With the news, advertising, marketing and social media, we are constantly bombarded with information. This makes it difficult for people to understand and retain information and messaging. This is also true of your donors, who are likely to forget what your charity and cause are about.
However, one way to stand out is by integrating stories as part of your brand narrative and outreach programme. Research shows that stories are 22 times more memorable than facts, making them a powerful tool for building deeper associations and leaving an impression. For example, a child’s personal account of living in a war-strewn area makes more impact on the public than quoted data or numbers.
Your fundraising story makes your cause relatable, recallable and personal, giving your donors a reason to support you, identify with your cause and continue to donate or volunteer.
In 2024, there were over 170,171 charities in England and Wales, making it challenging for non-profits to stand out while raising money online. At KindLink, we have empowered over 3300 non-profits to seamlessly collect donations and manage their work, from claiming Gift Aid to finding volunteers. Everything can be easily done with our unified CRM.
Get started today to expand your charity operations! But before you do, let’s understand how storytelling is important for your campaigns and how you can write the most effective fundraising story that brings you results.
How to Write a Fundraising Story
What’s the fundamental cause behind people donating? It’s because they care! Non-profits differ from other corporations, which raise investments based on equity, market share or performance. While an annual charity financial report is necessary to establish accountability and transparency, what people really want to know is the real and raw impact behind those black-and-white numbers.
Think about which story hits harder – reading a statistic about rising youth suicide rates or a story of a 16-year-old who was bullied at school, came from a broken home and reached out to your helpline when she had nowhere else to turn.
Stories about people make them think, move them into action and urge them to continue supporting. Here’s how to write a fundraising story that truly inspires:
Character
Like in any story, you need a protagonist. This can be a benefactor, a staff member or even the charity founder. They carry the weight of the narrative on their shoulder, and your audience sees the world and its issues through their eyes and experiences. A first-person narrative is often helpful, making it more personal and cathartic.
Setting
The setting is equally important as the characters. It provides context, helps shape your narrative and shows supporters where their impact is being made. Your setting could simply be the location where your charity operates. For example, if you are an animal rights organisation, your locale would be forests or the aquatic ecosystem. If it is a sanitation and welfare charity, it will focus on the areas where the problem exists.
Conflict
The conflict in your story represents the core mission of your non-profit. It’s what you’re working to change or overcome. When defining this conflict, consider framing it as a journey wherein you highlight past challenges, explain where things stand today and outline your vision for the future.
Resolution
Everyone wants a happy ending, and the resolution of your fundraising story is the change you have brought about. For example, maybe you’ve helped young children find safe, stable foster homes, or perhaps you’ve rescued animals. This is where you highlight what you truly stand for.
Let’s look at a few fundraising story examples:
Community Food Bank: A Christmas Dinner for Sarah
Last December, Sarah, a single mum of two, walked into our food bank. She didn’t have enough money to provide her children with a warm meal, let alone make it festive.
Thanks to the kindness of our supporters, we were able to give Sarah a food box filled with everything she needed for a festive dinner.
“My kids didn’t even know we were struggling,” she told us. “You saved our Christmas.”
This year, countless families like Sarah’s will be facing the same hardship. Help us do it again! Your continued support can make all the difference.
Animal Shelter Support: Homeless to a Forever Home
Bella, a two-year-old Labrador, was found abandoned, cold and hungry. It took months of care, treatment and love before she wagged her tail again.
Today, Bella is thriving in her forever home.
Every £10 you give helps rescue, feed, and rehome another dog just like Bella. Help us give more dogs the happy ending they deserve.
The Importance of A Good Fundraising Story
Let’s look at the importance of a good story for fundraising campaigns:
1. Building Emotional Connection
People support and donate to a cause because they feel empathy and emotional connection, and stories are the best way to build that connection. Emotions are powerful stimuli for people to act, especially when supporting philanthropic endeavours. It also makes the cause more relatable to your patrons and the public, especially if you are trying crowdfunding.
2. Bringing More Funds
The more people relate to the cause and feel empathetic, the more likely they will support the cause by donating. Regular donations are needed to keep your charity working for the mission you believe in. A story for fundraising might be the secret to keeping your donors engaged and supportive of your charity.
3. Create a Sense of Purpose and Community
Your charity’s storytelling will not just involve the people who need our help but also those who extend their hand for help. When you share stories about donors and volunteers who have gone above and beyond in helping your cause, others are more likely to follow in their footsteps. It is also a great strategy to show donor appreciation.
Ways to Add Charity Storytelling to Your Online Strategy
A fundraising story can be integrated in multiple ways as part of your online donation campaigns:
- Add it to your website as donor testimonials or blogs
- Short and visual stories can be shared on social media platforms
- Email campaigns and newsletters are a great way to incorporate stories
- Fundraising events allow you to share stories live with your patrons
- While annual reports are generally about numbers, stories add the humane touch
Build Donor Engagement and Communication With KindLink
A fundraising story acts like a communication method to share the thought behind the cause, showcase the impact of the work and celebrate the people who make it happen. But that’s not all it takes to successfully manage your campaigns, and that’s where Kindlink comes in.
The KindLink CRM is free to non-profits, allowing you to access a host of solutions with no additional costs. With our donations and fundraising platform, you can easily set up a fundraising page with stories, pictures and more details. Even supporters can set up a page to support a cause close to their heart, helping non-profits increase their engagement and donations.
Our platform makes it secure, safe and seamless for non-profits to raise donations, seek support and keep their patrons engaged.Get started now to experience our unique and all-encompassing solutions.