The document is a presentation about storytelling for nonprofit organizations given by Laura Packer. It introduces Packer and defines what storytelling is. The presentation discusses how storytelling plays an important role for nonprofits in fundraising, attracting people, gaining media attention, and supporting staff. It provides guidance on how to be a good listener, craft impactful stories for different stakeholders, and find stories from personal experiences and organizational history/impact. The presentation encourages organizations to practice storytelling and asks for any additional questions.

1. Storytelling for
Nonprofit Organizations
An introduction
Laura Packer
thinkstory.com
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

2. Who am I?
daughter
evolving
coach
friend
cancer
survivor
writer
cyclist
advocate
storyteller
step-mother
human
teacher
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

3. Who are you?
• Your name
• Your organization and your role
• Something that brings you joy other than work
• When you’re done, raise your hand
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

4. What is storytelling?
Story:
ORIGIN late Middle English: Latin from Greek
historia -“finding out”
talking
performance
art
living
marketing
When we tell stories we are at once
conveying information
and finding out more information.
writing
lying
Humans are storytelling
creatures.
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

5. We all tell stories
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

6. The role of storytelling
(everywhere and in organizations)
• Inherent, built in
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Conveys culture and history
Tough stuff
Persuasive
Transfers knowledge
Builds community
Fosters new ways of thinking
Humanizes numbers
Collaboration
Fun, entertaining, powerful, poignant, etc.
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

7. The role of storytelling for non-profits
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Funding
Attracting the right people
Media attention
Staff support
What else?
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

8. So how does storytelling work?
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

9. Personal
Information vs. Story
• Of 1.6 million new U.S. cancer diagnoses in
2012, 500K+ will die
• 2nd most common cause of death in the U.S.
• $226.8 billion/year
• I am a cancer survivor
• You or people you love may be, too.
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

10. A When we tellstoryare at once
little stories we theory
conveying information
and finding out more information.
storyteller
Storytelling is all about
building relationships
and allowing the audience room for their
own experiences.
audience
story
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

11. Storyteller’s toolkit
1. Listening
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

12. The role of listening
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Allows space for new creative thinking
Empower the speaker
Deepen relationships
Deeply understand others
Good listening can
be addictive
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

13. Competitive listening
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Listen for opening
Listen to trump
Listen to serve inequality meter
etc
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

14. 1:1 listening
– Listener listens
• Don’t interrupt
• Be present
• Confidentiality
– Speaker speaks
• Not telling a story, just being listened to
• Silence is okay
• Emotion is okay
– Switch
Something you did at work that you are proud of
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

15. Storyteller’s toolkit
1. Listening
2. Crafting the story
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

16. A specific example of your
organization’s story
• A time when your organization had an impact
– Listener listens
• Don’t interrupt
• Be present
• Confidentiality
– Speaker speaks
• Take your time, try to have a beginning, middle and end
• Silence and emotions are okay
– Switch
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

17. Storyteller’s toolkit
1. Listening
2. Crafting the story
3. Telling your story for a specific audience
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

18. Who is your audience?
Who are your stakeholders?
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

19. What kinds of stories do
they need to hear?
What will move them to action?
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

20. Select a specific stakeholder…
And retell your impact story with them in mind.
– Listener listens
• Don’t interrupt
• Be present
• Confidentiality
– Speaker speaks
• Not telling a story, just being listened to
• Silence and emotions are okay
– Switch
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

21. Select a different stakeholder…
And retell your impact story with them in mind.
Include several specific sensory images.
– Listener listens
• Don’t interrupt
• Be present
• Confidentiality
– Speaker speaks
• Not telling a story, just being listened to
• Silence and emotions okay
– Switch
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

22. How do you foster better
organizational storytelling?
• Listen
• Ask
• Practice
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

23. What are the stories of your
organization?
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History
Mission
Values
Impact
Success AND failure
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

24. So where do you find stories?
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Personal experience
Stakeholders
Media
Traditional avenues
Look for:
– Repeating images and emotions
– Themes
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

25. (c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

26. Questions
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer

27. If you’d like to learn more, please contact me.
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Thinkstory.com
Laurapacker.com
Skype: lspacker
Truestorieshonestlies.blogspot.com
Think-story.blogspot.com
@storylaura
laura@thinkstory.com
781-526-7255
(c) 2013 Laura S. Packer