There is no doubt that video storytelling is the most powerful tool to get up close and personal with your supporters.

You can effectively communicate your mission and mandate by telling a story of someone (or animal) that benefits from your organization's work. That testament is an effective moment to ask for a donation, whether it’s from a celebrity or from the subject themselves.

To help you get started with your video storytelling here are 12 simple rules to follow:

1. It’s about characters, not about the wonderful things that you do for people or the planet. People want to identify with individuals (although they may be PEOPLE or ANIMALS). Tell your stories through the prism of living, breathing creatures.
2. Your subjects may not always have a happy ending. What matters is that they tried and they did their best. We admire someone for trying more than their success.
3. Themes and big ideas are important, but what appeals to an audience is the personal story. All stories have individuals and their struggles in the foreground, but the complex ideas and themes are woven into the background.
4. Once upon a time, there was ___________. Every day, _______ happened. One day, ______ came along to help. Because of that, _______ happened. Until finally, ________ happened, and things got better.
5. Keep it short. You don’t have to tell the whole story of your organization to get the mission across. A person’s story and experience may be enough.
6. Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard. Get yours working up-front.
7. Putting it on paper allows you to start fixing it: If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone.
8. Let your subjects speak for themselves. People always trust information coming from the source.
9. What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the subject. The stakes have to be high for us to root for them and the cause they represent.
10. No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come back around to be useful later. Some stories might not fit now, but they might fit into a campaign later. Know when to let go.
11. What’s the essence of your story? What is the most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there. Break your story into one statement that encapsulates everything you need to say about both your subjects and the mission of your organization.
12. When you finally get to weaving your story, be succinct. Lean on your subject to tell their own story (in their own words) efficiently and capture the attention of the audience. People stop listening after a minute or two. Keep it short but powerful!

You can view some examples of video storytelling here.

Michael Johnston is the President and founder of the global fundraising consultancy, Hewitt and Johnston Consultants and the co-founder of two global fundraising products: The Global Legacy Giving Group and the event-based Beyond Fundraising.  He has been a fundraiser for 25 years, and has worked with 100’s of nonprofit organizations in Canada, the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific.