When most of us give to a charity or association, we want to feel that they are worthy of our contribution. Many of us make these judgement calls based on the stories that we see and hear about the organisation, and how much these stories pull at our heartstrings.

Typically, it doesn’t require a lot of money to tell a great story. Its cost-effectiveness makes it an excellent way for smaller nonprofits to level the field with larger ones that have greater access to more resources.

Creating and telling emotive stories are central to sharing your mission. The following three tips will help you improve your NFP storytelling so that you develop stronger connections with your advocates, donors, volunteers and staff.

Put the Focus on a Strong Protagonist

Rather than focusing on telling others “how brilliant” your organisation is, look for a central figure whose story will resonate with your audience when creating your nonprofit’s stories. Most folks are looking for underdogs who unexpectedly become heroes – regular, everyday people who overcome obstacles to make a difference.

Focus on telling their story, and how your nonprofit has helped them create positive change. Be authentic and share personal details of your hero’s struggle that will resonate with your audience. Allow them to see themselves, or their loved ones, in this person’s shoes.

Mix Up Your Mediums

Where and how you tell your stories is just as important as what you are saying in the story. While blog posts are useful for providing in-depth coverage, not everyone enjoys getting their information solely through reading.

Use photo collages, live and pre-recorded videos, “ask me anything” chats/tweets on Twitter, and captivating snapshots to tell the story on its own as well as combine it with written forms to illuminate text-heavy content.

Regardless of which format you choose to tell your story, make all these messages easy to share on your nonprofit’s social media channels. Ask your followers how they felt after they read or watched your account or ask them to share their own story.

Asking for feedback in this way will help you to start conversations and increase engagement with your audience. Also, invite your followers to join in and support your organisation’s work. Ask them to help you make a difference by sharing it with their family and friends on their own social media networks

Use Strong Evidence to Back Up Your Stories

In addition to evoking an emotional response, your stories must be believable to be effective. You can build authority and increase others’ trust in your stories by backing them up with independent data.

Use statistics, the results of scientific studies and similar types of evidence-based information to back up any points or claims made in your stories to increase credibility with your audience.

Now that you know the critical elements of great storytelling, it’s time to get started! Make a list of your organisation’s everyday heroes and start collecting and sharing their stories. Don’t forget to ask your followers to join in and be a hero too by sharing your message and getting involved!