The Hero of Your Nonprofit’s Story Isn’t Your Nonprofit

What a storytelling demonstration at the Securing the Future Conference revealed
about bringing a mission to life.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of presenting a workshop on storytelling at the Securing the Future Conference in Cincinnati. The audience consisted primarily of nonprofit professionals—people whose organizations do important work, but who sometimes struggle to communicate that work in ways that genuinely move people.

I invited Kevin Hackman, Director of Development at Talbert House and a member of the conference steering committee, to join me for a live demonstration.

Kevin had a story to tell about Sandra, a woman whose life had been transformed through Talbert House’s services. Sandra had given him permission to share her experience.

Rather than simply asking Kevin to tell the story, I prompted him with a series of
questions borrowed from the world of dramatic writing.

Who is the protagonist? What does she want? What stands in her way? What happens that changes the course of her life? And how does the story end?

As Kevin responded, a compelling narrative emerged.

Sandra lost her mother when she was just nine years old. As an adult, she struggled with addiction and faced the possibility of losing the relationships that mattered most to her. A doctor helped connect her with Talbert House, where treatment, residential services, and individualized support helped her rebuild her life.

Today, Sandra has maintained six years of sobriety, enjoys strong relationships with her children and grandchildren, and helps others through peer recovery support. It’s a remarkable story. But here’s what makes it especially instructive for nonprofit leaders.

Sandra is the hero. Talbert House isn’t.

Talbert House plays a crucial supporting role, providing the resources, expertise, and encouragement that help Sandra overcome her obstacles. But the transformation belongs to Sandra.

Too often, organizations tell stories in which the organization itself is the protagonist. We describe our programs, enumerate our accomplishments, and celebrate our impact. All important information, certainly. But information alone rarely moves people. Stories do.

A compelling story gives us someone to care about, something to hope for, obstacles to worry about, and a resolution that makes the journey meaningful. And here’s the wonderful thing: nonprofit organizations are surrounded by stories like Sandra’s. Stories of struggle, perseverance, generosity, discovery, and transformation. The challenge isn’t necessarily finding stories. It’s recognizing them and giving them shape.

My experience as a playwright has taught me that storytelling is both an art and a learnable skill. By asking a few fundamental dramatic questions, we can turn a collection of facts into a narrative that connects with an audience.

Whether you’re engaging donors, recruiting volunteers, communicating with employees, or advocating for change, the principle remains the same.

Don’t just tell people what your organization does. Help them understand whose lives are different because you do it.

That’s where the story begins.

For more information about Talbert House, its services to clients and the stories it has to tell, visit www.talberthouse.org