The Power of Storytelling: 7 Tips to Help

You may have grown up captivated by bedtime stories as a child, but stories still hold power over us throughout our lives. Storytelling can be a powerful tool in sharing the story of your ministry with volunteers, supporters, the media, influencers and the public. But how do you put together a compelling story about your organization, nonprofit or small business?

First, you start with a person. If people can understand how your ministry has touched one person, they can understand how you help dozens, hundreds or thousands. You need a protagonist, a leading character. Think of the person you saw touched, changed, or moved through your ministry.

Tell a story about this person. Talk about how they got involved in your ministry. Talk about what they brought into your ministry. The person might be a client you served, a volunteer who was deeply impacted by an experience, or even yourself.

Next, you add a place. Every great story happens somewhere. Where your work happens is the stage. Be descriptive. Talk about the place, the smells, the temperature, and the feel of the place. These details should not over-burden the story. Rather, they should add small tinges of memorable details for the listeners or readers.

Get to the point. Talk about a moment when a reality hit, change happened, or a realization…