An expensive piece of medical equipment helps save a child’s life, and the story includes a quote from a donor who seems almost as grateful as the child’s parents … plus a call for more contributions for other equipment.
A four-year scholarship recipient at her graduation meets the scholarship founder for the first time, and the story relates their heart-warming conversation … plus statistics on scholarships and a request for additional aid.
These are “impact stories” that work, and every nonprofit should have them. But many charities don’t use impact stories at all, while others publish stories that are less than effective. Here are the top five impact story mistakes:
1. No connection to donors
Some impact stories tell all about a program’s success … with no connection to the support that funded that success. Prospective donors want to see a direct link. Get a quote from a donor who specifically designated funds to that program. Programs financed by the general fund are a perfect opportunity for a donor to explain why to make an unrestricted gift. Many of these quotes already exist from when the gift was made.
2. No connection to people
“Our program helped thousands last year” doesn’t cut it. Telling the story of one person or one family carries much more weight than an overview. You still include the program statistics—preferably in an accompanying graphic.
3. No picture
Do you know why animal shelters are so successful at fundraising? Cute animal pics. They barely need to write anything with the photo: “Don’t you want to save this puppy’s life?” Yes, many nonprofits have to protect the privacy of their program recipients—so ask to take a picture and get a signed release.
4. Too long
The Centers for Disease Control has a whitepaper for public health organizations in which it talks about “elevator stories”: “Your best 10-second story.” For the written word the CDC suggests “one-pagers,” which is what Pentera recommends to its clients: about 200 words.
5. Poorly written
It’s not easy to organize the crucial elements of an impact story. That’s where Pentera comes in. Our experienced writers can work from your organization’s notes and documents (for no charge) or conduct interviews (for a modest fee). Just like our great donor stories, we know how to write impact stories that inspire other donors. Contact us today.
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