BoardWalk Consulting: The Importance And Power Of Storytelling

BoardWalk Consulting co-sponsors an annual Nonprofit Leadership Conference in Atlanta each fall, attended by nonprofit Board chairs, CEOs and foundation, corporate and nonprofit executives. This year’s event, held at Atlanta Botanical Garden, attracted 200 leaders for the 8th annual conference, themed Strengthen Your Story, Strengthen Your Support. The event was co-sponsored by BoardWalk Consulting, SunTrust Bank and Pritchard & Jerdan.

Here are three key take-aways from the Conference:

1. Every nonprofit should be able to tell six kinds of compelling stories.
   • “Why we do what we do” stories
   • Emblematic success stories
   • Striving to improve stories
   • “How we started” stories
   • Core Values stories
   • “Where are we going” stories
2. Every nonprofit leader should have story to tell, with three main elements.
   • Story of Self – Why as a leader am I called to do what I do?
   • Story of Us – Why is my cause your cause?
   • Story of Now – Why is inaction no longer an option?
3. There is a formula for developing your own story of self.
   • Family of Origin
   • Education/Work History
   • Moments of Hope, Moments of Pain
   • Mentors and Influences

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