We know that storytelling is the most powerful way to get your organization's message out there, heard and remembered. We know that compelling stories inspire action and change. But how do you get your organization to commit to storytelling? In this session - a continuation of last year's Better Online Storytelling panel - we'll explore successful, specific techniques to get your organization started finding and telling its best stories. From stories to emails, blogs to social media, you can create a culture of storytelling.

1. Creating a Culture of Storytelling Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) Nonprofit Technology Conference Atlanta, Georgia April 9, 2010 Roger Burks, Senior Writer at Mercy Corps

2. Introduction Roger Burks Senior Writer Mercy Corps

3. Review: Basics of online storytelling

4. Storytelling is a way to reach out, connect and share something with others. We share with friends and family how our days were, how we felt, who we met, things we found out and other interesting pieces of information. We are made from stories – storytelling is at the heart of the human experience. Review: Basics of online storytelling

5. Stories connect us all. Studies show that you have only 56 seconds to convince an online reader that they should read more and stay on your website. Your job is to connect readers to a name, a face and a story as quickly as possible, so that they’ll stay and take action for your organization. And people relate to people, not programs. Review: Basics of online storytelling

9. How to build your culture

11. How to build your culture Who… … is your champion? … is your core group of writers and contributors? … is your audience? … needs to buy in?

12. How to build your culture What… … are your stories? … are your opportunities? … are your challenges? … is the skill level and time commitment of your writers and contributors?

13. How to build your culture When… … do you plan to add and update stories? How often?

14. How to build your culture Where… … will you post these stories? … will you promote these stories?

15. How to build your culture Why… … will this benefit your organization?

16. How to build your culture How… … do you get started? … do you keep it going?

17. What a storytelling culture can look like (and how it can change)

18. What a storytelling culture can look like OUR CHALLENGE With four writers on staff, frequent staff contributors and stock from excellent freelance photographers, Mercy Corps was able to put together human interest stories, in-depth special reports and feature sections that rivaled high-end magazines. The problem? Most other staff was scared away from contributing anything at all.

19. What a storytelling culture can look like OUR RE-EVALUATION: Focus on how our staff can participate more with limited time, training and access to technology.

20. What a storytelling culture can look like OUR REALIZATION: The content types we were offering on our website didn’t create enough opportunities for our diverse worldwide staff, made up of a variety of technical experts – and 95 percent host-country nationals.

21. What a storytelling culture can look like OUR SOLUTION The Mercy Corps Blog “ A daily look into the work, thoughts and ideas of our team around the world” Launched May 2009

22. What a storytelling culture can look like OUR PITCH Q: So what should I write about? A: What are you passionate about? Ask yourself: Is this something I’d tell someone who doesn’t work for Mercy Corps? What are the things that make you excited about your job? Something interesting – or funny – that you come across in the course of your day? Your perspective on a current event or issue that has something to do with Mercy Corps’ work?

26. What a storytelling culture can look like “ Your Facebook page and web site has kept me up to date much faster than the standard media seems to have done. I've just been looking around the net for information and you were right there.” – Darcy Sholts, a comment on the Mercy Corps Facebook page

28. What a storytelling culture can look like Don’t underestimate the potential of your staff as an audience. If your staff read your stories on an ongoing basis, you have a better chance to turn them into storytellers.

29. What a storytelling culture can look like

30. Conclusion

33. Thank you! Roger Burks Email: rburks@mercycorps.org Blog: www.mercycorps.org/rogerburks Twitter: @loudmind