Nonprofit storytelling plays an important role in fundraising, and is integral to the Simple Development Systems methodology. Join us every Monday as we share ways nonprofit organizations are connecting with their donors through the power of storytelling.
Earlier this year, I was touched (and promptly donated) by the story of Bruce Almighty, a young cat found in the vicinity of Regina, SK, Canada when he wandered into a yard in the northwest area of the City. From the Regina Humane Society’s GoFundMe page:
Gravely concerned by what they saw, the homeowners immediately called the Animal Protection team at the Regina Humane Society.
Officers responded and the young cat, estimated to be between two and three years old, was found with electrical tape tightly bound around his legs and paws. The tape, which had severely restricted circulation over time, had caused massive tissue loss and infection in the extremities. The cat, who had no identification, collapsed into the arms of officers late Wednesday evening and purred as they began the delicate process of removing the bands which had destroyed his limbs.
Karen Mercier, CFRE, Director of Development for the Regina Humane Society, and Chair of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Canadian Council, said:
We’ve all heard the saying that a picture can tell a thousand words and as a fundraiser there is no doubt that we know it’s true. Before I met Bruce Almighty in March of this year, I had no idea that one picture released by an animal shelter in a small city in Canada could reach tens of millions of people in just a few days.
Telling Bruce Almighty’s story was something I knew needed to be done the minute I saw him in our veterinary care room. The victim of such unimaginable cruelty, our community needed to know what he experienced, both to help him survive but also to bring the perpetrator to justice (sadly this crime remains unsolved). That first image we released of sweet Bruce lying in a kennel, receiving medication through his IV with his legs bandaged said so much. It compelled people to act on a scale we never expected. Donations poured in, local media called, followed by national media and finally media outlets from around the world. Articles appeared in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Good Morning America, ABC and countless papers across the globe. In just a few days, that one photo that showed a brave little cat struggling to survive, cast our shelter into the international spotlight. It was exciting. It was overwhelming. Most of all it was an important lesson.
For us as fundraisers to truly connect with donors, we need to tell stories. These stories need to be easily understood (I spend much time converting veterinary speak into regular people speak!), partnered with a compelling photo and featuring just one star. Remember the power of one. We also have to be willing to not only share success stories, but stories as they happen. Real life, there may not be a happy ending, stories. At each step of the way with Bruce Almighty’s recovery there were challenges and there were risks. We knew he might not survive. But if he didn’t, we weren’t going to shy away from that. Looking back it was that honesty and not knowing the outcome that made his story so compelling. We opened the door for people and invited them into our world. We welcomed them to walk with us through Bruce Almighty’s journey and that’s what a great story does.
Indeed! Following months of care, Bruce has now found his forever home. Over 800 people followed the little cat’s saga, receiving Karen’s inspiring updates (including the cone episode above). The campaign for Bruce Almighty raised $24,662 over a period of three months.
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