You can learn to be an effective, engaging storyteller. You don\u2019t need \u201ctalent\u201d or a \u201cgift\u201d or even a campfire. You just need a plan, a monomyth (more on that in a minute) and maybe a little practice. Here’s how you can write a compelling story that inspires donors to get involved.<\/p>\n
“You can learn to be an effective, engaging storyteller.”<\/em> <\/i>tweet this<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\nWhat A Story Does<\/h2>\n
Before we get into telling stories, let\u2019s talk about what they do and why we tell them.<\/p>\n
A well-told story:<\/p>\n
\n- Engages our brains like nothing else<\/li>\n
- Creates a personal connection with information<\/li>\n
- Helps us make sense of complicated situations or concepts<\/li>\n
- Provokes emotion, while shutting down skepticism<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In order to make a donation<\/a> to a cause, a person needs to be engaged, personally connected, and emotionally-provoked. They need to understand why a cause is important, who it impacts, and why their help is necessary. Telling a story accomplishes all of these things in one fell swoop.<\/p>\nThe One Story You Need To Tell: The Hero\u2019s Journey<\/h2>\n
Good news! You don\u2019t need to start from scratch when you\u2019re telling your story. There is one essential story that humans are already looking for: The Hero\u2019s Journey.<\/p>\n
Nerd time: The Hero\u2019s Journey was most famously described by American mythologist Joseph Campbell, in his 1949 book The Hero with a Thousand Faces<\/em>. Campbell\u2019s theory of monomyth <\/em>suggests that all the great myths share common elements and follow the same basic structure.<\/p>\n![\"Joseph](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Joseph-Campbell.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Audiences automatically know how to follow a Hero\u2019s Journey, because it\u2019s present in most of the stories we know, from The Odyssey to Cinderella to Star Wars.<\/p>\n
What Happens To A Hero<\/h2>\n
So what is this monomyth, anyhow? Campbell identified 17 steps on the Hero\u2019s Journey, but for the purposes of nonprofit storytelling, we\u2019ll streamline. Basically, it goes like this:<\/p>\n
The Hero<\/strong> is living in the ordinary world, minding their own business, when they receive a call <\/strong>to adventure. They do not immediately want to answer the call, but eventually do, usually with the help of a guide\/mentor<\/strong> figure. The adventure is on!<\/p>\nNext, the Hero encounters trials and tribulations<\/strong>, from which they learn important lessons. These all lead up to a great big ultimate confrontation<\/strong> of a challenge\/monster\/evil to be defeated. The Hero defeats it<\/strong>!<\/p>\nFinally, the Hero returns<\/strong> from their journey, with new knowledge and a new perspective.<\/p>\nIf this all seems kind of esoteric, think about these Hero Journeys:<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Heros-Journey-Story-Chart-1.png\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Wizard-of-Oz.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Tell It Like An Adventure<\/h2>\n
While Campbell has influenced storytellers from George Lucas to advertising executives, the application to fundraising might not be immediately apparent. \u201cThis isn\u2019t Star Wars,\u201d you might say. \u201cThis is the Grand Adventure of Please Support Environmental Policy Advocacy.\u2019 No one is clamoring for the movie rights.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t worry–your story does not need to be particularly adventurous for you tell it like an adventure. The structure of the story is what makes it appeal to us.<\/p>\n
For an update on the Hero\u2019s Journey, take a look at Donald Miller\u2019s Story Brand <\/a>format:<\/p>\nA character has a problem, they meet a guide who gives them a plan that calls them to action, resulting in comedy or tragedy.<\/p>\n
The Donor With A Thousand Faces<\/h2>\n
You don\u2019t need to go on a quest to find the hero of your story. The best hero of a nonprofit story is always the same: It\u2019s the donor themselves. It\u2019s logical to think that when you\u2019re telling an organizational story that the organization is the hero, but your story will have a lot more impact if you center on the donor. Make it about them.<\/p>\n
Beyond Borders is truly doing heroic work to end child slavery in Haiti. Still, their Not Forgotten Haiti campaign on CauseVox put the donor front and center. The donor is immediately given a heroic task: ensuring no child or family is forgotten.![\"Show](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Home-of-Hope-Hero.png\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/not-forgotten-haiti.png\")
<\/p>\n
You\u2019re Our Only Hope: Introducing The Problem<\/h2>\n
Introducing the problem is where you make the case for why you need your hero\u2019s help. Before they can set off on the Yellow Brick Road, you need to tell them about the Wicked Witch of the West.<\/p>\n
Take a look at this story from Nicholas House, a homeless shelter in Atlanta:![\"Nonprofit](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Hero-Journey-Nicholas-House-1-1024x486.png\")
<\/p>\n
Think how you would feel if you had no option but to move your family into a facility that offered no privacy \u2013 a place where you had to eat, sleep and sometimes even shower in a room full of strangers, many of them with substance abuse problems, criminal backgrounds and mental disorders.<\/em><\/p>\nNow consider about how you would feel if you had to do all of the above while separated from all or part of your family. You know they are someplace similar, but you have no real confidence about where they are, whether or not they are safe, or if they are scared without you. And you are completely powerless to do anything about it.<\/em><\/p>\nNicholas House is very specific, which engages our emotions. We understand the problem emotionally because we can imagine being alone and separated from our families. All of a sudden the fact that Nicholas House keeps families together matters <\/em>to us.<\/p>\nBe A Good Guide<\/h2>\n
When you make the donor the hero, the organization takes on the role of the guide or mentor. You give them a plan, and call them to action to solve the problem. You set them on the course to achieve heroic things.<\/p>\n
“When you make the donor the hero, the organization takes on the role of the guide…”<\/em> <\/i>tweet this<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\nOne of the Guide\u2019s most important jobs is to inform the hero of their potential. Every Luke Skywalker needs an Obi Wan Kenobi to tell him that there\u2019s a thing called the Force and he can use it. In the same way, you need to let your donors know that they are heroes who can make big differences for important causes.<\/p>\n
In this moving campaign from Home of Hope, founder and director Edith Lukabwe is a thorough guide. She introduces us to the dire situation children with disabilities face in Uganda, and shows us how Home of Hope has found a way to help. She invites us to be heroes for these children.<\/p>\n
In order to make a donation<\/a> to a cause, a person needs to be engaged, personally connected, and emotionally-provoked. They need to understand why a cause is important, who it impacts, and why their help is necessary. Telling a story accomplishes all of these things in one fell swoop.<\/p>\n Good news! You don\u2019t need to start from scratch when you\u2019re telling your story. There is one essential story that humans are already looking for: The Hero\u2019s Journey.<\/p>\n Nerd time: The Hero\u2019s Journey was most famously described by American mythologist Joseph Campbell, in his 1949 book The Hero with a Thousand Faces<\/em>. Campbell\u2019s theory of monomyth <\/em>suggests that all the great myths share common elements and follow the same basic structure.<\/p>\n Audiences automatically know how to follow a Hero\u2019s Journey, because it\u2019s present in most of the stories we know, from The Odyssey to Cinderella to Star Wars.<\/p>\n So what is this monomyth, anyhow? Campbell identified 17 steps on the Hero\u2019s Journey, but for the purposes of nonprofit storytelling, we\u2019ll streamline. Basically, it goes like this:<\/p>\n The Hero<\/strong> is living in the ordinary world, minding their own business, when they receive a call <\/strong>to adventure. They do not immediately want to answer the call, but eventually do, usually with the help of a guide\/mentor<\/strong> figure. The adventure is on!<\/p>\n Next, the Hero encounters trials and tribulations<\/strong>, from which they learn important lessons. These all lead up to a great big ultimate confrontation<\/strong> of a challenge\/monster\/evil to be defeated. The Hero defeats it<\/strong>!<\/p>\n Finally, the Hero returns<\/strong> from their journey, with new knowledge and a new perspective.<\/p>\n If this all seems kind of esoteric, think about these Hero Journeys:<\/p>\n While Campbell has influenced storytellers from George Lucas to advertising executives, the application to fundraising might not be immediately apparent. \u201cThis isn\u2019t Star Wars,\u201d you might say. \u201cThis is the Grand Adventure of Please Support Environmental Policy Advocacy.\u2019 No one is clamoring for the movie rights.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry–your story does not need to be particularly adventurous for you tell it like an adventure. The structure of the story is what makes it appeal to us.<\/p>\n For an update on the Hero\u2019s Journey, take a look at Donald Miller\u2019s Story Brand <\/a>format:<\/p>\n A character has a problem, they meet a guide who gives them a plan that calls them to action, resulting in comedy or tragedy.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to go on a quest to find the hero of your story. The best hero of a nonprofit story is always the same: It\u2019s the donor themselves. It\u2019s logical to think that when you\u2019re telling an organizational story that the organization is the hero, but your story will have a lot more impact if you center on the donor. Make it about them.<\/p>\n Beyond Borders is truly doing heroic work to end child slavery in Haiti. Still, their Not Forgotten Haiti campaign on CauseVox put the donor front and center. The donor is immediately given a heroic task: ensuring no child or family is forgotten. Introducing the problem is where you make the case for why you need your hero\u2019s help. Before they can set off on the Yellow Brick Road, you need to tell them about the Wicked Witch of the West.<\/p>\n Take a look at this story from Nicholas House, a homeless shelter in Atlanta: Think how you would feel if you had no option but to move your family into a facility that offered no privacy \u2013 a place where you had to eat, sleep and sometimes even shower in a room full of strangers, many of them with substance abuse problems, criminal backgrounds and mental disorders.<\/em><\/p>\n Now consider about how you would feel if you had to do all of the above while separated from all or part of your family. You know they are someplace similar, but you have no real confidence about where they are, whether or not they are safe, or if they are scared without you. And you are completely powerless to do anything about it.<\/em><\/p>\n Nicholas House is very specific, which engages our emotions. We understand the problem emotionally because we can imagine being alone and separated from our families. All of a sudden the fact that Nicholas House keeps families together matters <\/em>to us.<\/p>\n When you make the donor the hero, the organization takes on the role of the guide or mentor. You give them a plan, and call them to action to solve the problem. You set them on the course to achieve heroic things.<\/p>\n One of the Guide\u2019s most important jobs is to inform the hero of their potential. Every Luke Skywalker needs an Obi Wan Kenobi to tell him that there\u2019s a thing called the Force and he can use it. In the same way, you need to let your donors know that they are heroes who can make big differences for important causes.<\/p>\n In this moving campaign from Home of Hope, founder and director Edith Lukabwe is a thorough guide. She introduces us to the dire situation children with disabilities face in Uganda, and shows us how Home of Hope has found a way to help. She invites us to be heroes for these children.<\/p>\nThe One Story You Need To Tell: The Hero\u2019s Journey<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nWhat Happens To A Hero<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nTell It Like An Adventure<\/h2>\n
The Donor With A Thousand Faces<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nYou\u2019re Our Only Hope: Introducing The Problem<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nBe A Good Guide<\/h2>\n
“When you make the donor the hero, the organization takes on the role of the guide…”<\/em> <\/i>tweet this<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n