Storytelling for Impact: Purpose Palooza 2025 Roundtable Recap
At Purpose Palooza! 2025, I had the privilege of leading six packed roundtable sessions — three in the morning focused on Storytelling for Impact, and three in the afternoon on Emails & Blogs That Engage and Convert. Each session was an open, honest exploration of what it really takes to write stories that move people — and move them to action.
Participants walked away with inspiration (I hope!) and a few practical tips on how to tell stories that stick.
Here’s a look at my notes, the core concepts we covered, some photos of the event compliments of Rebecca Marie Photo, and some fresh insight from Google Search’s John Mueller on how to make your stories work harder online. TLDR: Tell unique stories that humans enjoy. And pretty please include photos and videos.
Nonprofit Storytelling Tips
Systematize Storytelling
It takes time to craft a good story, so create one source for your story ideas and notes, and a system for collecting stories.
I use a Google Doc for each nonprofit I work with, with my most recent notes at the top, to jot down ideas. Then, I bookmark that Doc on my desktop and laptop computers, and create a shortcut on my phone for quick and easy access for on-the-go meetings.
If you prefer a more tactile approach, you might enjoy a small journal or spiral-bound notebook like this one that can be hauled around in a work bag.
Whichever method you choose, use your notes consistently during meetings throughout the month to jot down story ideas. Send follow-up emails to staff or volunteers to request more details and photos to better tell the story.
For example: “Hey, remember when we talked about John? Can you more about XYZ and send me a photo of the two of you together?”
Some nonprofits include a built-in sharing time in their staff or board meetings to specifically ask for wins.
For example: “Who can share a mission moment?”
Focus on Transformation
One of the biggest roadblocks attendees shared?
Important stories, like those about victims of domestic violence, are hard to hear about.
Because of that, the audience tends to tune out. Because of (and for so many other reasons), I think nonprofits should be focusing on their clients’ successes.
You don’t need to dwell on all the sordid details. Instead, discuss a person’s background and challenges as a means to compare how you helped them and more importantly, how they’re doing now.
Here’s an outline of core transformational story elements
Background & Challenges (Before): What life used to look like for the individual or community. The challenges or problems encountered by your story’s subject in this “before” part could take up about 1/3 of the whole story.
Moment of Change: The turning point — how your mission intervened. This is the meaty middle third of the story, where you can include specific action steps taken by your staff or volunteers to help.
Success & Resolution (After): The positive change made possible by your work and donors. In this last third of the story, you’ll showcase the success of your story’s subject. How is their life better now?
This formula works because it puts people — not your org — at the center of the narrative.
Your nonprofit is the guide, not the hero.
(You’ll also notice that this story isn’t long. Yah!)
Here’s an example of a nonprofit story that I think delivers a compelling transformational story.
Create with Confidence
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Focus on weaving a single compelling story across multiple channels. Once you’ve nailed the core story — and published it on your website as a blog — support it and repurpose it strategically:
Use data from your annual report or surveys to supplement and prove out your story.
Value authenticity over being overly polished.
Include a clear call to action for the next step (“Donate,” “Volunteer,” or “Download Report”).
Use the full story in a newsletter or blog.
If you can, repurpose the story as video content. (Here’s the video that accompanies the example I shared above.)
Pull a quote and image for social.
Google’s Take: Unique & Valuable Content Wins
What does this have to do with Google? Everything.
In Google’s May 2025 blog, John Mueller shared how content creators can succeed as AI-powered search transforms how people find information. (Hint: This include potential clients, donors, partners, and volunteers.)
His advice?
“Focus on making unique, non-commodity content that visitors from Search and your own readers will find helpful and satisfying.”
This matters because AI Overviews and new multimodal search features now surface content that directly answers people’s deeper, more specific questions. Mueller emphasized that:
Helpful, people-first content will continue to perform well.
Unique storytelling helps your site stand out in AI-generated summaries.
Supporting visuals (photos, videos, structured data) help AI understand your stories better.
For nonprofits, this is a green light to lean into your humanity. Real stories about real people are the antidote to AI-generated content overload — and they’re more relevant than ever in helping people understand your mission and impact.
Want to learn more about how nonprofits should market themselves? Read my guest blog, published by Buffer, on startup strategies nonprofits should steal.
Gratitude for a Purpose-Filled Day
Purpose Palooza was packed with generous, smart nonprofit communicators and marketers.
Thank you to Pen and Pug and Cause Collective for making Purpose Palooza feel like the local learning party of the year. And to Rebecca Marie Photography for beautifully capturing the joy, camaraderie, and storytelling energy at my table.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
If you’re looking to refine your storytelling strategy, better connect with donors, or simply get unstuck with your content — we should talk. I work with nonprofits of all sizes to help turn their impact into clear, compelling, donor-centered stories.
Let’s get coffee or collaborate on a project
Because your story deserves to be seen, heard, and felt. Let’s make it happen.
