How to Tell a Story at an Event

Everyone knows that nonprofit events are usually about a combination of several things: fundraising, engagement, community building and donor stewardship. However, many nonprofits make the mistake of not including storytelling in that list. It's important to remember that there are always going to be attendees that don't know anything about an organization's mission, and it is the nonprofit's responsibility to ensure that everyone at their event feels welcomed, included and informed — regardless of how engaged they were prior to attending. And that's where storytelling comes in. 

Special events create a unique opportunity to engage with people in a different way. You have a captive audience, but what are you going to do with them? I always push my clients to put themselves in an attendee's shoes and think about what they would want to experience if they went to an event. At the end of the day, no one wants to go to a long and boring event where speakers ramble on about how important the work is. So instead of an event where the highlight is just people talking at you from a stage, consider an alternate approach. 

In the post-pandemic event landscape, people are attending events in a much different way than they were before. Nonprofits need to remember that even though their work is important, attendees have a lot of things they care about. Ask yourself why someone would take time out of their busy day (and away from other responsibilities) to spend time at your events. The answer can't just be because the organization does amazing work, because I think we can all agree there are thousands of nonprofits who deserve our time and financial support. So, we need to dig a little deeper:

1. What is going to make you stand-out?

2. How much time are you asking people to spend with you?

3. How much information can one person absorb in an evening?

4. Most importantly, how are you telling your story in a way that's going to connect with donors so they understand how their gifts impact the work you do?

Remember, you really shouldn't try to use your events as a place to tell guests about everything your organization does. Would you remember all of that information? Pick and choose the priority stories and tell them in an innovative and interactive way. When attendees leave, they should remember that information and use it as inspiration for how they can become more engaged with your work. Storytelling is key, and focusing on how donors enable you to tell these stories is the lock you need to open so they feel acknowledged and appreciated for their support.