Writing for Community Impact

Dear Nonprofit, Please…please stop making your Beneficiaries invisible. Too many nonprofit stories go like this: “We came into the community. We gave them XYZ. They were so grateful.” Where are the people? The voices? The agency? When your storytelling makes it sound like the beneficiaries are helpless props and you’re the savior… it’s giving “look at me, I’m here for the PR” Here’s an example: Instead of: “We provided school supplies to 300 disadvantaged children in slums.” Try: “Amina, age 10, shared how having her own books made her feel proud and motivated to study again. Her community led the initiative- we just supported their effort.” See the difference? The second one tells us who, how, and why it mattered. It invites empathy without stripping dignity. Good storytelling should: – Show dignity, not pity – Highlight resilience, not just suffering – Center the people, not just the organisation – Share outcomes, not just emotions You’re not the hero. You’re part of a system of change…and the people you serve? They’re the main characters. Want to stand out to funders, partners, and communities? Tell better stories. The kind that reflect real lives, real change, and real partnership. Because “impact” isn’t just in your reports, It’s in how you represent the people you claim to serve. Laura Temituoyo Ede Helping nonprofits move from good intentions to thoughtful storytelling that actually connects

Nonprofits, do you ever feel like you struggle to describe your impact in your grant applications? I know you are making a great impact - you and your staff see it daily, but it just doesn't translate onto paper. How can you define a change that is so fundamentally human it can't be a number? Or how can you claim impact for something that requires multiple layers of experience - like getting a person a job or moving someone out of poverty. Complex impacts require more complex ways of measuring them so that your funders 👁 see your theory of change and how you are moving the 📈 needle in, not just butts in seats, but changed views on the world. This nuanced work requires listening to those whose lives you are changing and gathering honest feedback on how you are changing their mindset, outlook, and actions. Take my recent client who struggled to define the impact they knew they were making on program attendees. Through my work, we discovered where their intentions aligned with their impact and I helped them clarify and measure the complex shifts attendees self-described. Competitive grants require strong, stand-out impacts. If you struggle to clarify your impact for grant writing, let's talk.

Reporting is like sowing—it's about making sense of complexity and weaving together threads of impact. While I've never been a seamstress, I can certainly stitch stories with my words. As a Reporting Officer with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, I like to think that the core of my work is "making complex simple". It's only when people can understand things, that they can support it or look for ways to impact it. Here are some things I've learned along the way: ✨ Structured and Clear Presentation of Data: Think of it like giving directions with clear signposts. Organize your content with headings and subheadings to make it easily navigable. A well-structured report helps readers quickly find the information they need. 📊 Use of Key Figures and Visuals: Numbers are great, but they come to life with visuals! Incorporate statistics and visual aids like photos and charts to make your data more impactful. These visuals bring reports to life and make complex information easier to grasp at a glance. 👩👧👦 Showcasing Human Impact: Behind every statistic is a human story. Whether it's Angelina in Mozambique or Alisa in Sudan, real stories of impact illustrate the heart of our work. Sharing these narratives brings meaning and urgency to our reports. 🤝 Highlighting Collaboration and Impact: Partnerships are the secret sauce! Showcasing collaborative efforts and their real-life impacts can really drive home the effectiveness and reach of our initiatives. Writing reports isn't just about numbers—it's about painting a picture of progress and impact. Let's keep telling these stories that matter, making every word count! What about you guys, any tips? #Reporting #HumanitariansAtWork #Communication

With grant applications, where facts and data are the most necessary, we dared to do something different with one organization: with a story. This organization has a community initiative that sought funding to address mental health issues through music therapy. How? Impactful storytelling. The core of their organization was a mission to heal. But we knew a proposal of statistics about mental health would be like everyone and, eventually, forgettable. So, we decided to go against the norms and narrated the founder’s story. As a war veteran who faced profound struggles with PTSD, we crafted their narrative into the application to detail the battles and their solace in music. Instead of generalizing PTSD statistics, we highlighted how music therapy transformed their life, turning them from a statistic into a triumph. Their grant applications shared more stories, each serving as a testament to the power of their program. It wasn’t just about what they aimed to do but what they had already achieved on a human level. We combined these narratives with data, yes, but the stories were front and center. The result? We captivated the attention of the grant funders by showcasing a deeper understanding of the issues at hand. We used language to personalize the impact and illustrated their success through real-life narratives. The reviewers were no longer reviewing an application; they were envisioning the transformation. Not only did they secure the grant, but they also built lasting relationships with funders. Your project, your initiative, and your passion deserve more than just a standard application. It holds a story, one that can open doors and hearts alike. Don’t let it just be an application. Let it be your narrative. #grantwriter #storytelling #grants #grantfunding