Stories, stories, stories. 

As a rule, even the organizations with the most cerebral and intellectually motivated donors get better results with stories. It’s still true that people give to people. People give when they are motivated by emotion, and stories are the best way to touch the heartstrings of donors.

Don’t forget, your donors have stories to share, too.

When a donor or prospective donor hears directly from another supporter of your organization, they recognize a kindred spirit and feel part of a community of people investing in positive change.

So how do you get the most powerful, emotionally impactful stories from your donors? Ask the right questions. It’s all about talking to people and really getting to know them.

We ask questions like: Is there a person in their you who inspired your involvement? What would you like to say to that person? How do you want the world to be different because of your donations? What would you say to someone on the fence about supporting the organization to encourage them to join the cause?

To help you in your future interviews with donors and clients, the Impact team prepared this guide to jump-start impactful conversations. We hope you find it useful as you collect powerful stories from your community!

Impact’s team of writers would love to help you build up your story bank! Please reach out if we can help you craft compelling first-person testimonials from your donors, volunteers, and constituents.