https://bloomerang.co/resources/webinars There are lots of ways to steward donors and even more ways that you could tell stories. In this webinar, Vanessa Chase Lockshin will talk about the best ways to combine these strategies so that donors feel thanked, connected to their giving values, and understand their impact.

1. Donor Stewardship That
Tells A Story
Presented by Vanessa Chase Lockshin
The Storytelling Non-Profit

2. Vanessa Chase Lockshin
Fundraising and Communications Expert
Helped non-profits raise over $10 million
Author of The Storytelling Non-Profit: A
practical guide to telling stories that raise
money and awareness
Speaker: AFP International, CASE, BBCON,
Association of Donor Relations
Professionals
Clients: Barnard College, BC Children’s
Hospital Foundation, Girl Scouts of the USA,
Meals on Wheels, Win Without War

3. What’s the first thing that comes to mind
when you think of donor stewardship?

4. • 3 best practices for infusing storytelling into
donor stewardship
• Which elements of the story to emphasize
• The types of stories that work best for
stewardship
• How to consistently use stories to thank
donors
• Examples of storytelling and stewardship in
practice
What You’ll Learn

5. Which of the following best describes your
stewardship materials?
A. Inspiring and connecting
B. Pretty standard, but nothing special
C. Boring

7. Why stories and
stewardship?

8. 3 Practices for Using
Stories in Stewardship

9. #1 Aim to Increase Clarity
Read through your materials and look for:
• Places where you’ve used the word
“impact” but haven’t explained it
• Identify opportunities to go from big
picture to specific
• Look for places to be really tangible

10. #2 Be More Human
Some things to consider:
• If you were writing a personal thank you
note to a friend or family member, what
would you include?
• No jargon, boiler plate information, or
excess information
• Storytelling is conversational

11. #3 Account for the Donor’s Story
Things to consider:
• Where is the donor at in their giving
journey/story?
• Can you provide them with some
narrative for part of their story?
• This is about showing them that giving
says something good about them

12. Storytelling Tips for
Stewardship

13. What are the elements of a good
non-profit story?

14. Connectio
n
Characte
r
Conflict
Resolutio
n
Call to Action
Story Structure

15. Story Structure
Things to consider:
• Your stories should show how giving
helps solve the problem or fills a need
• Help donors see that they are the heroes
of the story, not your organization
• Provide a resolution that demonstrates
an inspiring vision

16. Stories to Share
Client Staff Members Board Members
Volunteers Donors Community
Advocates

17. Types of stories you can tell in stewardship
• Stories about outcomes
• Stories that reinforce a donor’s giving
values
• Stories that connect donors to impact
• Stories about people/places that benefit
from what donations make possible
• Stories about the future
Stories to Share

18. Tips for you:
• Do an audit of your stewardship materials to
look for storytelling opportunities
• Anytime something gets sent to donors ask,
“Can we include a story?”
• Develop a stewardship checklist that includes
storytelling
• Cultivate a culture of storytelling at your
organization
Consistently Telling Stories

19. Some Fun Examples!

20. Stewardship Ideas

24. Delaware Youth in Government
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AOvAX-PRUc

25. What’s your #1 takeaway from
today’s webinar?

26. Evaluate Your Stewardship
The Stewardship
Assessment Tool
http://bit.ly/stewardAT

27. Questions?
vanessa@thestorytellingnonprofit.com
@VanessaEChase
storytellingnp/
www.TheStorytellingNonprofit.com
/storytellingnonprofit