The Missing Link in Nonprofit Storytelling: Outcomes
If you do a Google search for nonprofit storytelling, you’ll come up with about 1.6 million results. Go on, try it. We’ll wait.
Though I can’t say we looked at every single of the million+ hits, the search didn’t reveal a clear way for nonprofits to create a link between the outcomes they seek and the stories they tell. Often, nonprofits start the story creation process with a very general idea about the outcome they desire, like “raising awareness”. Or, they might start with a creative idea for the storyline, like “our protagonist will be a cute, cuddly little kitten.” But outcome and message are inherently linked. One without the other is like a PB-without-the-J sandwich. Which, to me, is just not worth it.
So we created two sets of questions – one set focusing on the “big picture” to help you identify your outcomes; the other set to help you create a compelling storyline – that together help you link the story you tell with the outcome you want.
Like in the graphic above, we suggest starting with the big picture questions. Take the time to answer them with as much detail as you can. Then, use the next set of questions to guide the development of your story line. Throughout that process, refer back to the “big picture” / outcome questions to see if the story is leading the viewer/reader (audience) to the desired outcome (action).
These questions are meant to serve as reference guide for you at every step of the story creation process. But they also give you a head start. How? For starters, you don’t have to wade through 1,600,000 webpages to find the missing link between message and outcome.
