Comments on: Fact or Stories? http://www.asmallchange.net/fact-o-stories/ Making sense of fundraising for non-profits. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:57:23 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Sally http://www.asmallchange.net/fact-o-stories/comment-page-1/#comment-44623 Sally Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:03:15 +0000 http://www.asmallchange.net/?p=513#comment-44623 Dear Jason, Thank you for posting this post. I would like to respond to the statement: ‘Information is always more powerful when it is connected to real people’ by telling you the principles behind the platform pifworld (www.pifworld) and other fundraising websites like just giving. They are a success because projects and activities are connected to a person and get a face, they are able to raise more money. I am working at pifworld, a social network that enables organizations to promote their projects through visual updates. There are different roles in the pifworld, people can be player, ambassador, fieldworker or NGO-administrator. As a player you can donate to a project and invite your friends. As an ambassador you can pimp your profile and explain why you support and promote a specific project you admire. Through the social network principle, you can invite friends and colleagues. Our platform is only launched two months, but we noticed that projects that have ambassadors and players receive more support. Also organizations that have installed fieldworkers and have active NGO administrator, which means a picture and a nice personal story receive more attention. Apparently giving a personal ‘face’ to people behind the project and seeing that you friends are involved tiggers potential players to be more willing to support. So to answer you question, your boss is absolutely right people respond more to persons and personal stories than facts. If you have any feedback, feel free to drop me a line! Regards, Dear Jason,

Thank you for posting this post. I would like to respond to the statement: ‘Information is always more powerful when it is connected to real people’ by telling you the principles behind the platform pifworld (www.pifworld) and other fundraising websites like just giving. They are a success because projects and activities are connected to a person and get a face, they are able to raise more money.

I am working at pifworld, a social network that enables organizations to promote their projects through visual updates. There are different roles in the pifworld, people can be player, ambassador, fieldworker or NGO-administrator. As a player you can donate to a project and invite your friends. As an ambassador you can pimp your profile and explain why you support and promote a specific project you admire. Through the social network principle, you can invite friends and colleagues.

Our platform is only launched two months, but we noticed that projects that have ambassadors and players receive more support. Also organizations that have installed fieldworkers and have active NGO administrator, which means a picture and a nice personal story receive more attention. Apparently giving a personal ‘face’ to people behind the project and seeing that you friends are involved tiggers potential players to be more willing to support.

So to answer you question, your boss is absolutely right people respond more to persons and personal stories than facts.

If you have any feedback, feel free to drop me a line!

Regards,

]]> By: Pamela Grow http://www.asmallchange.net/fact-o-stories/comment-page-1/#comment-44406 Pamela Grow Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:45:57 +0000 http://www.asmallchange.net/?p=513#comment-44406 I am a firm believer that stories sell an organization's mission like nothing else: http://budurl.com/jlqd. Every organization should have not just one story, but many. One book that I have found very helpful is Storytelling for Grantseekers: The Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising. I am a firm believer that stories sell an organization’s mission like nothing else: http://budurl.com/jlqd. Every organization should have not just one story, but many. One book that I have found very helpful is Storytelling for Grantseekers: The Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising.

]]> By: Anne Gentle http://www.asmallchange.net/fact-o-stories/comment-page-1/#comment-44177 Anne Gentle Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:57:38 +0000 http://www.asmallchange.net/?p=513#comment-44177 Stories, especially sticky stories with a ring of truth, credibility, and concrete people at the heart are sooo effective. Not always easy to write, though. But a couple of books I read recently like Clay Shirky's "Here Comes Everybody" and Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff's "Groundswell" have awesome stories - and good retelling. Is there a similar book you'd recommend with fundraising stories? I'd love to read more. Stories, especially sticky stories with a ring of truth, credibility, and concrete people at the heart are sooo effective. Not always easy to write, though. But a couple of books I read recently like Clay Shirky’s “Here Comes Everybody” and Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff’s “Groundswell” have awesome stories – and good retelling. Is there a similar book you’d recommend with fundraising stories? I’d love to read more.

]]> By: What we’re reading, week of 6/1 « i On Nonprofits http://www.asmallchange.net/fact-o-stories/comment-page-1/#comment-44152 What we’re reading, week of 6/1 « i On Nonprofits Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:04:46 +0000 http://www.asmallchange.net/?p=513#comment-44152 [...] A Small Change… Fact or Stories? “Information is always more powerful when it is connected to real people,” Jason Dick states. [...] [...] A Small Change… Fact or Stories? “Information is always more powerful when it is connected to real people,” Jason Dick states. [...]

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