by Bright Ewuru | Sep 14, 2022 | Article
Every charitable organisation is eager to tell the world about its mission and values.
But spreading the word about your grant foundation or non-profit organisation can prove tricky. How do you sell your organisation without coming off as needy? Is it possible to communicate your cause in a way that resonates and truly connects with people?
That’s where storytelling comes in. Storytelling is a phenomenon that has been around for as long as there has been language to string together into stories. We all cherish a well-told tale; its resonating effect is ingrained in our biology.
We can also bring this human tradition into our organisations, and more specifically, in grant management. However, to make the most of storytelling in the grantmaking space, the details need to be presented with tact and without salesmanship.
Authenticity is key. It’s important to share the information in a way that engages and unites your audience through a compelling narrative.
Let’s examine the concept of strategic storytelling and its importance in grant management.
Strategic storytelling is an innovative way of presenting information that deeply engages the audience. It goes beyond mere communication to connect people in a way that matters to them. Strategic storytelling drives the narrative behind your information. It encompasses the “why” behind the “what”.
Strategic storytelling imbues the activities of grantmakers and the grantees with meaning and humanity, thereby bringing them to life.
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Proper implementation of storytelling strategies can help grant foundations, grantseekers and stakeholders in the grant management space get more resources in terms of funds and support. Also, stories can help non-profit organisations increase the impact of their efforts.
Below are points on how that happens.
Grantmaking foundations and grantees can spread information and educate their audience about their organisations using strategic storytelling. Your audience needs to have a good understanding of what your organisation is all about, how far you’ve come and the journey ahead. This will help them make sense of your target and make informed decisions.
A well-told story gives your audience a proper understanding of what’s at stake and shows that you care about the impact you’re making.
But that’s not all.
Just as personality matters on a personal basis, it matters in the grant management space. A charitable organisation’s personality is its brand identity. Also, increasing brand awareness matters to non-profit organisations; it’s not unique to profit-driven companies.
Adeptly implementing storytelling strategies helps you create a brand identity and increase brand awareness. This sets your grantmaking foundation or non-profit apart from the rest. With branding, your donors and volunteers will have a uniform experience as they interact with your organisation.
Strategic storytelling helps you create a consistent image and enhance the popularity of your grant foundation. Thus, you can reach a larger audience and expand your frontiers.
Strategic storytelling can compel your audience to interact with your organisation and take action.
When your stories reach your audience, it draws their attention and prompts them to process the information they’ve been presented. There might be a part of the story that rings true to their life. There’s a possibility that they’ve borne witness to what the story is all about.
The outcome is usually a surge of emotions backed by logic. When the head and the heart are on the same page, they’re unstoppable. Thus, emotions and logic will form a powerful force that touches their heart and gives them a reason to commit to your cause.
When the audience gets a better picture of what the organisation is all about and why it does what it does, they’ll be more likely to support it. This support could be in the form of fundraising or volunteering. You might even find them spreading the information to family, friends and like-minded individuals.
Facts are good to have, but the data alone doesn’t mean much. Lifeless numbers won’t move the needle.
What’s the big deal about 2,000 mouths fed? It’s just a statistic.
Ten new schools? So what?!
These raw digits are good, but they aren’t as impressive as they would be if there were a story backing them up. Storytelling makes the situation more relatable and helps your audience understand the context of your endeavours. It amplifies the impact of your foundation’s work by showcasing the significance of what you do.
Now, 2,000 mouths fed in a region beleaguered by famine or drought doesn’t sound so bland. And, there’s something impressive about ten new schools in a rural area, making quality education a reality for thousands of kids. Scholarship programs have a much nicer ring to them when people see that they make dreams a reality and possibly save young ones from social vices.
Strategic storytelling helps people get a better – and more complete – picture of it all.
Additionally, stories make your foundation and its activities memorable. Employing storytelling as one of your marketing strategies will help create a lasting impression on your audience. The numbers might be easily forgotten, but what has been done and how lives have been transformed will remain evergreen in the minds of your community.
Strategic storytelling helps grantmaking organisations and grantseekers build relationships and establish trust. A Princeton Neuroscience Institute study revealed that stories sync the brains of the storyteller and listener. Due to this brain-to-brain coupling, the audience is bound to the storyteller and collaboration ensues.
Since stories naturally evoke emotions, they form a strong bond between non-profits and their audience interested in funding and otherwise supporting the cause. When grantmakers and grantees employ efficient storytelling strategies, they present their organisation as the trustworthy champion of a noble cause to which interested parties can relate.
Besides the original formation of a relationship, strategic storytelling also aids foundations to strengthen the existing relationship with their various supporters. Storytelling gives deeper insight into specific programs that your audience might be interested in. Such details suggest that your supporters are indeed a part of something big.
It will boost their loyalty and you’d find them making donations more frequently or even increasing their donations.
Trust is at the core of every relationship. If for any reason the story seems doubtful, donors might not give; volunteers might not join. However, strategic storytelling mandates absolute truthfulness. It tells your audience who exactly you are, what your organisation does and why your endeavours are crucial.
The candour demonstrated forges trust among your audience and also triggers their devotion to assistance through fundraising or volunteering.
In the end, strategic storytelling is an excellent marketing tactic for your non-profit organisation. But more than that, it’s a way to connect your mission to your community and audience—an impactful way to foster empathy and build a connection to the heart of your organisation.
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