For Ethics month, AFP Toronto sponsored a webinar on Marketing + Social Impact. This session helped listeners learn how to  tell stories that uphold the dignity of communities. Speakers Mo Waja and Jess Myers provided an overview of this important topic.

Storytelling + our duty of care

By telling a story, we take on the responsibility to represent people respectfully, Waja noted. He added that, as fundraisers we know that stories are powerful which means the way we tell our stories is absolutely critical. In addition, he pointed out that as fundraisers we have a platform which is significant and can have an impact on the communities we work with.

Fundraising marketing is a form of advocacy according to Waja. He commented that when you put out a marketing piece, you have a responsibility to represent communities that maintains their dignity and agency. Key in this process is to share authentic narratives that present members of that community as active partners, not victims that need to be saved. Important in this process is that we need to be a true partner, not a leader or "savior."

How we engage our donors matter. Far too frequently we think of a compelling story is one that focuses on a high level of emotional engagement with an emphasis on pity. The impetus is on "tugging on the heartstrings." This has a negative impact.

Where's the harm?

For the community you work with 

• Perpetuates a narrative of victimhood, harmful stereotypes and "othering" 
• Creates a dichotomy of savior/saved
• Oversimplifies complex issues leading to a short-term investment
• Disempowers the community and has the potential to re-traumatize members of the community.

To your fundraising program

• Creates a short-term, transactional relationship with your supporters
• Desensitizes your audiences
• Can lead to "Compassion fatigue" and feelings of hopelessness in donors
• Limits your capacity to expand your donor audiences
• Loss of trust among your community of supporters (including donors) and communities you work with.

Questions we ask ourselves

In the session, Myers provided this useful set of guiding questions to help ensure her organization is able to be a respectful partner in fundraising communications.

Myers noted that key in this process is a shared understanding within an organization of what responsible fundraising means. Part of this process is to build internal shared understanding of this way of working says Myers. One issue is to challenge the assumption that responsible fundraising and strong results are mutually exclusive. In fact, responsible fundraising is just as impactful as "classic fundraising" in Myers' experience.

Working with "vulnerable" communities

There is a legal definition of 'vulnerable.' It is especially challenging to work with vulnerable people because these are usually communities that can't be shown. Often it is not safe to use their photos or use their direct stories. It is worth noting that great content does not have to include the vulnerable community directly - story tellers could be family members, friends, caregivers, even creative representations.

 Tactics can include:

• Using illustrations
• Avoid showing community members' faces
• Changing names, removing identifiable details
• Taking extra care with images of minors.

Key Learnings

Myers and Waja ended their seminar with some valuable insights:

1. We have a responsibility to raise donation dollars - but we also have a responsibility as advocates, representing communities you work with in a way that maintains dignity and agency.
2. A content strategy that relies on eliciting feelings of fear, sadness, pity, or guilt can lead to shorter term, transactional relationships with your donors - and eventually a loss of trust from your donors and the communities you work with.
3. Consider who your donors are and where they come from; if they're member of communities you work with, how will they engage with the way you're representing them?
4. Your donors have changed; today many are looking for a values connection with the nonprofits they support; will the way you're representing communities you work with align with donor values?
5. Separate the crisis experience and the need from members of the community as individuals, with language that recognizes that although a crisis may last a long time, the crisis is not who that person is.
6. Engaging in responsible fundraising is not a choice against results.

Mo Waja is the Fundraising Strategies & Digital Integration Specialist for Blakely

Jess Myers is the Fundraising Content Officer, Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

This summary of the AFP webinar is by Ann Rosenfield. Any errors or omissions are my fault and are not a reflection on Mo and Jess's excellent presentation.