Stories Worth Telling

Stories Worth Telling

Effective social impact organizations tell great stories. But how do you do that?

Storytelling is an essential component of an effective social impact organization, but few have a firm grasp on how to develop sustainable stories and processes. And fewer still have strong cultures of storytelling. With support from the Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, we conducted comprehensive research and developed a suite of resources to help organizations tell stories that matter. Informed by a review of the storytelling practices of more than 150 social impact organizations, our research provides a step-by-step framework for telling emotional and action-driven stories.

Download the full research report

Thank you for your interest in our research. By clicking "Download," you agree to receive emails from Georgetown University's Center for Social Impact Communication. Please tell us a little about yourself:

Download

Put these accompanying tutorials, tools and worksheets to use for your organization.

Checklist: Story Building Blocks

The five fundamental story elements.

Checklist: Strategic Story Cycle

Key considerations throughout the story lifecycle.

Resource: Culture Self-Assessment

Determine your organization's storytelling culture.

Resource: Character Study

Develop an effective character for your story.

Resource: Storyteller Job Description

Traits that a storyteller or team should possess.

Checklist: Designing a Story Bank

Catalog and archive organizational stories.

Tutorial: Structuring a Story Bank

Create a functional organizational story bank.

Watch the video

Resource: Digital Comparisons

Using social media channels for storytelling.

Resource: Story Homepages

Effectively incorporate stories on your website.

Tutorial: Online Story Measurement

Measure the effectiveness of your stories.

Watch the video

Tutorial: Tailoring Online Content

Develop a channel specific story plan of action.

Watch the video

Resource: Hiring External Support

When and how to work with external storytellers.