In the world of nonprofit communications, few things are more powerful than a community member’s story. Nonprofit organizations frequently use first-person accounts to illustrate the need for, or impact of, their programs. A story is powerful in a different way than a chart or statistic; it opens a window into someone’s life, enabling us to sympathize with their challenges and celebrate their successes.
When someone shares a story with us, they are offering something really valuable. Obtaining consent from someone before we use their story is important, but insufficient; ideally, we should use stories in ways that are not only acceptable but empowering to the teller. As nonprofit organizations, when a stakeholder tells their story to us, we become stewards of that story, and how we use it matters. If we share an individual’s story publicly, who are we benefiting? Are we benefiting the person who told the story, or are we simply using the story to advance our own organizational interests? These are questions worth asking.
Film is a medium for sharing stakeholder stories, through an approach called the Community Voice Method. Film has tremendous potential to be exploitative, since videographers and editors have a lot of control over how the subject is represented. When embedded in an equitable, participatory process, however, film has the ability to empower individuals by elevating their stories. When a community has a decision to make, we begin by conducting video-recorded interviews with individuals who are affected by the issue under consideration. Then we present those individuals’ stories to the broader community through a film that consists of carefully selected interview excerpts. The interviewees and the community at large have the opportunity to critique and amend the ways in which the film represents them. In this way, the stories—and the power they confer—remain centered in the community to whom they belong.
Whether it’s in a film or in an annual fundraising appeal, we know that stories have the power to inspire action. In this giving season, let’s wield that power responsibly, with the storyteller’s interests at heart.
Looking for support for your organization? Contact us about our consulting services today.