EP 10 Crafting your Founding Story
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Sara Mayer: [00:00:00] Welcome to Impact Unleashed, the nonprofit edition, where we dive deep into the untapped potential of nonprofits and their remarkable ability to create a lasting impact. I'm your host, Sarah Mayer. Let's dive in.
Sara Mayer: Hello, welcome back to the Impact Unleashed podcast, the nonprofit edition, where we explore strategies, stories, and solutions for nonprofit leaders who want to make a lasting difference. As you know, I'm your host, Sara Mayer, and I'm thrilled to have you here today. Today, we are continuing the series. If you're watching on YouTube, you can see me holding up a book.
Sara Mayer: We're continuing the series on the 10 Great Stories Leaders Tell. And this is inspired by Paul Smith's book and the framework. So these stories are essential to connecting with your audience. inspiring action, and really [00:01:00] solidifying your organization's impact. So we're kicking off things with story number one, the founding story, where we came from.
Sara Mayer: If you didn't listen to the introductory episode on why stories are so important for nonprofits, I encourage you to hit pause, jump back, listen to that little episode. Shorty, I do shorty episodes so you can get All the information you need without spending a lot of time in your day, but we're kicking off things.
Sara Mayer: Story number one, the founding story, where we came from. All right. Every nonprofit has a beginning, a spark, maybe a moment when someone realized that change was necessary and to decided to step up and make it happen. And that's really the essence of the founding story. Now, you may be on a nonprofit board, you may not be the founder, you may be working for a nonprofit, but it's really important that you tune in to the founding story.
Sara Mayer: It's your organization's origin [00:02:00] tale, your why, why you are doing the work you do today. And things may have changed over the years. Many nonprofits were founded years ago. But this is 1 of the most important, powerful tools you have as a leader to build trust and inspire your community. But how do you craft that founding story in a way that resonates deeply with others?
Sara Mayer: So let's break it down using the key elements. First the problem, next the catalyst, and third the vision. Alright, grab a pen so you can jump in. First the problem. Every single non profit out there. Every one of them. Exists to address a problem, something that maybe wasn't working or a gap that needed to be filled or to serve a group of people or animals and to effectively tell your founding story.
Sara Mayer: It's important to [00:03:00] start by painting that vivid picture of the problem or what you are trying to do in your nonprofit and you want to make it real and you want to make it human. But you also want to share data, anecdotes, or personal observations that bring the issue to life. So for example, if you started an organization to combat food insecurity, you might begin with a personal moment like seeing a child at a local school unable to focus because they were hungry.
Sara Mayer: Describe that moment and the emotions you felt. And next comes the catalyst. So this is the second part of the story. This is the moment. That turned your concern into action. What pushed you over the edge? Was it a conversation, a specific event, a realization that no one was stepping up? This part of the story helps your audience connect with the passion and the urgency behind your mission.
Sara Mayer: [00:04:00] So, for instance, you might read a statistic that 1 in 5 children in your community was living with food, living in a food desert, and that realization propelled you to do something about it. And then it's time to share your turning point openly and authentically. So, finally, this is really the vision.
Sara Mayer: This is where you invite your audience into the dream. When you started your non profit or when the non profit was started, what future was envisioned? What future did you envision? What was the change that you or your non profit leaders hoped to see back then? And it's not just about practical steps.
Sara Mayer: It's really about the bigger picture. It's about the world you're working to create. And the more specific and hopeful your vision is, the more people will want to join you in making it a reality. Now let's put this into action. So I encourage you to sit [00:05:00] down and draft your founding story. And you want to use the three elements, the problem, the catalyst, the vision.
Sara Mayer: Make it personal. Make it relatable and most importantly, make it yours. So your organization may have the founding story, but you need to tie your personal story into the organization story. So here's an exercise to get you started first, grab your paper and pen. That's not first, but grab your paper and pen and then first write down.
Sara Mayer: One vivid example of the problem your organization addresses. Write down one vivid example of the problem your organization addresses.
Sara Mayer: Second, recall the exact moment you decided to start your nonprofit if you're the founder, or you decided to get involved [00:06:00] if you're not the founder, or the exact moment that a group of people took action to solve the problem. And write it down in detail. So recall the exact moment you decided to start your nonprofit.
Sara Mayer: You decided to take action or a group of people decided to take action and describe it in detail.
Sara Mayer: All right, third. And now I want you to imagine the future you're working towards. Imagine the future you're working towards and write that down too. So while your nonprofit may have been founded 90 years ago, you know where they started. The vision might have changed over time, but the future is where you're going.[00:07:00]
Sara Mayer: Okay, once you've done that, it's time to really craft that story into a two to five minute conversation. A two to five minute. This is where we started. This is the problem we had. This is the catalyst, and this is our vision. Okay. And your founding story truly isn't for just speeches or websites. It's a story you should share with your board.
Sara Mayer: If you're a board member, you should share with your donors, your volunteers, your staff. It's the anchor of your mission, and it reminds everyone why your organization exists. and what's possible when you work together. So many mission statements sit on a website with no story to tell, no captivating way to bring the mission to life.
Sara Mayer: So writing your founding story, this is story number one, there are 10. [00:08:00] Writing your founding story is a way to remind everyone why your organization exists and what's possible when you work together. 10 stories. If you've already crafted your founding story or when you craft your founding story, I would love to know, record a video, type it up, send it to us, tag us on social media as you bring your founding story to life so that we can share and celebrate you.
Sara Mayer: We'd love to feature you on our podcast or on our website and socials with. Some inspiration and also promote your nonprofit. So I know this episode was a little short, which is good. But the work that you are going to need to do to craft that story will take a little bit of time. So thanks for tuning into this episode of Impact Unleashed, the nonprofit edition.[00:09:00]
Sara Mayer: And our journey through the 10 stories great leaders tell for nonprofits. In our next episode, we will dive into story number two, opening my book here. Story number two is why we can't stay here. It's the case for change story. This is going to be a great story too. So work on your, your founding story.
Sara Mayer: And until then, keep unleashing your impact one story at a time. Again, I'm your host, Sara Mayer, and this is Impact Unleashed, the nonprofit edition. See you next time.