Pink Slime. The Boy Scouts of America. Trayvon Martin. Each of these news stories started with an online petition that led to real, tangible impact. Each represents the power that people and organizations have today to engage and motivate hundreds and thousands of supporters to take action. The internet, social networks and mobile technology provide an unprecedented opportunity to increase the efficiency and impact of the time proven model of collective action, but you still need a story. Learn lessons from Change.org about how to not only tell a good story, but how to tell the right story.

1. Sponsored by:
Telling the Right Story for
Your Online Campaign
Lawrence Grodeska
June 11, 2013
Use Twitter Hashtag #npweb
Part
Of:

2. Sponsored by:
Protecting and Preserving the
Institutional Memories of
Nonprofits Since 1993
www.cjwconsulting.com
(866) 598-0430
info@cjwconsulting.com
Part
Of:

3. Sponsored by:Part
Of:
Coming this June

4. Sponsored by:
Today’s Speaker
Lawrence Grodeska
Director of Nonprofit Community
Change.org
Hosting:
Cheri J Weissman, CJW Consulting & Services, Inc.
Assisting with chat questions:
Jamie Maloney, 4Good
Part
Of:

12. Agenda:
• Why are stories important?
• Elements of a good story
–Narrative
–Presentation
• What’s your story?
• Storytime
• Tips & tools

14. Why are stories so
important?

19. Narrative
Elements of a good story

20. A story follows the journey of
someone who wants something
badly and is having difficulty
getting it.

22. A character having a problem
creates sympathy.
A character seeking a solution
creates empathy.

24. Stakes or implications up the
ante for empathy.

26. Presentation
Elements of a good story

28. 3 principles of visual communications
1) Humans are visual first, verbal second.
2) Our actions are based more on
emotions than rational thought.
3) Visuals most effectively evoke emotion
and inspire people to take action.
Seeing is Believing: A Guide to Visual Storytelling Best Practices, 2013 Resource Media

29. The medium is the message
Objective Channel
Educate video, infographic, petition
Engage /
action
video, image, petition, sms,
email
Fundraise email, social media
Brand /
credibility
video, infographic, press,
petition

30. What’s your story?

31. Define your goals
• What is the outcome you want for this
campaign?
Know your audience
• Whose hearts and minds do you need
to win over?

32. Choose your tactics
Objective Channel
Educate video, infographic, petition
Engage /
action
video, image, petition, sms,
email
Fundraise email, social media
Brand /
credibility
video, infographic, press,
petition

33. Pick your character
• Remember:
– Interest
– Sympathy (problem)
– Empathy (solution)
– Stakes
• People power your
story!

34. Tell your story!
• Vet your stories to be credible
• Circulate story among peers or
colleagues for feedback
• Build education into continuum of action
• Share your success along the way

35. Storytime

37. ForestEthics Enbridge
campaign
Problem:
Planned pipeline from Alberta's Tar Sands to the coast
would introduce mega-tankers into pristine waters for
the first time. Huge threat to wildlife, thousands of rivers
and streams, and Canada’s fisheries.

38. Objectives, audience & tactics
• Long term objective: stop the pipeline
– Short term: Create online action opportunities for
supporters to create offline change
• Audience: environmentalists and
concerned citizens
• Tools and tactics:
– Petitions
– Targeted actions
– Signup, donation & thank you pages

39. Campaign story
Characters:
• Wildlife
• Activists
Problem:
habitat & democracy are threatened
Solution:
listen to public & stop the pipeline
Stakes:
loss of wildlife, government overreach

40. Actions

41. Government response
“ Unfortunately, there are environmental and other
radical groups that would seek to block this opportunity
to diversify our trade(…)
These groups threaten to hijack our regulatory system to
achieve their radical ideological agenda. They seek to
exploit any loophole they can find, stacking public
hearings with bodies to ensure that delays kill good
projects…” – Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources

42. Shift story narrative

43. Fundraising asks

44. Rallies & news events

45. Tips & Tools

46. Storytelling takes time
• Listen!
• Record and store your stories
• Evaluate your success over time
• Experiment
• Don’t be afraid to fail

47. Visual presentation
• Test images
• Combine images & text (LOLcats)
• Make images with your message
• Use authentic images from your campaign
• Choose subjects to maximize connection
(eyes)
• First impressions matter, invest in good
images

48. Storytelling tools
• Storify.com
• Vine app
• Google maps (victories)
• QuickMeme.com
• visual.ly
• Zeega.com
• Youtube editor

49. What are YOU changing?
Web: Change.org/organizations
Social: @ChangeOrgs
/ChangeOrgs
@lsgrodeska
Email: Lawrence@change.org