Increasing small nonprofits’ influence through strategic storytelling

In the last few years, marketing has increasingly focused on storytelling as a way for brands to deepen relationships with customers. However, there is limited guidance for practitioners on how to apply storytelling in nonprofit contexts, especially in small ones that are financially constrained. After a brief review of the literature on storytelling for charitable organizations, we present a storytelling framework for small nonprofits, illustrated with examples primarily from animal rescues. The use of our suggestions should result in more effective and meaningful storytelling for small nonprofits that seek the support of donors, volunteers, and other community members.