Why Storytelling Matters to the Athens Area Community Foundation

Does your nonprofit identify with one of these scenarios?You’ve grown and have more services, which means other departments are communicating to your existing audienceYou want to grow so jumping on digital marketing trends seems like an easy way to get more attention for your causesYou’ve had to shift resources around in your organization since the pandemic and have not seemed to find your marketing stride in this new normalEach of these scenarios offers its own set of marketing challenges, so the first step is going back to your brand. Listen in as Heather Loveridge and Ashley Brinkman chat about the importance of branding when it comes to helping your nonprofit communicate its story well.

It's true: nonprofits could learn a thing or two from for-profits. In this episode, Paige Havens – independent marketing consultant, or Change Agent, as she likes to call herself – shares what she's learned during her 30+ years in the nonprofit and for-profit marketing world. Listen as she speaks to the importance of maintaining good business sense within nonprofits, prioritizing telling authentic stories, and actually asking people to give. And don't miss the simple question that made her stop and write someone a $500 check on the spot!

Stories are all about people, right? But making them about people - in the best possible way - isn't  always as easy as it seems.  In this episode, Brooke Hoffman shares what she's learned about telling stories for nonprofit clients over the past several years. Showing care and empathy are key elements to treating people, and their stories, with dignity.

On this episode, Scott Mawdesley, VP of Corners Outreach and founder of Dads on Tap, shares what he's learned in his more than two decades of nonprofit leadership experience. He shares five keys to good nonprofit communication, what makes storytelling vital in his opinion, some ways to tame the overwhelm as a nonprofit communicator and more.

Thinking about your storytelling/marketing plans for 2022? You'll want to listen to this special episode as our team from Magnolia Media Group dishes on the things they've learned working with nonprofits over the years, plus they spill some tips and tricks you can use going into 2022. 

Can your development person also be your storytelling/marketing person? Do you know your "why"? How often do you ask questions/listen to your audience? On this episode, which is part one of a two-part series, we chat with Kelly Brewer, Director of Development for Eagle Ranch, on the importance of storytelling to the ranch, on having great visuals, how vital it is for development and marketing to work hand in hand and more. Plus, Kelly shares some really inspiring stories, so start listening now!

How closely should marketing and development work together? Find out as we talk to  Stefanie Long, Eagle Ranch's director of communications. Stefanie dishes out advice as she talks about the importance of collaboration, sharing stories in various ways that draw out the senses, how crucial visual storytelling is,  common mistakes and more. 

Want your nonprofit to be memorable? Tell your audience stories that resonate with them. On this episode, Randy Redner, CEO and president of the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia, shares how storytelling has helped the Community Foundation more than double in size over the past five years.  Get advice from Randy on "surround-sound marketing", mistakes to avoid and more. Learn more about the Community Foundation at cfneg.org.

For Peg Jones, Chief Development Officer for the North American Mission Board, storytelling plays a key role in helping raise more than $60 million each year for the campaigns she and her team manage. Listen in as she talks about how her team at NAMB pivoted their storytelling during the pandemic, how they plan their stories (you might be surprised at how far in advance they plan), her advice for other nonprofits and more.

Community Foundations are a bit unique in the nonprofit world and telling their story can be challenging.  Listen in as Magnolia Media Group's Chief Storyteller Heather Loveridge chats with Sarah McKinney, CEO of the Athens Area Community Foundation. Sarah talks about how storytelling has helped AACF grow, the importance of storytelling to development, common mistakes nonprofits make,  and more.