![\"South](\"https:\/\/www.isocfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/indigneous-girls.webp\" "\\"South")
\n\tAt the Internet Society Foundation, we believe in the power of the Internet to connect, empower and benefit people worldwide. This guide is designed to help our grantees share the impact of their work through powerful storytelling.<\/p>\n
Impact refers to the positive change(s) your project creates or contributes to. It’s the collective effort you make on people’s lives, communities, or the world.<\/p>\n
Storytelling is the art of communicating information through a narrative. It’s about connecting with your audience on an emotional level and making your message memorable.<\/p>\n
Storytelling has the power to engage, influence, teach, and inspire listeners.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t
![\"Strategic](\"https:\/\/www.isocfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/story-cycle.png\" "\\"story")
\n\t\tSource: Meyer Foundation and Georgetown University\nFocus on the core message or takeaway of your story.<\/strong> Keep it simple and straightforward to ensure your audience understands the impact and significance of the project.<\/p>\n Use language that resonates with your audience and evokes emotion.<\/strong> Create a connection by highlighting the human element of your story – share personal anecdotes, quotes, or testimonials that bring the project to life.<\/p>\n Incorporate visuals<\/strong>, such as photographs, infographics, or videos, to enhance the storytelling experience. Visual elements not only capture attention but also provide context and illustrate key points.<\/p>\n Maintain consistency in your messaging across different platforms and mediums.<\/strong> Whether it’s a web post, a social media update, or a video script, ensure that your storytelling remains coherent and aligned with the overarching narrative of the project.<\/p>\n When crafting your impact story, focus on four<\/strong> key elements:<\/p>\n Explain the problem<\/strong> your project addresses and why it’s important.<\/p>\n Introduce your main character <\/strong>(this could be an actual person, group of people, or a persona that represents your target participant), highlighting their challenges and aspirations.<\/p>\n Describe what you’re doing to address this situation.<\/p>\n Describe the solution<\/strong> your project offers and the positive change it creates for people and communities.<\/p>\n Why\/Who<\/strong><\/p>\n States why the problem is important and the human angle – your character.<\/p>\n It’s important to include a hook.<\/p>\n How<\/strong><\/p>\n It has to show a trajectory – how you will get between the beginning and end – the arc.<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n Demonstrates the solution and its positive effect on people.<\/p>\n It helps to connect emotionally.<\/p>\n\t Your impact story can be told in various formats, depending on your audience and platform. Here are some popular options with examples:<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Headline:<\/strong> Catchy and informative. Ex: \u00ab\u00a0Bridging the Digital Divide: How Rural Schools Got Connected.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n Content:<\/strong> Focus on the \u00ab\u00a0Why\u00a0\u00bb and \u00ab\u00a0What\u00a0\u00bb of your project. Briefly explain the problem, introduce a beneficiary (who), and showcase how your project (what) made a difference.<\/p>\n Include a call to action:<\/strong> Encourage readers to donate, volunteer, or learn more about your work.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Keep it concise<\/strong> and visually engaging.<\/p>\n Use powerful statistics<\/strong> or quotes from your beneficiaries.<\/p>\n Include relevant hashtags<\/strong> to reach a wider audience.<\/p>\n Platforms like Twitter\/X or Instagram might favor images or short videos<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Videos can be incredibly impactful<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Structure:<\/strong> Start with the \u00ab\u00a0Why,\u00a0\u00bb introduce the \u00ab\u00a0Who\u00a0\u00bb with compelling visuals and interviews, and showcase the positive change (\u00ab\u00a0What\u00a0\u00bb) brought by your project.<\/p>\n Ensure good audio and video quality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It is not your story<\/strong><\/p>\n The contributors to the story are equal partners and should be treated as cocreators, rather than passive interviewees. They are the experts in their stories.<\/p>\n\t Do no harm<\/strong><\/p>\n The safety and well-being of individuals and their communities should always come before any other goals, including advocacy. If there is potential to harm someone’s safety, reputation, or community, it is best to avoid sharing the story.<\/p>\n\t People are multi-dimensional<\/strong><\/p>\n Crafting a story within a few minutes can be challenging. This often results in one-dimensional stories casting individuals as helpless victims. It’s important to consider how you can present your contributors multi-dimensionally, highlighting their strengths, achievements and potential alongside their challenges.<\/p>\n\t Consent is more than paperwork<\/strong><\/p>\n Ensure that contributors fully understand and agree to the purpose of the story and how it will be used and shared. Make sure to obtain written consent to use someone’s story and likeness (photo\/video).<\/p>\n\t Source: Canva Workbook<\/p>\n\t Video<\/strong><\/p>\n SOLE Colombia. Long Video<\/a><\/p>\n Rwanda Internet Society Chapter. Short Video<\/a><\/p>\n Web Post<\/strong><\/p>\n Internet Society<\/a><\/p>\n Twitter campaign<\/strong><\/p>\n World Food Program Syria<\/a><\/p>\n Audio<\/strong><\/p>\n Internet Society Foundation<\/a><\/p>\n Photo<\/strong><\/p>\n UNHCR- UN Refugee Agency<\/a><\/p>\n\t CANVA<\/a> (most non-profits\/NGOs are eligible for a free premium account)<\/p>\n Storytelling guide for Nonprofits<\/a><\/p>\n Asana Editorial Calendar<\/a><\/p>\n UK Government Communications Service Comms Evaluation Framework<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrevious: Ideas for sharing your news\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNext: Stay connected with us\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t If you have any questions, please contact our Office of Communications:<\/p>\nEmail<\/strong> Introduction At the Internet Society Foundation, we believe in the power of the Internet to connect, empower and benefit people worldwide. This guide is designed to help our grantees share the impact of their work through powerful storytelling. What is Impact? Impact refers to the positive change(s) your project creates or contributes to. It’s the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7935,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-14442","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n\n\t\t\t2\u00a0–\u00a0Engagement\t<\/h3>\n\t
\n\t\t\t3 –\u00a0Visualisation\t<\/h3>\n\t
\n\t\t\t4 – Consistency\t<\/h3>\n\t
\n\t\t\tThe Power of Why, Who, How and What\t<\/h2>\n\t
\n\t\t\tWhy\t<\/h3>\n\t
\n\t\t\tWho\t<\/h3>\n\t
\n\t\t\tWhy\t<\/h3>\n\t
\n\t\t\tWhat\t<\/h3>\n\t
\n\t\t\tStory arc\t<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\tBeginning\t<\/h3>\n\t
\n\t\t\tMiddle\t<\/h3>\n\t
\n\t\t\tEnd\t<\/h3>\n\t
Tips for effective storytelling<\/h2>\n
\n
![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.isocfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Picture-1.jpg\" "\\"Picture")
\n\tStorytelling formats<\/h2>\n
![\"Carolina](\"https:\/\/www.isocfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Carolina-Jaramillo.-Colnodo-Fundacion-Capital.webp\" "\\"Carolina-Jaramillo.-Colnodo-Fundacion-Capital\\"")
\n\tWeb posts<\/h3>\n
![\"Person](\"https:\/\/www.isocfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/post-it-notes.webp\" "\\"post-it-notes\\"")
\n\tSocial media posts<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.isocfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/wedding_30.webp\" "\\"A")
\n\tVideo scripts<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\tEthical storytelling\t<\/h2>\n\t
Examples<\/h3>\n
Resources<\/h3>\n
Communications contact<\/h3>\n
\ncommunications@isocfoundation.org<\/a>\n\tGrant Partner Comms Toolkit<\/h3>\n
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