Her eyes filled with tears as the cameraman paused to comfort her with his words. She was trying to regain her composure so she could answer the questions.

I remember watching as students who had received life-altering scholarships were interviewed. They had gone on to make good with an investment provided by strangers. The recipients had not thought about the donors’ investment until they were asked to comment on what the gift meant to them. They felt gratitude and wanted to express their feelings. It was important for our nonprofit to capture their stories of appreciation on camera.

As nonprofit leaders and fundraisers, we have to capture and tell stories that help supporters understand the impact of their dollars.

What is your organization's niche in the community, region, or world? What value do you bring? Help the community understand who you are, what you do, and what contribution your nonprofit makes to your community.

Share your value with a story.

Share what would happen if your organization did not exist.

Nonprofit organizations meet needs and solve problems. Share the impact.

Here are tips to help you craft your organization's stories:

1.   Know what you do well.

2.   State the problem that is being solved.

3.   Identify a real person to write or tell about.

4.   Tell the story from the donor’s perspective, not the organization’s view.

5.   Make your supporters the heroes in your story. The organization is NOT the hero. The organization is the conduit that makes things happen. The donor is solving the problem. State the problem you are able to solve  — because of you, hot meals are provided to 323 women and children in 2018.

6.   Say YOU a lot! I mean a lot. Try hard to avoid using “I” or “we” in your story.