We served 10,000 meals last month!!!

Which is nice, of course. But 10,000 portions of chicken and rice can sometimes feel like…just a lot of chicken and rice.

Meet Sara, a single mom of three. She works every day to give her children a better life – and our free meals are a big part of her efforts.

Suddenly. It’s personal.

Why are stories the superpower of nonprofit marketing?

When we hear stories, our brain releases oxytocin (the same chemical that bonds mothers to babies and friends to friends). This literally changes our brain chemistry, making us more empathetic, understanding (and generous!).

That’s why real-life individualized stories are so important in nonprofit marketing.

• Stories overcome psychological barriers: Large numbers are overwhelming, but one person's journey shows us how we can make a difference.
• Stories create emotional investment: Donors invest in hope, change, and impact. Stories help them feel the emotion behind your mission.
• Stories make complex issues accessible: Systemic poverty statistics? Eyes glaze over. One family’s efforts to break through poverty? Engaging.
• Stories inspire action: Logic doesn’t empty wallets. Stories that move, inspire, and connect people to your cause, will.

Stories are the superpower, so here’s how to build a strong one:

1. Focus on one person’s journey

Instead of: “Hundreds of families received financial support this Pesach.”

Try this: “Chana scraped the last bit of potato starch from the canister and bit her lip. With the debt from Yossi’s surgery, how would she be able to afford more?”

Place your donors inside a single moment. When it comes to stories, specific beats scale.

2. Use sensory details donors can picture

Instead of: “People come to our Chabad House to experience Shabbos.”

Try this: “They had hesitated at the doorway before walking in, but by the time the soup reached them, they were smiling, laughing – enjoying – carried by the warmth and the feeling that somehow, in this crowded room, they belonged.”

The donor can see this, and that’s the goal.

3. Show transformation: before, during, after

Keep in mind: Transformation doesn’t have to mean a happy ending. It means change.

Before: “The day unraveled before it began. Her son with autism’s cries filled the house, cereal covered the floor. Miri sat, body aching, every small task too heavy.”

During: “And then help walked in with warm food and steady hands. Someone sat patiently with her son, someone else cleared counters and folded laundry. For the first time all day, Miri breathed.”

After: “That night the house sparkled, food waited in the fridge, and her son finally slept. Tomorrow’s challenges were still there, but Miri stood in the quiet house, strength slowly returning.”

The story is a full arc that shows how you bring change.

Use these tips in your marketing.

Because at the end of the day, people don't give to organizations. They give to stories of hope, change, and possibility that they can see themselves being part of.

Our agency helps multi-million dollar nonprofits with marketing strategy and copywriting that touches hearts. And gets people giving. See our NPO packages

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