Too often, nonprofit fundraising treats storytelling as a tool to convince donors to give—focusing on polished success stories, emotional appeals, or urgent crises. But what if storytelling could do more than just persuade? What if it could transform the way people relate to your work, deepening their commitment to systemic change rather than just prompting a one-time donation?
At Awake Storytelling, we believe fundraising is not just about securing financial support—it’s about building a movement. And movement-building requires storytelling that does more than tug at heartstrings. It requires stories that educate, inspire, and invite people into collective action.
The Problem with Traditional Nonprofit Fundraising Narratives
Many nonprofit fundraising stories fall into patterns shaped by the capitalist charity model, including:
Centering donors as the heroes – Stories that emphasize the donor’s role in “saving” someone, rather than uplifting the leadership and power of impacted communities.
Focusing on individual success over systemic change – Narratives that highlight one person’s resilience while ignoring the oppressive systems that create the need for nonprofits in the first place.
Using scarcity and crisis to drive urgency – Messages that rely on fear or guilt to generate donations, rather than fostering long-term investment in a vision for justice.
These approaches may raise money in the short term, but they do little to shift power or mobilize people for real transformation.
A Different Approach: Storytelling that Mobilizes Resources for Justice
Instead of transactional fundraising, nonprofits can use storytelling to cultivate true solidarity—inviting donors to see themselves as part of a broader movement for justice. This means:
Shifting from charity to solidarity – Instead of telling stories that position donors as benevolent givers, tell stories that frame giving as an act of redistribution and shared responsibility.
Naming systems of oppression – Be clear about the root causes of injustice and invite donors to fund solutions that challenge these systems, not just treat symptoms.
Painting a vision of possibility – Stories should not only highlight suffering but also illuminate the liberatory futures your organization is working toward.
Inviting donors into a deeper relationship – Fundraising is not just about money; it’s about aligning values, building relationships, and creating lasting commitment to the work.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Instead of asking, “How do we tell a story that makes people donate?”, ask:
How do we tell stories that help people see their stake in liberation?
How do we invite donors to act not out of guilt, but out of a commitment to justice?
How do we use storytelling to shift narratives, not just raise money?
By making these shifts, nonprofit storytelling can move beyond transactional fundraising and become a tool for true movement-building.
At Awake Storytelling, we create videos that help nonprofits mobilize resources while staying true to their values. If your organization is ready to move beyond the limitations of traditional fundraising storytelling, we’d love to collaborate.
Let’s tell stories that don’t just raise money—let’s tell stories that build power.