miano: You can start collecting content at your next program or event. You just need a plan. One idea is to set up a story booth rather than a photo booth at your programs and events. This can be a fun way to get people, even kids, to loosen up and talk about how and why they got involved in your organization. You can find some really beautiful stories when people are in person. People will contribute stories, and then they’ll go tell their friends at the program or event, and then they’ll come over to you. You’ll generate a cycle of enthusiasm that can be a great benefit to you.
Another idea, when you have a program or event, is to designate a content collection champion. Your staff members are too busy, right? There needs to be someone who can focus on gathering these stories. So choose a volunteer or an employee to be the story collector. Make them aware of your timeline and any notable special guests. Give them a content checklist, like we have to get a story from the executive director and these key board members.
This is exactly what Family Giving Tree did. They had 148 submissions from that event, which provided a tremendous amount of value during the reporting phase to their donors and boards.
Chris Miano: Another thing that’s very important: You have to ask great questions to get great stories. Move beyond simple open-ended questions. I always think of it like a kid test. If I ask my kids, “What did you learn at school today?” It’s simple and open ended, right? But if I ask them a very specific question, like “What did you do in gym class today?” Then, they’ll give me a more detailed response. We want to lead people to success. Being clear elevates people, enables them to tell the story they want to be able to tell.
Like, tell us about the first time you volunteered? How did it make you feel? I love that one because everybody remembers the first time they volunteered or the first time they donated, what really resonated with them. That’s a very emotional event. It sets off a lot of things in their brain and releases all those fuzzy endorphins that make people happy. You make people feel like a deeper part of your community when you show that you really care about their story.
You want to build a culture of storytelling at your organization. You shouldn’t ask for testimonials across multiple channels just when the organization that funds you is asking for a report. You should be collecting these things all year round so you have them at your fingertips. The more you ask, the more you collect.
One of the big ethical questions we get is, “What do I do if the people I serve have sensitive stories they might not want to share?” You don’t want the process of collecting stories to be a transactional process. In our recent ethical storytelling report, with some key pointers. Number one is giving your community the microphone. With today’s technology, you don’t need to speak for others. Let them speak for themselves.
Number two, empower your community to share when they’re comfortable. If you have a grant report due next week and need a video, don’t drag someone into your office and point a bunch of cameras at them. That’ll just increase their stress, and it’s not very ethical. That’s why you want to collect stories all year round, in real time at the event or right after the event. Don’t ask people six months later about a program because they’re not going to remember. And then they’re going to feel kind of embarrassed that they can’t tell a great story about it. You want to build trust, be upfront about how you intend to use stories, now and in the future. A storyteller might be more willing or less willing to share based on how their story is going to be used. Is it going on Instagram or to a specific donor or to a foundation?
And finally, number three, use strength-based messaging. These stories live on forever, right? If somebody tells an embarrassing story, and that story lives on Instagram, it’ll be there forever. If things work out for your storyteller, they won’t be at that food bank forever. Their story is going to change. So be thoughtful of that.
Take a look at this free download of our ethical storytelling report. It goes into ethical storytelling, trauma, informed language, stereotype stories, everything that you can want when it comes to crafting stories, ethically.
Josh Kligman: Now that you’ve collected all of these great stories, you’re ready to put them into a digital report. And there are all kinds: annual, donor, impact, solicitation. Part of storytelling is about customizing stories for different donors based on their giving level and interest level.
I want to start with what makes a great report. This is a good next step in the chain of what Chris was talking about in terms of collecting stories and focusing on video.
Being really visual is the first thing, and that ties to being really engaging. In the past, when reports were primarily PDFs or flipbooks, it was commonplace to make the presentation feel like 75% tax and 25% photos and design elements. But now, there’s an opportunity to create more visuals and use more assets. That way, you’re going a little bit further to ensure your stakeholders are actually reading the impact stories you’re telling them.
We’re all very busy throughout the day, right? While I’m talking right now, someone’s getting a text. Someone’s doorbell is ringing. There’s a lot of competition for time. So when you get those five minutes with a constituent or a potential donor or volunteer who’s going to read your report, think about the content that speaks to your brand and the things that only you can do. And make sure they know who the report is coming from. It’s very obvious to you as the fundraiser or the marketer that your report is coming from your brand and your voice, but that may not be so obvious to your reader.
Also, a great report is more scannable, not text, text, text. Think about attention span, like Chris was talking about. Think about what websites look like when they’re teasing lots of different things. The text isn’t lengthy. For instance, if you’re putting together an impact report, and you want to tell a story about how your community was impacted positively by an event, you can tease it and then at the end of that tease, add a hyperlink to your website or a blog on the event. If the page has a little less to read, feeling more web-friendly and like a website, you have a greater opportunity to engage donors for a longer period of time.
We did a survey here at Storyraise that showed over 90% of donors want to know what the impact stories are before they give more. So do all you can to keep their attention and keep them reading. Making your report scannable is one of those ways.
Also, be selective. You don’t need to dump everything you have into your report. Try having one key story to get donor attention. Not rushing is a big part of this process, too. Get a second or third set of eyes on these stories. Take your time with the editing process.
Digital reports move towards something more interactive, and they live in a web-based format. They live in a URL that you can easily access from a tablet or cell phone. There’s enough technology out there that now you don’t have to be a graphic designer or know code to showcase your impact in a format that’s polished and creates a more engaging experience. When it comes down to it, it’s about the art of storytelling, the science of just finding the right templates and technology to do it.
When it comes to visual storytelling, using video can help you build more personalization and engagement. You can stand out from the competition, the competition for your donor’s time and the competition coming from other nonprofits.
The right storytelling is all about perspective. Let’s say your nonprofit raises funds through a variety of efforts for a program that could add a new playground in the community. There’s option A, which is to tell the story to all your donors that there’s a new playground here, everyone’s thriving, we couldn’t have done it without you and you show a picture of the playground. That’s fine, but there’s a better option. Option B is to highlight specific people who are benefiting from that playground. Now, little Johnny and little Suzie have somewhere to go to play with other kids and develop their social and emotional skills. They’re really thriving on this playground, and we couldn’t have done this without you. Option B takes things down to a more personal level.
Also, really important is thinking about people who are on the go. Your report has to be mobile responsive. If you use video, will people be able to watch that video easily on their cell phones? Everything you produce needs to be legible and responsive to different devices. Now, I’m talking about reports, but this is applicable to your newsletters, social media and any other marketing or communication piece that you’re sending out through your channels.
Here’s a real-life example of a nonprofit that is showing their story, not just telling it. World Wildlife Fund put together a timeline about their efforts to save tigers around the world, from India to Nepal to Bangladesh.
And to really make your work a reflection of your organization, everything you produce needs to align with your brand. You need to use the same fonts, colors and layouts. Do they all have a similar look and feel? Or do they seem like a different brand everywhere you look? Having brand consistency and continuity within your storytelling efforts delivers familiarity to people who haven’t given yet and people who might increase their gift. Thinking about your brand is just one piece of the puzzle.
You can embed social media posts in your report, too. This is just a different, more dynamic way to visually present a story and keep your donors reading for a longer period of time. There could be social media stories that are based on past events or a program launch. You can fill half a page or an entire page with web-friendly, short-format content from your social channels.
When you can, use authentic photos to show your story. Striking a balance between text and visuals is part of the art of it. You want to feature people, to feature faces. Just make sure you have the right permissions. Waivers can be helpful here.
Moving onto solicitation reports. Throughout the year, there are moments when you create reports that are there to say, “Thank you. Here’s the impact you made.” Those are annual reports and most impact reports. There are other times throughout the year when you create a case for giving and you want to ask for contributions. Giving Tuesday and end-of-year are good times to do that.
Here are reports from Star Commonwealth and Lloyd Eco District. They list different milestones to make their cases for giving, and then, they have a thank you section at the end where they have a call to action asking for donations. But you could also have a different call to action, like signing up for a golf tournament or a gala or a race.
With solicitation reports, there’s an opportunity to create less clicks for the donor. One of our partners, Givebutter, created a mock report that represents their brand and has a call to action to donate at the end of the report. So you’ve told your story, and as part of that story, you’re asking for help to keep up your momentum. With Storyraise, you can add donation forms that don’t require donors to leave your report, meaning they can make a donation within the report itself.
Carly Euler: Thank you both for presenting. We have some questions for you two. First one, what types of content are most compelling or applicable for nonprofits to share?
Chris Miano: Community-generated content is rich and authentic. Let’s say you’re a food bank and you want to collect content from people who come to your food bank for services. That may be difficult. They may not feel comfortable sharing their story. You want to be thoughtful of that, not pushy. The workaround may be your volunteers, who are a great source for stories. And most of the volunteers I know like to talk. And sometimes, they’ve used the services in the past. So that can add a nice little wrinkle of somebody who’s come through the program. People want a window into your mission.
Josh Kligman: My first job was at a nonprofit, sourcing and interviewing people who were positively impacted by their programs and their brand. We’d write a blog and chase them down and ask them for a photo that had to do with the story. Then, the social media team created posts about it. And then, when the time was right, we went back and looked at our work to figure out who we wanted to interview over video. The leg work behind the process can be hard, but it’s worthwhile.
Carly Euler: Another question, what are some common mistakes that you’ve seen nonprofits make when it comes to building reports?
Josh Kligman: Not thinking about a report from the donor’s perspective. Is it easy to read through and navigate on a laptop and a cell phone? For example, PDFs are hard to navigate on a phone. They’re not responsive. I have to zoom in and slide to the left and then the right to see everything. Our solution for this is Storyriase Reports.
Carly Euler: Last question, what are some tools somebody can use if they’re not tech savvy?
Chris Miano: You can always use Google Drive and Dropbox to store your content. The issue is creating a standard operating procedure. How will content be organized and handled on the shared drive? Set up clear rules for how everything gets organized and cataloged. Memory Fox does that automatically, that’s why we built it. But you can do this yourself using a product like Google Drive or Dropbox.
Josh Kligman: You don’t need any technical knowledge to use Storyraise. Everything is drag and drop. And there are templates to help get you going, put your presentation together and get something new and different out to your donors.