Storytelling in fundraising: research shows why stories beat stats

Build trust by getting personal (instead of focusing on polish)

Key finding

In head-to-head testing, a video featuring Mary Jo — a mother advocating for her disabled son's Medicaid coverage — significantly outperformed a traditional political attack ad. Mary Jo's video boosted viewers' likelihood to take action by 2.5 to 3.6 percentage points and was rated more persuasive, relatable, and engaging across all audiences.

What it means to you

You’ve seen them (or even done them) before: the perfectly-polished testimonial videos that hit all the right points, the overly-styled (or stock) photos, and the rinse-and-repeat “make a difference” messaging. You feel like you’re checking all the right boxes — yet these efforts often fall flat with your supporters.

The reality is that people can easily see through this type of glossy, scripted, and flawless content. Not only does this approach fail to nudge them toward action, but it can also erode the trust between you and your donors. People have persistent distrust in advertising to begin with, and opting for generic tactics, exaggerated claims, and formulaic testimonials encourages more skepticism than support.

Instead, focus on real and relatable storytelling by featuring honest accounts and snapshots from your beneficiaries, staff, volunteers, and long-time donors. This doesn’t need to be overly-rehearsed and polished — in fact, the realer the better.

It’s proof that a quick iPhone video of someone on-site at your donation drive or a simple Q&A with a passionate supporter might just land better than an expensive, studio-styled shoot.

Speak your donors’ language (and skip corporate buzzwords)

Key finding

Feeding America conducted extensive research including focus groups and voter surveys to understand how people actually talk about hunger and SNAP. Using this real language in their messaging increased support for SNAP by 6.3%.

What it means to you

It’s not just about what you say — how you say it matters too. The language you use plays a key role in helping you connect with your contributors.

Unfortunately, it’s easy to opt for what you think “sounds good.” But too much industry jargon and marketing fluff will only alienate or confuse your supporters. Instead, use the language they use when talking about your cause.

Conduct interviews with your donors about why they give, and be sure to pay attention to the words and phrases they use in donor surveys, emails, and other conversations. You can reflect that language back in your appeals, rather than relying on canned phrases and taglines.

For example, if your donors say they support your food bank because “no kid should go to bed hungry in our community,” use those exact words and skip the “addressing food insecurity” buzzwords.

Bring in diverse voices (and not just your executive director)

Key finding

When Feeding America wanted to reach conservative voters, research showed their local food banks — not the national organization — were the most trusted messengers. Ads from local food banks achieved a 10% increase in people viewing SNAP's community impact as positive.

What it means to you

You might think that your nonprofit itself is the most reliable source for information about your cause and fundraising efforts. But the research tells a different story.

So, while there are still appropriate moments for updates and announcements directly from you, it’s worth incorporating other voices. For example, you could:

• Capture testimonials from major or long-term donors
• Ask for content from local chapter leaders
• Interview your beneficiaries about their experience

This diversity helps you mix up your messaging, and it can also resonate better than the more formal communication from your executive director or your marketing team.

Embrace imperfection (not over-production)

Key finding

The strongest-performing ads didn't rely on high production value. Rough reels, selfie videos, and personal content from partners and influencers consistently performed better than polished traditional ads.

What it means to you

There are times when a high level of polish is a prerequisite — like for your annual report or a national TV ad. But, especially for some of your lower-stakes campaign materials (like social media posts, for example), production quality doesn’t always have to be paramount.

So, don’t be afraid to play with some less-refined content. It feels more candid and down-to-earth than the flawless stuff, making it easier to connect with and engage your supporters. Plus, it’s more cost-effective than highly-styled visuals and far faster to produce, too — meaning you can more easily jump on trends or urgent updates.

Platform is one thing to keep in mind as you experiment with lower production value. Content that looks and feels native to the platform tends to outperform ads that scream “nonprofit fundraising.” A TikTok-style video will likely do great on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook, but you might want something a little more buttoned-up for a landing page or email campaign.

Test new tactics (instead of relying on assumptions)

Key finding

The Put Families First campaign tested nearly 2,200 ad variants. Personal storytellers and microinfluencers generated the highest click-through rates, especially among persuadable Republicans and Independents.

What it means to you

All of these research-backed best practices can be helpful, but your nonprofit is unique — and so is what will resonate with your supporters. For that reason, don’t lock yourself into a specific strategy. Commit to some testing and experimentation instead. That could include:

• A/B testing variables: Trying out different email subject lines, appeals, and even the timing of your posts or emails can help you narrow down what works best.
• Trying different storytelling approaches: Does your audience respond better to individual stories or collective impact? Stories that emphasize need or those that inspire hope?
• Segmenting your audience: Use those segments to tailor your messaging, such as sending different appeals to first-time donors versus long-standing givers.

If you’re nervous about experimenting in real-time, use a survey to test out your messaging before incorporating it in any of your campaigns. That temperature check can offer a helpful boost of confidence (or opportunity to regroup) before you fully commit to a specific approach.

Remember: authenticity drives action

The evidence is clear that it’s not always perfection that pushes people to open their pocketbooks — and that there’s room for more raw and relatable content in your campaigns.

This doesn’t mean you need to throw out your tried and true fundraising playbook. Rather, it just might be time to add in a few new pages.

Review your data to keep what's working and spot opportunities to experiment. As you do, keep a close eye on performance to learn more about what actually increases engagement and donations and adjust accordingly as you go.

Put simply, there’s a lot to be said for breaking the script — not just in your content itself, but for your entire approach.

Read next: Journey mapping: why 71% of nonprofits made the switch (plus the 6x results one achieved)