How to Be a Social-Impact Storyteller

As social-impact professionals, the ability to tell a good story can be the difference between engaging our community with the work we do and learning too late that no one truly understands our organization’s mission. And now more than ever, as many of us have shifted our work to a remote space, storytelling skills are a critical part of our social impact toolbox.

Storytelling at work

Social-impact professionals have a distinct advantage when it comes to storytelling

• Talking about the work we do and why we do it can inspire others to get involved, give back, and learn about pressing social issues
• Storytelling can be one of the most valuable resources in your social-impact toolbox

Alternative Ways to Deliver Your Message

Writing

• Cover letters
• Social media
• Storytelling on Instagram and Facebook
• Video
• It is easier than ever to craft simple videos to actually show, rather than tell, your audience about the impact of your work

Brush up on your storytelling skills

Look for ways to play with styles you admire in your own work and practice different storytelling styles and techniques

• Narrative 4 and StoryCorps encourage people to sit down and talk to one another to grow our capacity to understand ourselves and our world

Crafting your story

What is the story you want to tell?

• If it had a title, what would it be
• Who are the main characters, and who is the audience?
• If the audience receives this story exactly how I intend, what is my desired outcome?

Telling your story to the right audience

There are plenty of other situations where the story of your career, your organization, or your personal trajectory may be a great complement to the larger message you’re trying to communicate

• Job interviews
• Presentations
• Sharing the work of your organization with an external audience

Source