MEMBERSHIP
MEMBERS | LOGIN
Pop Art Help

Fundraiser Asks: How Do I Tell Compelling Stories When Our Cause Has No “Happy Endings”?

Storytelling
Question from the inbox: Do you have any tips on storytelling when there is no happy ending? The disease that I fundraise for is terminal, aggressive, and traumatic. Every diagnosis is a death sentence, and the average life span from…
Read More
Pop Art Great

3 Temptations that Undermine Your Fundraising Storytelling, and How to Stop Them Cold

Storytelling
You already know this: Fundraising is built on storytelling. That’s because stories activate the human brain. There are countless types of information available to us – from spreadsheets to photographs – but it’s stories that help us understand, care, connect,…
Read More
Pop art story book

3 Elements of Every Effective Fundraising Story

Storytelling, Writing
There’s a lot of theory about storytelling out there. Some of it is very helpful for hardworking fundraisers like you. Here’s what Writer’s Digest says every story needs: Orientation: The beginning of a story must grab the reader’s attention. Crisis: Something…
Read More
Pop Art Stories vs Commerce

Are You Fundraising in the Right “World”? It Makes All the Difference!

Donor Psychology, Storytelling
One of the reasons fundraising is such a challenge is that all of us – donors and fundraisers alike – live simultaneously in two different worlds:  “Story World,” the part of the human mind that acts on emotion, social cues,…
Read More
Pop Art Numbers VS Stories

What Behavioral Science Tells Us about Stories and Math in Fundraising

Maths of Fundraising, Storytelling
Excerpted from The Storytelling Fundraiser by Professor Russell James. The full book (along with many other fundraising resources) is available for free at Encourage Generosity. For nonprofit managers, numbers are important. Numbers define success or failure. Numbers keep the lights…
Read More
Pop Art Great

Fundraising Story Goes from Good to GREAT [Case Study]

Storytelling, Writing
You know telling stories is the better way to motivate donors to give. You’ve probably also seen how that is much easier said than done. One of the main challenges is this:  The story most likely to move donors is…
Read More
pop art movies popcord 123 rf e1558306905799

Arts and Culture Fundraising: the Story to Tell When Nobody Is Dying

Storytelling
The standard formula for a fundraising message goes like this: Something is not right. It needs to be changed, or somebody might suffer in some terrible way — maybe even die. By making a donation now, you can save a…
Read More
Denis Mukwege par Claude Truong Ngoc novembre 2014 e1555536853306

Nobel Prize Winner Demonstrates the Power of Story

Storytelling
Denis Mukwege, 2018 co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, used his Nobel address to masterfully tell stories about his work with survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The main story he tells is a harrowing…
Read More
Pop Art Airplane

Effective Fundraising Is Always a “Choose Your Own Adventure” Story

Storytelling
Remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books? They are kid-fiction adventures that originated in the late 70s. Each book is narrated in the second person — you — and offers periodic decision points for the reader. It goes something like…
Read More
Pop Art Sing

5 Professional Tips for Making Your Fundraising Stories Sing

Storytelling
Jeff Brooks joins long-time friend and colleague, Kristine Poggioli to talk about writing great stories for fundraising — for direct mail, email, or any other medium. Kristine’s tips for fundraising stories that really do the job: Grab the reader’s attention…
Read More
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use this site, you agree with it.