On today’s episode we are talking about storytelling and why so many organizations are struggling with this. Our guest today is Vanessa Chase Lockshin, the President of The Storytelling Non-Profit and the author of The Storytelling Non-Profit: A practical guide to telling stories that raise money and awareness. Listen in as we discuss Vanessa’s techniques for teaching non-profits how to raise awareness by telling their stories. Topics discussed this episode: Reasons why non-profits have trouble telling their stories How overthinking can trip up people in organizations Why a culture that lacks collaboration makes storytelling difficult Importance of using a natural tone and cadence in fundraising copywriting Writing from a micro level vs. a macro level Starting small with content audits Data gathering to create audience personas How stories help donors see the impact of their donation Resources: Blackbaud   Blackbaud - Twitter #nofilternonprofit   Blackbaud - Facebook   The Storytelling Non-Profit   Vanessa Chase Lockshin - Twitter   The Storytelling Non-Profit: A practical guide to telling stories that raise money and awareness   npENGAGE   Quotes:   “Introduce donors to the big picture without overwhelming them. ” Vanessa Chase Lockshin   “Create context for donors to understand and relate to the cause using narrative” Vanessa Chase Lockshin   “Lack of collaboration can make it difficult for people in non-profits to find stories to tell.” Vanessa Chase Lockshin