05 Nov 2025 Storytelling for Enhanced Member, Donor, and Community Engagement
Want to win more engagement from potential members, donors, and your industry or local community? Use storytelling to bring focus to the accomplishments of your association or nonprofit.
Storytelling is a great way to reach people on a personal level. And, as you’ll read below, it can spur donations and volunteer involvement in a way that facts and figures cannot.
Why Great Stories Matter
There are nearly two million 501(c) organizations in the United States. And many of them are competing for the same members and donors as your group. Therefore, you need to stand out from the crowd by showing how unique and successful your association is.
It’s not just enough to give people data and statistics, though, as helpful as they are in certain settings. The decision to join a group or give money is often an emotional one. Storytelling can help you reach key individuals on a more heartfelt level to get them involved.
One component of an emotional appeal is transparency. Storytelling can help with that by providing details that make interested parties feel more confident about your organization.
Stories are inspirational too. They prompt people to participate, whether you need an accountant for your board of directors or volunteers for your next big event. Think about the last time you got revved up about a new group. What was it that inspired you to take action? Most likely, it was a story that touched your emotional side.
How to Incorporate Storytelling into Marketing and Promotion
Give Your Story Structure
It’s easy to use storytelling when promoting your organization if you follow a classical three-act structure:
1. Setting the scene – What’s happening at the start? What event occurs to set the story in motion?
2. Introduction of conflict – This is where you include a struggle to build curiosity or tension.
3. Solution – What did your organization do to resolve the situation? How did you change minds or attitudes?
Capture the “New Normal”
Once your association has made a positive change in some way, how have things changed for everyone involved? For example, if your group was integral in passing new legislation, what are the outcomes of the law? How did it transform the life of one key person in the story or the lives of many? Outline how you helped create a new and better normal for those involved.
Explain How Others Can Get Involved
At the end of the story, tell people how they can participate in your association’s activities to help with achievements similar to those in your story. It might be making a donation, serving on a committee, or joining as a member. Be sure to include a call to action (CTA) with instructions about what specifically you want readers to do. Provide a link where they can give funds, sign up for a volunteer activity, or become a member.
Use Your Stories on Your Website and in Print Media
Of course, you need to place your stories where people can read them. Consider adding a new story each month to your website homepage. Social media is the perfect place to share stories as well — even better perhaps because followers can comment, and you can get feedback about whether a story is hitting that desirable emotional chord. Use your tales of transformation in your print marketing too. This is an opportunity to let images speak. Before-and-after photos, for instance, can have a powerful effect.
Tips to Make Your Association or Nonprofit Stories Memorable
You can make your organization’s stories even more impactful by using these
tips:
● Tell a story through the point of view of an individual. They can still represent a larger group, but the emotional appeal will be stronger.
● Leverage video to add yet another emotional layer to your storytelling. Think Facebook, Instagram Reels, and YouTube.
● Try telling a story live, in real-time. Post installments on your website or social media that keep people coming back to find out what happened.
● Build a story pipeline, so you always have one ready to go. Get members involved to identify potential stories that perfectly represent your group.
● Always tie your stories back to your association’s mission and values. You want to show return on investment for members and donors.
When you have vital stories to tell about your association, Jaffe Management is here to help. We provide an array of services for organizations like yours, including website development and help with social media — the tools you need to spread the word about your achievements. Call us at 212-496-3155 or reach out online at info@jaffemanagement.com to learn more.