Boost Your Impact with Data-Driven Storytelling for Nonprofits

A report from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project found that although the number of dollars raised increased by 0.9% compared to previous years, the overall number of donors fell by 5.3%, and donor retention fell by 4.6%.

More dollars raised = Good.

Fewer donors and fewer donors sticking around = Not good.

So, how do you get more donors and keep the ones you have? Collect good data and tell good stories.

Collect Good Data

Chances are program and financial data collection are already a part of your process, especially if you have grants you need to report on, and you undoubtedly include the information for your annual reports. Collecting good data also sets the foundation for telling the story of your services and mission. Data gives you supporting information to show your services' impact and fiscal responsibility.

You can also take it a step further. For example, one nonprofit I worked for used data from their employment and training program to calculate the financial boost to the local economy by helping people find work.

However, you also need to practice good data stewardship. You have to:

1. Protect sensitive donor and beneficiary information.
   

2. Have data that’s easy to compile and access. It’s not uncommon for nonprofits to have multiple data platforms that don’t talk to each other. You’ll also want to ensure your team(s) know the data input process. If you offer multiple services run by different teams, there are multiple ways that people can collect and input data. Consistency in collection and input will make sure you have the most accurate data possible.

Tell Good Stories

Early in my creative writing days, I learned the importance of “show, don’t tell.” Don’t tell your readers what’s happening; show them. The same is true for telling the stories of your nonprofit. It creates an element of emotional connection that drives people to act. People want an authentic connection that they don’t get through an automated “thank you for your donation” message.

In short, people give to people.

You want your stories to create a personal bond with the reader, motivating them to give. Highlight the immediate impact, urgency, and ease of giving. If you’re telling the story of a beneficiary, show the struggles you helped them overcome and how much better off they are today.

An important note here: When reaching out to beneficiaries to find stories to tell, remember that these are people who came to your organization for help – not to become a media spectacle or the face of your nonprofit. Respect those who don’t want their story told or want to remain confidential. DonorPerfect has a helpful article on how to tell confidential stories with dignity.

Don’t limit yourself to only written stories. Use charts and graphics to amplify the story. Here’s where you want to use your good data. Raw data alone is boring and doesn’t tell a good story. Pairing it with your emotional angle makes them both more powerful.

The impact of video has become particularly abundant over the past few years. A statistic from Nonprofit Source notes that “57% of people who watch nonprofit YouTube videos go on to make a donation.”

data-driven storytelling for nonprofits

As I mentioned above, raw data alone will put your donors to sleep. Combining your emotional stories and data amplifies the story and shows your organization's impact.

During a past Roc the Day campaign for a nonprofit I worked for, we leaned into telling powerful stories, using video, and pairing it with program data. We’d always told people about the organization's impact in the past, but this time, we were particularly intentional about focusing on the stories. That resulted in reaching 300% of that year’s Roc the Day goal.

When the pandemic hit, we launched a “Resource Recovery” campaign to help bring in additional funds to support the organization’s programs. We focused on data-driven storytelling to highlight the nonprofit's impact on the community. This led to thousands of dollars raised, multiple media appearances, and a 15% increase in new beneficiary visits that month.

The results spoke for themselves. If the number of donors and donor retention is declining, it’s more important than ever to tell powerful, authentic, data-driven stories that connect emotionally with donors.

Contact me today if you need help telling your organization’s data-driven stories.