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As a fundraising consultant, I encounter so many nonprofits who believe they're telling compelling stories about their work. But when I look at their websites and social media feeds, I'm often left wondering: Where are the stories?
Where Are the Stories?
Fundraisers often think like news reporters when it comes to telling stories. They think that they are storytelling by reporting on what is happening in their organization. But nothing could be further from the truth. There is a huge difference between news reporting and nonprofit storytelling.
What I usually find are reports, updates about events, or statistics about groups served.
While this information has its place, it's not what drives donations. It's not what connects with donors on an emotional level. It's not storytelling. News reporters focus on covering the 5 W's in the first few lines. Nonprofit storytellers, on the other hand, focus on one beneficiary, one problem, and one impact.
The Truth About Fundraising Stories
A true fundraising story isn't a report about your organization or even about the collective impact you're making.
It's about one person.
One life
One struggle
One transformation
This focus on the individual isn't just a preference—it's a proven principle of effective fundraising. Yet it's one that many organizations struggle to implement consistently.
The "focus on one" rule is a fundraising principle that's proven, potent, and practically unbreakable.
Why Is This Focus on "The One" More Powerful Than the Focus on "The Many?"
When we talk about large-scale issues or groups of beneficiaries (like news reporters), we short-circuit our donors' ability to connect emotionally. The human mind struggles to empathize with abstract concepts or large numbers. But we're wired to care deeply about individuals we can imagine meeting face-to-face.
Consider these examples of "focus on the one:"
One hungry child, with a name, NOT world hunger.
One homeless person who needs shelter, with a name, NOT homelessness.
One cancer patient fighting for life, with a name, NOT cancer as a disease.
One acre of rainforest, NOT global deforestation.
One rescue animal, with a name, NOT an entire shelter.
One student yearning for education, with a name, NOT illiteracy rates.
One village lacking clean water, NOT global water scarcity.
One veteran battling PTSD, with a name, NOT veterans' issues as a whole.
One child with a treatable illness, with a name, NOT global healthcare challenges.
In each case, the individual story is more compelling, more memorable, and more likely to inspire action.
The Anatomy of a Powerful Fundraising Story
Your story should focus on one person with a name, facing a specific, concrete problem. This is what Aristotle, two thousand years ago, called the protagonist and the plot. Your job is to show how this immediate problem plays out in your protagonist's life.
Let's look at an example:
Amina is a 12-year-old girl living in a small village in rural Kenya. She's bright and curious, with a passion for learning that lights up her eyes. But Amina has never set foot in a classroom. Her family relies on her to help with household chores and tend to their small farm.
Every morning, as Amina fetches water from the distant well, she watches other children walk by in their school uniforms. She dreams of joining them, of learning to read and write, of opening doors to a future beyond her village.
Amina's parents love her dearly, but they're hesitant to send her to school. They worry about losing her help at home and in the fields. In their community, many believe that educating girls is unnecessary or even improper.
But Amina hasn't given up hope. She knows that with an education, she could not only help her family more in the long run but also become a role model for other girls in her village.
Will you help make Amina's dream of education a reality? Your gift can provide Amina with school fees, uniforms, and supplies for an entire year. You're not just fighting illiteracy in general – you're giving one determined girl the chance to change her life and inspire her community.
This story works because:
It focuses on one individual: Amina
It presents a specific problem: Amina's lack of access to education
It shows how this problem affects her daily life
It offers a clear solution that donors can provide
The Solvable Problem
The third crucial element of your story is presenting a problem that donors can solve. While supporters may feel powerless to address global illiteracy, they can easily imagine helping one girl like Amina go to school.
This is the power of focusing on one. It makes the problem tangible and the solution achievable. It allows donors to envision the direct impact of their contribution.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Many organizations think they're following this "focus on one" rule, but fall short. Here are some common mistakes:
Talking about a group of beneficiaries instead of an individual
Presenting statistics without a human face
Focusing on your organization's activities rather than a beneficiary's experience
Telling a story about "people like Amina" instead of Amina herself
Jumping from one individual to another within the same story
Your story must be about one person, with one problem, that your donors can help solve.
Putting It Into Practice
Next time you're crafting a fundraising appeal, ask yourself:
Am I focusing on one individual?
Have I named this person and made them feel real to the reader?
Am I showing (not just telling) how the problem affects this person's life?
Have I presented a clear way for donors to help this specific individual?
If you can answer yes to these questions, you're on your way to creating a powerful, emotionally resonant fundraising story.
One last time, the focus on one individual, one story, and one impact is a fundraising principle that's proven, potent, and practically unbreakable. Master this, and you'll see the difference in your fundraising results.
Remember: In fundraising storytelling, one is not the loneliest number. It's the most powerful.
David Oaks
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