Giving Compass' Take:

• Stanford Social Innovation Review examines ways to improve storytelling by building better partnerships with three important players: the storyteller, the strategic convener and the funder.

• Do we have all the elements in place to develop stronger narratives in this way? Or do we need to find different ways to "cast" key roles, as described in the piece?

• Here are some storytelling mantras that move donors to act.

We know that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have for activating people. Effective stories transport us into the world of their characters; they leave room for us to insert our own experiences, and can overwrite bias and assumptions with details and counternarratives.

The social sector is investing in storytelling. But just telling stories is not enough. Many organizations struggle to produce compelling stories that actually move people. Meanwhile, many storytellers wrestle with how best to mobilize audiences who are hungry to act. What if we combined the superpowers of these worlds? As we increasingly embrace the power of storytelling, we don’t just need to tell better stories, we need better partnerships.

Step One: Use Science to Inform Strategy

Step Two: Cast the Right Characters

A great storytelling strategy needs a great storyteller. Not all content is created equal. Organizations frequently struggle to tell compelling stories that capture the attention of their target communities. Often when leaders ask teams to “embrace storytelling,” their teams develop new content too quickly, costing the advocacy world millions of dollars to produce stories people barely see.

At the same time, there is a whole industry of artists deeply dedicated to this craft. Documentary filmmakers, in particular, often follow a story and its characters for years at a time. In turn, they end up with a deeply visceral understanding of an issue, and can offer a refreshing perspective to building outreach and capturing the public imagination.

Read the full article about the secret to better storytelling for social change by Samantha Wright and Annie Neimand at Stanford Social Innovation Review.