Share Your Service Story
Why do you choose to serve the world in the way you do? What’s the story behind your giving, donations and other forms of support to nonprofits and causes?
In addition to where, what and how you give, sharing the story behind your service can be an invaluable resource for the cause.
Working on nonprofit brand, creative and messaging strategies, local to global in scale has taught me that people give where they have personal ties and connections, where there are natural or urgent disasters or where giving also includes receiving–from social credibility to fun experiences. Giving is, by and large, personal.
It’s difficult to get others to care about the causes you support unless they also feel that personal connection, even if its through you. Story creates that bridge.
When we share our experiences as a story, our audience’s brain does its magic to help that story feel like a shared experience. Story helps us identify with a protagonist, share in their struggles and triumphs. So sharing our support stories as stories can help people engage with the meaning of our giving and feel more connected to the causes we’re supporting.
I was proud to share my story for Girls on the Run of Greater Rochester through their blog last month. My experience with this incredible organization started as a parent, then as board member, coach, monthly donor and now sponsor. A progression that speaks to how much that first experience as a parent affected me, spurring my giving and support in every way possible from there.
I’m sure other parents can relate to my feelings of wanting my then 9-year-old daughter to take part in something that helped her overcome her fears and see her limitless potential. And I’m sure every parent could connect with the amount of pride I felt when I saw my little Stella cross the finish line of her first 5K. Despite wearing many “support” hats, sharing my story is bound to be the most effective in bringing others into the cause.
That’s why I donated my 40th birthday to Girls on the Run in 2020 in the form of my coming out story. By aligning the values of the organization to the courage it took to stand up for my whole girl self and embrace my full identity, I helped my friends and family see how much this organization means to me personally and how important the work of Girls on the Run is for young girls and the moms, coaches, volunteers and women who support them. The fundraiser was a big success, without being shared on social media. (I’m more open with my coming out story now. And the fundraiser remains open if anyone is inspired to give.)
Giving and service comes in many forms. You don’t have to be a big financial supporter to make a big difference. Your story holds a lot of power for any organization you support. And when you share that story with the world, people have a better sense of who you are and your values–critical for connecting authentically with your audience, from customers, to partners, to people in your network.
Who do you serve and support and what’s the story behind it?
