Numbers tell. Stories sell.
People aren’t calculators. They’re storytellers.
That’s why in fundraising:
Data wrapped in a story is 22x more memorable.
Because humans can’t fully process our messy world due to the millions of signals our brains receive.
Every.
Single.
Second.
Now, let me share some powerful data.
↳ Wrapped in a powerful story.
Human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson — founder of the nonprofit Equal Justice Initiative — earned the longest standing ovation in TED Talks history. He spoke about a challenging, complex topic: America’s criminal justice system. And he raised $1 million in donations that night from a single speech.
How?
He told stories for 65% of his presentation.
About his grandmother, about Rosa Parks, about not drinking beer as a kid.
In fact, he spoke for five minutes straight before introducing a single statistic about U.S. prisons.
“You need data, facts, and analysis to challenge people, but you also need narrative to get people comfortable enough to care about the community that you are advocating for,” says Stevenson. “Your audience needs to be willing to go with you on a journey.”
So remember:
Donors want a story they can remember — not a fact to memorize.
Of course, your impact metrics matter too. But always wrap it in storytelling.
Speak in totals and tales.
Paint pie charts and pictures.
Shape spreadsheets and sagas.
Because numbers tell, but stories sell.
💪🏽💛
The daily bonus
Spring cleaning: How to do a social media audit, from Candid.
The top three pieces of advice?
Review your social media profiles
Do a security checkup
Search for duplicates or lost accounts
Sneak peek
Coming up in tomorrow’s Substack:
Pitch deck perfection.
Five sections & 10 slides to sculpt your funding story.
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