Summer Institute for Educational Fundraising Pre-Institute Sessions-The Art of Storytelling

The Art of Storytelling

Pdf Summary

In the document "The Art of Storytelling" by Skylar Beaver, the importance of storytelling in fundraising and advancement work is discussed. Stories are described as meaningful, memorable, impactful, and able to create personal connections. They have the power to alter beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge, and can reframe thinking. Donors react emotionally to stories, and the idea of the donor as the hero is introduced. Donors receive a sense of well-being from acts of charity, satisfying an essential human need. The Creative Equation is explained, where resonance and demonstration motivate donors to give. Finding the balance between resonance and demonstration is important in motivating donors.<br /><br />The document emphasizes the importance of storytelling in reaching and influencing audiences. The human brain is predisposed to think in story terms, and stories have a strong impact on the brain. Effective storytelling engages the brain, triggers the release of oxytocin (the love drug), and makes people remember and care. Crafting an effective story involves listening to donor stories, aligning values with stories, using photos to support storytelling, and maintaining consistency in storytelling efforts.<br /><br />Tips for effective storytelling are provided, such as being clear and succinct, avoiding too many facts and figures, building characters, being specific, knowing the audience, and constantly looking for stories. Being genuine and authentic, avoiding "salesy" language, remaining balanced, engaging all the senses, including a call to action, utilizing visuals, and evoking emotions are also important in storytelling.<br /><br />The example of Charity: Water is mentioned as a nonprofit organization that excels in storytelling. They use stories to capture the impact of their work and maintain an upbeat and positive tone. Donors also demand information and transparency, so it's important to provide supporting data and evidence of impact after telling a story.<br /><br />Overall, the key takeaways from the document are that fundraising is about fulfilling the aspirations of supporters, making donors the heroes in stories, and telling powerful stories one at a time. Consistency, strategic storytelling, and the inclusion of both emotional storytelling and supporting facts are vital in fundraising efforts.

Keywords

The Art of Storytelling

Skylar Beaver

fundraising

advancement work

meaningful stories

personal connections

donor as hero

resonance and demonstration

reaching audiences

influencing audiences