1. Compelling Storytelling – the new wave!
A quick how-to: Breaking through the clutter
Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved
By Kay Hixson, Strategic Communications
S
mall nonprofit organizations face stiff competition for charitable dollars. With over a million such
organizations in the US, it is crowded field. As a nonprofit leader, your challenge is to make your
successes stand out above the rest. When donors think of you, they should think of impact. When
they talk about you, they should be describing how their donation was a wise investment. The daily
challenge for today’s nonprofit leader is how to reach this plateau and how to stay there.
Strategies have changed: The days of data-packed, tiny-print, 200 page reports are over. Compelling
storytelling is quickly becoming the tool-of-choice to capture your donors’ attention. By engaging your
supporters with captivating, brief and visual stories of your impact, you will touch their hearts and
emotions as well as their minds.
Consider this fictional video:
Scene: A baby girl in her parents’ arms at a crowded health care clinic,
crying hysterically after receiving her first vaccination. Her parents hug
and let out a loud sigh of relief.
Narrator: “The sight of the needle scared little Olivia, just 16 months
old. She let out a scream like only a scared child can do, and the tears
appeared instantly on her red cheeks. Her parents were a little unsure,
too. They had heard the horror stories of children who had bad
reactions and nearly died from vaccinations. But, after plenty of
reassuring from the nurse, they decided their daughter would have a
better chance of being healthy if she got the shot. It was a big step for
the parents, but the odds are on their side. Olivia’s chances just
increased XX%.
President Obama, the
storyteller-in-chief,
launches nearly every
initiative with a staged
event and a story about
someone who will benefit
from his new initiative. His
stories offer the “human”
side of the issue as well as a
focal point for the media to
follow for the next few
news cycles.
STATISTIC #1: XX children vaccinated
STATISTIC #2: XX families join clinic “healthy families program”
STATISTIC: #3: Follow-up visits up XX%.
Connect – connect – connect: Using familiar examples will help you get and keep your audience’s
attention. For instance, in the fictional vaccination video, the narrator positions the parents as “wise
adults”. They made a difficult decision in spite of their child’s tears. Most adults in your audience have
filled that role. They will subconsciously nod their heads as they reflect on their experiences. Now you
have their attention.
The popular TED Talks series has explored this idea of context. In his presentation, Bill Harley, a wellknown storyteller, talks about the power of storytelling and suggests that stories are how we assign
meaning to things. “Humans are creatures of context,” he says, “and we always are looking for ways to
put things in context.”
Plain talk is the new normal – almost: Institutions, governments and professionals used to feel
obliged to tell their stories using confusing jargon and insider language. The more syllables in a word,
the more brilliant it sounded. That style is quickly fading. The new normal is quickly becoming “plain
talk”.

2. -2-
Simplifying your language is a two-part process. Start by identifying words that are unique to your
profession. If it is necessary to use them, define them with everyday language. Otherwise, replace them
with a more commonly used word. Also, review words with three syllables or more and replace them
with simpler words. A virtual thesaurus is an enjoyable tool to use for changing jargon and complex
language into plain talk. Keep one handy while you compose documents.
Also, shorter sentences are easier to digest than longer ones. If your
sentences run on, line after line, see how you can break it into two or three
statements.
A few more “storytelling” basics: As always, there are a few general rules.
► Get your clients’ permission before you feature them in an article, video,
website, or some other communications tool. Refer to your featured clients
by name if they give you permission.
► Breathe life into your story. Describe the dinner table by the spicy smells
drifting up from the pots. Talk about the children who are laughing and
tickling each other while they wait. Make it a story about real people.
► Studies show that people relate more easily to personal stories than those
about masses of humanity. The magnitude of a “national” or “global”
problem often overwhelms and discourages people. They do not see how
they can win. Always include a story about a manageable challenge.
Storytelling is gaining in
popularity.
“It is a fundamental
change in how we deliver
our message”, says
CocaCola. Coke has
adopted a “kill the press
release” strategy and
replaced it with a “brand
journalism” project to tell
its own story by 2015. They
are going direct to their
consumers, unfiltered. Says
Coke, we would rather "kill
the traditional PR actions
and focus on creating
stories."
► People tend to be more moved when the story features women and children. Include women and
children in your stories when possible and appropriate.
In Closing
Compelling storytelling offers you a way to attract and excite allies. It highlights your impact and invites
people to join your efforts. As with most change, it may require a short period to adjust, but it will be
worth it.
-endFebruary 2014
Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved
Contact: Kay Hixson … 202.320.9231 … Kay@KHAsolutions.com … http://www.linkedin.com/in/kayhixson