Impact Unleashed: The Nonprofit Edition™

EP 16 Craft your How We’re Different from Our Competitors Story

In this episode, Sara Mayer delves into the importance of distinguishing your nonprofit from others by telling your unique "How We're Different" story. She discusses the key elements that set organizations apart and shares a compelling example of a nonprofit that effectively communicated its unique approach to attract donors and partners.
Introduction
The Importance of Differentiation
Case Study: Bright Futures Foundation
Crafting Your "How We're Different" Story
Conclusion

EP 15 Craft your What We Do for Our Customers Story

In this episode of Impact Unleashed: The Nonprofit Edition, host Sara Mayer discusses the importance of storytelling in the nonprofit sector. Sara shares an insightful narrative about Color Bright, a small arts education nonprofit, and how critical storytelling was in transforming their approach and resulting in substantial growth and community impact. This episode focuses on helping nonprofits understand the power of their impact stories, turning organizational chaos into structured momentum, and leading with narratives that resonate deeply with supporters and stakeholders.
Key Takeaways:
Importance of identifying and sharing impactful stories beyond the numbers.
How Color Bright transformed through storytelling and strategic organizational changes.
Encouraging nonprofits to reflect on and articulate their unique stories of impact.
Resources Mentioned:
Book: "The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell" by Paul Smith
If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with your team or board. Reflect on your organization's story and think about the moments where you've made a real difference.
Stay Connected:
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Join us next time on Impact Unleashed: The Nonprofit Edition as we continue to explore the stories and strategies that drive nonprofit success.

EP 14 Craft your Who We Serve Story

In this episode of Impact Unleashed, the nonprofit edition, host Sara Mayer explores the sixth story from Paul Smith's "10 Stories Great Leaders Tell"—the 'Who We Serve' story. Sara highlights the importance of this narrative in making the mission of a nonprofit relatable by humanizing data and statistics. Through practical tips and a compelling example, she guides listeners on how to create stories that challenge preconceived notions, introduce relatable characters, and evoke strong emotional connections. The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to craft their own transformational stories for their nonprofit organizations.
00:00 Introduction to Impact Unleashed
00:57 Recap of the 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell
02:17 Diving into Story Number Six: Who We Serve
03:29 Structuring the Who We Serve Story
06:46 Example of a Compelling Who We Serve Story
08:10 Tips for Strengthening Your Story
08:58 Challenge and Call to Action
09:19 Conclusion and Community Engagement

EP 13 Craft your What we Believe Story

In this episode of Impact Unleashed, host Sara Mayer delves into the significance of the 'What We Believe' story for nonprofits, as highlighted in Paul Smith's book "10 Stories Great Leaders Tell." She explains how this story serves as a strategic and psychological foundation for a nonprofit's brand, culture, and influence. Sara outlines a framework for creating bold, compelling belief statements that not only inspire alignment but also prompt division, making them more impactful. She provides practical examples and invites listeners to challenge common assumptions, clearly define their beliefs, support them with emotional stories, and embrace polarization to build a tribe of committed supporters. Listeners are encouraged to draft their belief stories with authenticity and boldness, transforming passive donors into lifelong advocates.
00:00 Introduction to Impact Unleashed
00:42 The Power of the 'What We Believe' Story
03:32 Crafting a Compelling Belief Story
06:19 Examples of High-Impact Belief Stories
07:38 The Importance of Polarization in Nonprofit Messaging
08:38 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

EP 12 Craft your Where We’re Going Story

In this episode of Impact Unleashed: The Nonprofit Edition, host Sara Mayer delves into story number three from Paul Smith's book, The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell – the vision story. Sara emphasizes the importance of a vision story for nonprofit leaders, board members, volunteers, and founders, explaining how it helps outline a vivid and compelling future that inspires action and perseverance. Practical steps and tips for crafting a powerful vision story are provided, including starting with the end in mind, being descriptive, breaking down milestones, making it inclusive, and rallying support from the community. The episode concludes with a call to believe in and share these vision stories to energize and unite communities.
00:00 Introduction to Impact Unleashed
00:24 Overview of 'The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell'
00:39 Diving into the Vision Story
01:46 Structuring a Compelling Vision Story
02:10 Examples of Vision Stories
06:08 Tips for Crafting Impactful Vision Stories
07:44 Conclusion and Call to Action

EP 11 Crafting your Why We Can’t Stay Here Story

In this episode of Impact Unleashed, host Sara Mayer dives into the second story from Paul Smith's framework, "The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell." This installment, titled "Why We Can't Stay Here," emphasizes the importance of crafting a case for change to articulate why current conditions are unacceptable and why immediate action is necessary. Sara provides a detailed structure for creating this story, including describing the status quo, highlighting the consequences of inaction, showcasing the potential for positive change, and making a clear call to action. The episode also includes practical tips such as anchoring the story in data, making it personal, and maintaining a singular, focused ask to avoid decision fatigue among supporters. Tune in to learn how to drive urgency and mobilize your community for meaningful change.
00:00 Introduction to Impact Unleashed
00:34 The Importance of the Case for Change
02:00 Structuring the Case for Change Story
02:46 Creating Urgency and Highlighting Consequences
03:40 Pivoting to Hope and Making a Call to Action
06:21 Tips for Crafting Your Story
08:48 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

EP 10 Crafting your Founding Story

In this episode of Impact Unleashed: The Nonprofit Edition, host Sara Mayer delves into story number three from Paul Smith's book, The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell – the vision story. Sara emphasizes the importance of a vision story for nonprofit leaders, board members, volunteers, and founders, explaining how it helps outline a vivid and compelling future that inspires action and perseverance. Practical steps and tips for crafting a powerful vision story are provided, including starting with the end in mind, being descriptive, breaking down milestones, making it inclusive, and rallying support from the community. The episode concludes with a call to believe in and share these vision stories to energize and unite communities. 00:00 Introduction to Impact Unleashed00:24 Overview of "The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell"00:39 Diving into the Vision Story01:46 Structuring a Compelling Vision Story02:10 Examples of Vision Stories06:08 Tips for Crafting Impactful Vision Stories07:44 Conclusion and Call to Action

EP 9 Mastering Nonprofit Storytelling: 10 Stories to Transform Your Impact

In this episode of Impact Unleashed, host Sara Mayer explores the profound impact of storytelling for nonprofit leaders. Drawing inspiration from Paul Smith's book, "The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell", Sara delves into the ten types of stories that can engage donors, inspire volunteers, and drive organizational success. She categorizes these stories into "where we came from", "where we're going", and "who we are", and provides practical steps for crafting and sharing them. This episode underscores the importance of storytelling as an emotional connection tool and offers actionable strategies to start leveraging it within your nonprofit today.
00:00 Introduction to Impact Unleashed
00:30 The Power of Storytelling in Nonprofits
02:22 Exploring the 10 Essential Stories
06:59 Crafting and Sharing Your Stories
09:16 Conclusion and Next Steps

EP 8 Founding a Giving Circle with guest Jennie Elser

This episode of Impact Unleashed features host Sara Mayer interviewing Jenny Elser, a co-founder of the Joyride Society, a nonprofit giving circle. The discussion details the society's inception in 2015, its mission, and the journey from an idea born out of a desire to make significant financial contributions to causes, despite individual financial constraints. They explore how the society was established, the challenges and milestones experienced, including raising and distributing over $194,000 to various causes with no operational costs. The episode emphasizes the power of collective giving, the process of nominating and supporting organizations, and the impact of their contributions, including a significant donation to Pencils of Promise for building a school. Sara and Jenny encourage listeners interested in making an impact in their communities to consider founding or joining a giving circle, highlighting the ease and fulfillment derived from collective effort and shared goals.
Join the Joyride Society at joyridesociety.org

00:00 Welcome to Impact Unleashed: The Nonprofit Edition
00:36 Introducing Jenny Elser: Co-Founder of Joyride Society
02:08 The Genesis of Joyride Society: From Dream to Reality
03:55 The Joyride Society's Unique Approach to Philanthropy
14:16 The Impact of Joyride Society: Success Stories and Achievements
26:00 Advice for Aspiring Nonprofit Founders
27:44 Reflecting on the Journey and Honoring a Founder
28:53 Closing Thoughts and Encouragement

EP 7 Infuse Some Volunteer Magic At Your Next Event

In this episode of Impact Unleashed, the focus is on the crucial role of volunteers in nonprofit event success. The discussion includes best practices for volunteer management, emphasizing the importance of planning, setting clear roles and responsibilities, and understanding that volunteers come with varied skills and availability. Key strategies include being mindful not to pigeonhole volunteers based on their professional backgrounds, the importance of clear communication, including detailed prep materials and onboarding, setting clear expectations around attire and event duties, and ensuring volunteers are well taken care of during events. Tips for motivating and appreciating volunteers include acknowledging their contributions, providing necessary tools, and making their experience fun and impactful. The episode underlines the importance of effective volunteer management in ensuring nonprofit events are successful and mission goals are met.
00:00 Introduction to Impactful Volunteer Management
00:31 The Heartbeat of Nonprofits: Volunteers
01:02 Best Practices for Volunteer Utilization
02:16 Setting Clear Expectations and Roles
05:27 Preparing and Training Volunteers for Success
08:37 Effective Communication and Coordination
13:50 Recognizing and Appreciating Volunteer Efforts
14:49 Tips and Tricks for Managing Volunteers
18:59 Closing Thoughts on Volunteer Engagement