How to gather stories of impact

Every story you tell helps others see the heart of your nonprofit’s mission.

The question is how do you capture those stories and share them with the world?

Effective storytelling for nonprofits is an important way to make connections and to engage with your target audiences—funders, donors, board members, those seeking your services.

And with so many types of stories to share, each one can play a unique role throughout the year in deepening community engagement and inspiring action.

In this article, I’m covering how to gather impactful stories and how this is important for the growth of any nonprofit, including:

• Why nonprofit storytelling is so important
• The type of stories you should collect
• A simple process for collecting stories
• How to track and store your stories of impact—so you don’t lose all your hard work
• What to do with these stories after collecting them
• Common questions about gathering stories for your nonprofit

I’ll also have Amanda Johnson, from the 4aGoodCause team, walk you through exactly how we do this ourselves. That way, you get a clear model to follow.

Why is nonprofit storytelling so important?

Storytelling isn’t just a tool for communication—it’s a bridge that connects your mission to the hearts of your audience.

Here’s how smart, meaningful nonprofit storytelling can make a powerful impact:

• Engages emotionally: Stories evoke emotions that connect people to your cause on a personal level.
• Humanizes your mission: Makes abstract goals and numbers more tangible and relatable by focusing on real people and experiences.
• Builds trust: Demonstrates transparency and shows the impact of donations, increasing donor confidence.
• Encourages action: Motivates people to donate, volunteer, or share your mission with others.
• Strengthens relationships: Helps cultivate long-term engagement by continuously reminding supporters of the change they are helping to create.

But here’s the thing: When your team is already spread thin, it’s incredibly difficult to make time to gather impact stories.

I’m going to walk you through a simple system we’ve created at 4aGoodCause to collect our own stories of impact from our clients, but I have to first address the very real challenge of limited time.

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Too often, nonprofit teams lean on a steady stream of fundraising events and 2-3 ask campaigns a year—hoping that quantity of fundraisers will equal revenue.

All the while, this work is piled on top of your day-to-day stewardship and reporting responsibilities.

Some of the most important work (like telling impactful, real stories of your mission), gets pushed to the back burner.

While the right fundraising software can’t magically make your to-do list go away, it can streamline some of the most time-consuming tasks, including increasing reliable, recurring revenue through a seamless monthly giving program.

(One where your stories of impact can regularly shine and make a huge difference in earning recurring revenue.)

🤯Did you know? You don’t need to work harder to raise more. The average monthly donor gives $756 per year with the 4aGoodCause platform. Learn how the 4aGC Monthly Giving Toolkit helps you build a loyal base of recurring donors who are passionate about your cause.

Type of stories to collect

Before we jump into the how, let’s talk about the types of stories you’ll want to gather.

To effectively engage your audience and highlight the impact of your work, it’s important to collect a variety of stories from different perspectives.

Each group involved with your nonprofit sector—whether they are donors, participants, board members, employees, or volunteers—offers unique insights that can help illustrate the heart of your mission.

Below are some key types of stories to pursue:

• From donors: Why they give
• From participants: How you’ve made a difference in their lives
• From board members: Why they remain involved
• From employees: Why they stay committed
• From volunteers: Why they serve

From donors: Why they give

It’s no secret: Donors are essential to your nonprofit’s success.

And their personal motivations for giving can be compelling storytelling material that can help engage other potential donors.

If your nonprofit focuses on childhood education, for example, you could interview a donor who has supported your scholarship program.

Perhaps their donation was inspired by their own childhood struggle to access education, and they feel passionately about giving others the opportunities they never had. Give them an opportunity to tell that story.

From participants: How you’ve made a difference in their lives

The people your nonprofit serves have powerful stories to tell about the impact your organization has had on their lives.

These personal stories can be heartwarming and powerful tools for demonstrating your nonprofit’s value.

For example, if your nonprofit runs an animal shelter, you might interview a family who adopted a dog from your shelter. The family could share how the dog helped their child with anxiety, creating a sense of calm and providing emotional support, and gave the dog a second, much-needed family.

If you offer sensitive services to your community, like healthcare, therapy, or food or income insecurity relief, have your team create guidelines that protect sensitive information or proactively use language of empowerment in interviews.

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From board members: Why they remain involved

Board members are key stakeholders who often bring valuable insights into the mission and vision of the organization.

Their stories can demonstrate the importance of the nonprofit’s work from a leadership perspective. It’s also a chance to highlight your organization’s story.

Let’s say your nonprofit focuses on environmental conservation; you could interview a board member who has been passionate about protecting wildlife for decades. They could share how they’ve witnessed the positive changes your nonprofit has made in local ecosystems and why they continue to dedicate their time to the cause.

The board member may also share a personal anecdote about a specific project or initiative that deeply impacted them, such as a successful tree-planting campaign that restored a local forest area.

From employees: Why they stay committed

Employees are the backbone of your nonprofit, and their dedication can often provide the most direct insight into what makes the organization a great place to work.

Their stories show potential donors and other stakeholders that your organization is driven by passionate and committed individuals.

And this demonstrates that your nonprofit organization is formed by real people doing good work.

If your nonprofit runs a food bank, you could interview an employee who has been with the organization for several years. They might share how they started as a volunteer and became a full-time employee because they were moved by the stories of families who rely on the food bank to get through tough times.

The employee might talk about a specific moment—like seeing a mother and child receive food during the holidays—that reinforced their commitment to the organization.

🏆Success story: See how Circle of Life surpassed $1M+ in online donations by streamlining fundraising across multiple channels using 4aGoodCause.

From volunteers: Why they serve

Volunteers often have unique and deeply personal reasons for supporting your cause.

Collecting stories from committed volunteers can be an impactful way to showcase the power of community involvement. Plus, it’s an excellent way to honor the positive impact they make.

For example, if your nonprofit provides after-school tutoring programs, you could interview a volunteer tutor. The volunteer might explain that they grew up in the same neighborhood and benefited from a similar program when they were younger.

They could describe how giving back feels rewarding because they see the kids not only improve academically, but also gain confidence in themselves.

The volunteer might share how one of their students recently earned a scholarship to college, a moment that made all their efforts feel worthwhile.

A simple, organized process for collecting nonprofit impact stories

Think of gathering your stories of impact as you would any other “must do” for your organization.

Establish a process or routine and stick with that. At 4aGoodCause, we like to do one client interview a month, at least.

You’ll do this in a few phases:

• Phase 1: Get organized
• Phase 2: Create your story frameworks (ones you can use again and again!)
• Phase 3: Complete story interviews
• Phase 4: Track and store your impact stories

If you create a rhythm and keep it, over time, you may be surprised at how many stories you are able to collect.

And each interview can be created into multiple pieces of content for your social media channels, email newsletter, monthly giving program communications, and even annual impact reports.

Phase 1: Get your team organized

First, it’s important to identify who in your organization is in charge of story collection.

Is it your marketing department? Your advancement or development department? Assign the work to keep up with the routine.

Decide on where the stories will come from and how often you’ll collect them:

• Identify sources during weekly team meetings.
• Develop a landing page asking for volunteers or donors to share the reasons they serve and give (make it a campaign around a hashtag or movement, #thereasoniserve #reasonstogiveback #givingbackmatters, etc.).
• Solicit long-time donors and conduct interviews around why they continue to give.
• Speak with your programming department to identify those who utilize your services (some information may be confidential) and choose 2 or 3 people each quarter to sit down and talk about how your organization has made an impact.
• Use your CRM as research. Pull different queries and see if anything pops up that may be relevant story-wise.
• Research your audiences, board members, volunteers, etc. on social media. Follow tags, shout-outs and hashtags they use about your organization. They just may have a great side-story to share about their experiences.
• Develop a good story form or template that can be shared via Google Docs, a survey link or landing page that is easy to distribute during various times of the year to match a campaign or channel strategy you’re focused on.

With a process in place and a steady rhythm for collecting stories, the next step is making it easy for your team to capture and share them. That’s where templates come in.

Phase 2: Create your story-gathering frameworks

Below are a few simple, flexible frameworks to help you shape powerful stories that highlight your nonprofit’s impact and connect with your audiences in meaningful ways.

Feel free to take these and use them as your own, or use them as jumping-off points to create something that works best for your organization and audience.

• The “Before and After” Framework
• The “Problem, Solution, Outcome” Framework
• The “Donor/Supporter Spotlight” Framework
• The “Interview-Based Story” Framework

For each framework, I’ll also provide a few questions to help guide you in drafting your own questions for your interviews. These questions can be easily modified based on who you’re interviewing: a participant in your program, a volunteer, donors, etc.

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The “Before and After” Framework

This simple-yet-powerful structure focuses on the problem and solution provided by your nonprofit.

It’s a go-to approach for showcasing the impact of your work.

• Before: Describe the challenge or issue a beneficiary (or community) was facing before receiving help.
• After: Highlight the transformation or success that resulted from your nonprofit’s intervention, showing the clear difference your organization has made.

Questions that help guide this framework:

• Before you connected with [our nonprofit], what was life like for you (or your community)?
• What was the biggest challenge you were facing at the time?
• What made you decide to reach out or accept help from our organization?
• What’s changed since then—and how do you feel about it?

The “Problem, Solution, Outcome” Framework

This method is straightforward and efficient, focusing on key facts that drive the narrative. It’s perfect for highlighting specific programs or initiatives.

• Problem: Briefly explain the issue your nonprofit is addressing.
• Solution: Describe the action your nonprofit has taken to solve the problem.
• Outcome: Present the measurable or emotional results of your intervention.

This is an excellent framework to use with board members, nonprofit leadership, and employees, along with interviewing them about their personal connection to your mission-driven work.

Questions that help guide this framework:

• What’s the specific problem you or your community were experiencing?
• How did our organization step in to help? What actions were taken?
• What part of the program or service made the biggest difference for you?
• What has improved or changed in your life since then? Can you describe the outcome?

The “Donor/Supporter Spotlight” Framework

This approach focuses on telling the stories of your donors or supporters to foster a sense of community while highlighting the impact of their contributions.

• Who they are: Introduce the donor or supporter.
• Why they support: Share their reasons for supporting your cause.
• Their impact: Highlight what their contributions (or contributions like theirs) have achieved.

Questions that help guide this framework:

• Can you tell us a little about yourself and what you’re passionate about?
• What first inspired you to support [our cause]?
• What does giving regularly to this mission mean to you personally?
• What impact are you proud to be part of through your support?

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The “Interview-Based Story” Framework

If your team regularly conducts interviews with beneficiaries, volunteers, or donors, this template can help structure those conversations into compelling stories.

It’s ideal for profiles, testimonials, or in-depth feature stories.

• Introduction: Who is the person, and what challenge were they facing?
• The turning point: What led them to seek help from your nonprofit?
• The impact: How did your nonprofit’s services support them?
• The conclusion: Where are they now, and how has their life improved?

Using consistent templates not only saves time, but also ensures your stories are clear, compelling, and ready to share across any platform or campaign.

Once you’ve gathered and shaped your stories, the next step is making sure they’re easy to access, organize, and put to use.

Questions that help guide this framework:

• Can you introduce yourself and share what was going on in your life when you first came across our nonprofit?
• Was there a specific moment when you realized you needed support—or when something shifted?
• How did our team or services help you during that time? What stands out about that experience?
• Where are you now? What does life look like today compared to back then?

Phase 3: Put the frameworks to work

Once you’ve come up with a system, it’s time to start collecting stories.

You don’t need a video production crew to do this part (although that sure helps!). But simple meeting software, like Zoom or Google Meet, with recording and transcription capabilities is all you need to begin.

Amanda walks you through our process—and a couple tools we’ve created for you to make it easier—in the short video below.

Here’s how the 4aGoodCause team does it:

• We identify clients who are willing to do an interview and tell their story.
• We schedule a 45 minute (or less!) conversation, which we record and transcribe via Google Meet.
• We follow a standard operating procedure (SOP) for all interviews to keep us on track and the system rolling.
• We store all interview materials, final files, interview questions, and notes in one file per interviewee.
• Our internal team does some light editing to the final video files and create an article draft, and then we send them to the interviewee for final approval.
• Once approved, we turn the final interview video and draft into multiple pieces of content to share the powerful stories of our clients.

To help you speed up your own story-collection system, we’ve created these two tools (they’re free Google Doc templates) that you can adapt for your own use:

1. Standard Operating Procedure: Gathering Impact Stories through Interviews
2. Impact story interview template

Don’t use Google Docs?

Reach out to our team via the 4aGoodCause contact form and we’ll provide you with an alternative format. Just note “Nonprofit storytelling templates” and the format you need in the “What can we help you with?” field, and we’ll send them your way.

Phase 4: Tracking and storing your stories of impact

Once you’ve collected your stories, where do you put them so you can refer back or use them throughout the year?

An easy spot would be to utilize custom fields and tagging within your CRM and develop a process that each team member is trained on to remember where they can go for those stories.

If you have more information or supporting files than would make sense to keep solely in your CRM, use your nonprofit’s shared drive or other cloud document sharing system.

It’s important to establish a set filing system and nomenclature for these stories.

For example, let’s say you have stories from donors, board members, service recipients, and volunteers.

Your organization system might look something like this (where each bullet point is a folder name):

• Stories of impact
  • Donors
    • 2023
    • 2024
    • 2024
  • Board members
    • 2023
    • 2024
    • 2025
  • Service recipients
    • 2023
    • 2024
    • 2025
  • Volunteers
    • 2023
    • 2024
    • 2025

The point is to establish a filing system that works for your key categories and content storage system.

You may also want to develop a tracking system such as a spreadsheet or project management system where you can monitor progress and note where these stories have been used.

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You can also acquire storytelling software to help your organization in the collection, storage, and distribution of your stories.

Usage areas and channels of distribution could include:

• Email solicitations and newsletters
• Annual reports
• Social media channels
• Website or specific web pages
• Donation landing pages
• Direct mail pieces
• Thank-you campaigns

Stories of impact can be used in a myriad of areas including as supporting materials for peer-to-peer giving campaigns or as strategic content for an ongoing email campaign(s) to donors and as a basis for ongoing donor touchpoints.

Using stories to market your nonprofit

Stories are one of the most authentic and compelling ways to connect with your audience.

They allow you to showcase the real-life impact your nonprofit is making in a way that resonates on an emotional level.

Here’s how you can use these stories effectively:

• Email campaigns and newsletters
• Social media
• Annual reports and fundraising materials
• Behind-the-scenes content for monthly donors

🏆 Success story: This college raised $187K via one campaign with 4aGoodCause.

Email campaigns and newsletters

Share snippets of real-life stories in your regular email updates to keep donors and supporters informed about the work you’re doing.

For example, a quick snippet from a donor’s “Why I Give” story can be paired with a call to action that encourages others to contribute to the cause.

Social media

Social media posts are perfect for quick, visual storytelling. Share photos or short video clips from your participants, volunteers, and staff that highlight personal moments of impact.

Use hashtags to create a community around your stories, like #GivingBackMatters or #NonprofitImpact. These stories are more likely to be shared and seen, amplifying your reach.

Annual reports and fundraising materials

Don’t underestimate the power of your annual report!

Instead of making it a dry recitation of financials, integrate stories throughout the document to show the human side of your work.

Including testimonials from service recipients or success stories from past funding cycles adds depth and emotional appeal.

Behind-the-scenes content for monthly donors to deepen retention and engagement

Storytelling can significantly boost donor engagement for nonprofits by creating emotional connections, reinforcing the mission, and building trust and loyalty over time.

But offering exclusive behind-the-scenes access to your monthly giving program members?

Well, that gives your supporters an inside look into your nonprofit’s operations, which can be a huge draw.

Your monthly donors are your most dedicated supporters. They have chosen to commit to your organization on an ongoing basis, so offering them special, exclusive content can help deepen that relationship and show your appreciation for their ongoing support.

Here are some ideas for how to execute behind-the-scenes content to deepen donor engagement especially with reoccurring monthly donors:

💡Pro-tip: Monthly giving programs are the future of fundraising. Learn why you should have one, how to start a recurring giving program, and what to do to grow your monthly givers.

Exclusive “behind-the-scenes” access

One way to create a more personal connection with your monthly donors is by giving them exclusive, behind-the-scenes content that others don’t get to see.

For example, give a glimpse into how your team is working to bring a new initiative to life, or share a day in the life of a staff member or volunteer who is making a difference. This can also be shared through a podcast.

Video content

Behind-the-scenes videos can showcase the effort and passion that goes into your work.

Whether it’s a staff meeting, a volunteer training session, or a community event setup, these videos make your organization feel more approachable and relatable.

When donors see the faces behind the work, they feel more personally connected to your cause.

Full interviews for monthly donors

Instead of only releasing short snippets of interviews or stories to the public, consider providing your monthly donors with full versions of interviews.

For example, after collecting a heartwarming story from a family who adopted a dog from your shelter, you could offer a complete 20-minute video or a full written blog post detailing the family’s journey.

This makes your monthly donors feel like insiders who have access to content that truly showcases the depth of your organization’s work.

Early or exclusive access to impact stories

Monthly donors could also receive early access to key stories before they’re shared publicly.

This could mean giving them a sneak peek of upcoming annual reports, video updates, or success stories.

You might even create a “Donor Spotlight” series where monthly donors are featured in stories about how they’ve personally contributed to the organization’s success.

Raise more and stress less with 4aGoodCause

After sharing these powerful storytelling frameworks, it’s important to remember that collecting and sharing these stories can be time-consuming for your team.

Between interviewing beneficiaries, capturing their stories, and editing content for different platforms, it can quickly become overwhelming without the right support in place.

By streamlining the donation process and offering monthly giving tools to engage your most loyal supporters, 4aGC makes it easier to focus on what matters—sharing the powerful stories that reflect the true impact of your nonprofit’s work.

Gathering stories for your nonprofit: Common questions

Here are a few common questions I receive about impact stories and how to integrate them into nonprofit fundraising and marketing:

• How can I improve my nonprofit’s impact stories?
• What are some examples of nonprofits effectively sharing impact stories?
• What’s the difference between a compelling impact story and a donor-centric testimonial—and when should you use each?
• How can you ethically navigate storytelling when your beneficiaries are vulnerable populations (e.g., children, trauma survivors, refugees)?
• What data points can be integrated into nonprofit stories to boost credibility without diluting emotional resonance?
• In what ways can artificial intelligence or automation assist (or hinder) nonprofit storytelling?

Don’t see your question here? Contact our team. We’re here to help!

Q: How can I improve my nonprofit’s impact stories?

A: Focus on authenticity, specificity, and emotion. Highlight individual experiences, use concrete details to showcase outcomes, and ensure the narrative is relatable, making it clear how donations directly affect the people or communities you serve.

Q: What are some examples of nonprofits effectively sharing impact stories?

A: Several clients of 4aGoodCause have done an outstanding job of using storytelling to highlight their impact and connect with donors. Here are some inspiring examples:

Foothills Animal Shelter has a homepage video showing how their team and community help shelter animals. It ends with a call to action, “Become a part of our community, in whatever way you can, and let’s start improving lives together today.”

Feeding the Carolinas shares stories on Instagram. Recently, they posted a video with a school kitchen manager talking about children who may not have food when school ends, showing why their hunger relief work matters.

Q: What’s the difference between a compelling impact story and a donor-centric testimonial—and when should you use each?

A: A compelling impact story focuses on the beneficiary’s journey, showcasing the transformation your organization facilitated, while a donor-centric testimonial centers on the donor’s motivation and the impact of their gift.

Use impact stories to illustrate your mission’s direct effect, and donor testimonials to build trust and encourage other donors to contribute.

Q: How can you ethically navigate storytelling when your beneficiaries are vulnerable populations (e.g., children, trauma survivors, refugees)?

A: When telling stories of vulnerable populations, always prioritize consent, dignity, and privacy.

Ethical storytelling ensures that beneficiaries are comfortable sharing their stories and that their identity and experiences are portrayed respectfully or even anonymously.

Avoid exploitation, and focus on empowerment rather than victimhood.

Q: What data points can be integrated into nonprofit stories to boost credibility?

A: Include data points like the number of people served, funds raised, or program success rates. For example, stating that “this year, we provided shelter to 200 women” adds tangible weight to a story about an individual’s recovery while keeping the focus on personal impact.

Q: In what ways can artificial intelligence or automation assist (or hinder) nonprofit storytelling?

A: AI and automation can streamline content creation by generating reports, summarizing data, and even crafting personalized email messages at scale. However, they can hinder your organization’s storytelling if you use it to create generic, impersonal content. It’s important to balance automation with authentic, human-driven storytelling to maintain emotional resonance.