The 3 Stories Nonprofits Should Tell to Revolutionize Their Fundraising

Jamie Perez • April 1, 2025

Storytelling is so important for any organization to engage in, but for nonprofits in particular, sharing stories is what will open up hearts, minds and wallets so they can continue providing their much needed services.

Fundraising takes time. So while nonprofits are on that timeline, there's a certain order in which stories can be shared that will help optimize fundraising dollars:

WHILE YOU'RE FUNDRAISING: Tell the incomplete story. This is featuring someone who is currently seeking services from your organization and still needs help. When you tell the story of someone who has already completed their journey or isn't in as great or immediate of a need, donors might think, "Well this person's been taken care of so they don't need my help." If you tell the story of someone currently in need and highlight some of the challenges they face, this creates more of a sense of urgency.

AFTER YOU'VE REACHED YOUR FUNDRAISING GOAL: Now, you can tell that complete story. Do a follow up with the person whose incomplete story you told and provide an update. Send it out in a newsletter. Keep your donors informed on how their donation dollars helped change this person's life, the problems they helped solve, the impact they made, and how consistent donations will help more people in the future. You can also just tell different stories entirely in this phase and talk about how fundraising efforts like the one you just held, help hundreds of people like the ones you're highlighting in the stories you've shared.

BONUS: GETTING MORE DONORS OR GETTING YOUR CURRENT DONORS MORE INVOLVED: Why should people donate to your organization out of the thousands of others who also need financial support? When you can share your DONOR'S stories, other people may hear their stories and be able to relate to their "why". There are three different styles of videos you can refer to to get ideas on how you incorporate donor storytelling:

1) This video was sent out to donors for a nonprofit based in Madison, WI called Little John's Kitchens. This nonprofit works with food insecurity, providing meals at a pay-what-you-can option and utilizes other low cost models for people to have access to chef-quality meals who may not know where their next meal is coming from. The video was created AFTER receiving donations during a campaign to show donors what their donations helped the organization achieve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV8tQCKTL-E

2) This video featured loyal donors of the same organization about WHY they continue to give to Little John's Kitchens. When you make your donors part of the journey, instead of just asking them for funds when you need help, you build loyalty and they feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DVfbtzBIwM

3) And finally, this video thanks the donors specifically. Don't just converse with your donors when you need money from them. Tell them how much and why you appreciate them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NPd_MM-MOk

Ready to tell your organization's stories at all stages of the fundraising cycle? Let's talk today!

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5 Science‑Backed Storytelling Tips That Make People Actually Listen

By Jamie Perez • May 15, 2026

Discover 5 science‑backed storytelling tips that build trust, spark emotion, and drive action through oxytocin‑based connection.

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The Art of Video Editing - 4 Tips to Make Your Videos Better

By Jamie Perez • September 2, 2025

When it comes to video production, a major part of the art happens during the editing process. A good editor can take bad footage and still make a decent story out of it. But a bad editor cannot take great footage and make a great story out of it. You should be able to be decent at both, but if your footage isn't the greatest, a good edit can still save you. Here are some key elements to thoroughly consider when editing your videos to ensure the final product is as great as it can be: 1) Music selection: Music will drive the narrative and set the tone for whatever emotion you want your audience to feel. The music needs to compliment the video. In many music libraries online you can narrow down the search results by putting in filters like instruments, mood, beats per second, etc. If you have a promo video that you want people to be excited about, for example, use music that is quick paced, has a hard bass, etc. 2) A-roll: These are your interviews, the driving sound that will literally narrate the video. The first ten seconds are super important. That's your hook. It's what captures the audience's attention. Once you start bringing the viewer into the middle of the narrative, stakes are high so it's important to choose soundbites that reveal more layers to the story to keep their attention on the story. One of the biggest challenges editors face is deciding what stays and what goes. When you have so much good sound, it's hard to decide. A bit of advice here is to step away from the project for a day and come back and watch it with fresh eyes and ears. Then decide-- what sound would move me the most if this were my first time watching it? What sound advances the story and does the best job of driving home the message? And then lastly -- how do you want your story to end? Choosing that final soundbite is important because that's the overall feeling that your audience will walk away with. If you are moved by the sounds you choose -- chances are your audience will be too. 3) B-Roll: These are your visuals. Anything that is not an interview shot that helps move the story. It's great to use the phrase "say dog, see dog" when choosing your b-roll. If the soundbite talks about walking on a beach looking at the sunset, choose footage that shows that. One of the other challenging parts during the editing process is you could have an amazing shot of something--- but if the soundbite that talks about that didn't make it into the final cut of the story, then you also have to cut that beautiful shot you were super proud of if it doesn't move the story forward. But this can always be used in a separate standalone cut to promote the video on social media. 4) Practice: All of these things take time to master. Even when you've been at it for years, it's still a continuous learning process because every story is different. Find the moments that move you and the shots that ignite some sort of emotion in you. Cut different versions until you find the right one. Most importantly, have fun with the process! Want to learn more about the art of video production? Let's talk .