[Foundation-l] Rethinking fundraising (2): Storytelling

[Erik Moeller]

Wikimedia's past fundraising campaigns have traditionally focused on
one simple message: "We are growing fast, and we need your help to
support our infrastructure." While enough funds were raised to support
Wikimedia's survival, this message is unlikely to arouse emotion or
passion among potential donors.

Even the appeal to "imagine a world in which every human being can
share in the sum of all knowledge" is, at its heart, factual and
generic; it does not tell stories of individuals, or describe deep
changes in people's lives. Such stories depend not just on facts, but
also on poetic writing and carefully chosen photographs or videos. It
is not enough for a potential donor to rationally understand that they
are supporting an important website. They must be emotionally
convinced that they have a moral obligation to contribute to a
world-changing mission.

Before one can tell stories, however, one must gather and write them.
We can identify the following sources of stories that are relevant to
fundraising efforts, ordered by the level of control the Foundation
can exercise over the messaging:
* Foundation-level programs
* Chapter-level programs
* Community experience
* Outside experience

The potential impact of new WMF and chapter programs on future
fundraising initiatives should at least be taken into consideration
during program planning. It makes sense to attempt to measure this, by
rating ongoing programs according to their impact on fundraising.

In addition to monitoring its own programs, the Foundation can reach
out to community members and readers using many different means:
* calling for readers to tell their stories through its website properties
* targeting community members through mailing lists and online forums
* specifically contacting donors through newsletters or one-time mailings
* contacting organizers of local meetups (whether these are tied to a
chapter or not)
* indirectly reaching out to motivated and curious contributors
through contests, events, and so on.

Stories, once collected, need to be organized. The most interesting
ones can then be developed by following up with individuals. In doing
so, one should attempt to develop a story along a traditional
narrative structure. In the most common storytelling pattern, a
protagonist is introduced to the audience and must overcome challenges
to reach a certain goal. Whenever possible, video, audio and pictures
should be gathered to supplement the narrative. If no directly
relevant media can be found, symbolic media can be used when correctly
labeled.

There are many resources providing detailed advice on storytelling for
non-profits, but I specifically recommend this 45 minute video of a
presentation by communications consultant Andy Goodman:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-289257716014946841

Goodman's publication "Storytelling as Best Practice" is worth
ordering as a brief introduction with a good bibliography:

http://www.agoodmanonline.com/publications/storytelling/index.html

Also take a look at the CBS "60 Minutes" video about the "One Laptop
Per Child" project and carefully watch for typical storytelling
techniques in the beginning:

http://olpc.com/videos.html

In its coming fundraisers, the Foundation has to tell its own stories:
of human beings who "share in the sum of all knowledge".
-- 
Toward Peace, Love & Progress:
Erik

DISCLAIMER: This message does not represent an official position of
the Wikimedia Foundation or its Board of Trustees.