11/13/2023

Nonprofit Storytelling

Six reasons to start telling great stories

There is an iconic episode of AMC’s Mad Men when Don Draper gets the opportunity to pitch a marketing campaign to Kodak for its new slide projector. In his meeting with the Kodak bigwigs, Don uses his own family photographs to showcase the projector as a carousel — one that allows purchasers to move through time and wax nostalgic.

The pitch has a striking emotional effect on the room, forcing some of the characters to dig deep and reflect on relations with their own loved ones. And while yesteryear’s slide projectors have been replaced by devices that can fit in one hand, the tenet of Don’s winning pitch still holds true: A story told by visuals pulls at the heartstrings in a big way.

For nonprofits, telling your story — and empowering others to tell it on your behalf — is essential in building and sustaining critical connections with your community, volunteers, and donors. And these days — even more so than in the era of Don Draper — visual content MUST be part of the equation.

Please select this link to read the complete article from the National Council of Nonprofits.