Storytelling strategy for nonprofit organizations

Is your nonprofit’s storytelling scattered, reactive, or inconsistent? A storytelling strategy will give you a clear framework to guide story choices, connect them to your mission, and deliver your narrative with purpose.

It’s time to get a storytelling strategy in place if any of the following sound familiar:

  • You’re wasting resources on stories without a clear purpose

  • You’re constantly dealing with “story emergencies”

  • Your scattered approach leaves you uncertain and overwhelmed

  • Colleagues are telling stories in ways that feel disconnected

Storytelling strategy service: developing your nonprofit’s story framework

I help busy nonprofit communicators to deliver storytelling with a purpose. Here’s how my story strategy service works:

Phase 1: Discovery and analysis

First, I’ll work with you to explore your storytelling priorities, audiences, approaches, assets, production/publication capacity, and needs (across business units). During this stage, we will focus on understanding your story audiences, strategic priorities, and current context and establishing your storytelling goals.

Phase 2: Strategy development

In the second phase, I’ll continue the review and analysis, building on the insights generated during phase one. I’ll develop your storytelling strategy, outlining key recommendations and decisions about the following:

  • Story goals and objectives
  • Story audiences
  • Key messages and themes
  • Story types
  • Production and publication

Your story strategy will be a framework that will help you to:

  • Identify the right stories to tell — and why they matter

  • Deliver your nonprofit’s narrative consistently over time

  • Allocate resources (time, budget, people) strategically

  • Support your team with a clear, shared framework

With a storytelling strategy in place, you’ll feel organized and confident about your story priorities. You’ll have clarity on which stories to tell, a framework to guide your team, and a plan to make storytelling more purposeful and less overwhelming. 

“After working with Marlene many times over the years, I turned to her for help developing our new storytelling strategy. Her experience working with nonprofits is invaluable as she clearly understands the relationships and internal dynamics. She provided a practical framework for storytelling that leverages current resources while pushing us to improve our approach and expand in new ways.”
Sherry Calder

Executive Director, Communications & PR, Diabetes Canada

Why work with me?

I’ve been helping nonprofit organizations to tell their stories since 2001: as a writer, trainer and advisor. I understand the complexity of nonprofit storytelling and can help you prioritize and make decisions to allocate storytelling resources wisely.

I care about storytelling done right — practical, strategic, and aligned with your organization’s priorities. My approach builds on the assets and insights you already have, so your stories flow naturally from your mission instead of being forced or reactive.

Package price starts at $8,800
*Your details and needs will affect package prices.

A storytelling strategy will cost between $8,800 and $10,000, based on the complexity of your organization, the existing storytelling program, and the level of research and internal consultation required. If you need help implementing the strategy, we can enhance this package by adding detailed story planning support and writing.

Let’s create a storytelling framework that drives your mission forward.

Ready to make your nonprofit’s storytelling more strategic and impactful? Let’s build the framework that will guide your stories — and your narrative — forward.

  1. Set up a consultation: Let’s schedule a time to meet.
  2. Explore your needs: We’ll have a conversation so I can learn more about your needs, and you can learn more about my approach.
  3. Develop your plan — and your stories! If we agree to work together, I’ll walk you through the steps and work plan for strategy development.

Let’s get started

Ready to make your nonprofit’s storytelling purposeful and strategic?

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