Who Knows Your Story?
This article was originally prepared and published for Retool Lab, a collaborative of experts focused on helping cultural, entertainment, private and public institutions regroup, reshape, and retool their strategies as a springboard for thriving into the future.
Co-authored with Rob Ferguson. The image on the left was generated using Dall-E, an artificial intelligence image generator.
Imagine you lead a nonprofit – a museum, or a service organization; doesn’t matter which. Let’s imagine it does interesting, even important, work. Of course you want to build awareness that will generate broad public interest in that work, build a community of supporters, and expand the pool of people who can become donors. You want people to think you’re really good at what you do – that you’re an expert; a leader in your field.
If that’s you, you know “the ask” is part of your job. But what about “the tell”?
A few years ago, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought a once-good, but now-lousy football team in a Welsh backwater that had been relegated to fourth tier status – almost as low as a professional football team in the UK can sink. What was the first thing they did to start the process of turning it around?
They told a story.
Their documentary series, “Welcome to Wrexham,” cultivates an image of two charming but bumbling actors with an audacious plan to rescue something important to this small city – “Green Acres” for a new age of viewers.
Their big money and fame didn’t instantly make the team into “something.” The documentary didn’t win them games. But telling the story renewed and strengthened the team’s association with its community, and broadened awareness about the projects they’d undertaken. It’s a story that is less about marketing football and more a deeper and personal story about marketing people, pubs, and places.
The story has allowed people from around the world to connect with the people of Wrexham. It has driven interest in the team, the city, and the sport, even among people who don’t give a lick about football.
And between the documentary and supporting social media, the story has attracted new sponsorship for the team, which has enabled the acquisition of new players and coaches who have rebuilt the team and won games.
Who knows the Wrexham story? Now, just about everyone.
A lesson for struggling nonprofits.
What could better storytelling have done for a place like the Ontario Science Centre? At a press conference in April 2023, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said “We’ve all grown up going to the Science Centre – it’s tired.” So he wants to uproot it and replant it as the anchor of a renewed Ontario Place.
That isn’t a bad idea if your view of museums is limited. To Ford, museums are places to visit. You go once or twice. If nothing changes, why go back? That’s the prevailing wisdom guiding most museums, but it’s old thinking.
But what’s “tired” about the Science Centre? The building? Their work? The concept? Maybe it’s their story that’s tired. If they don’t care about refreshing it, could it be that people are just tired of hearing the same thing?
When the kids were young we were members of the Science Centre. We went regularly. They have great attractions and exhibits. Our kids are now older, and we have no idea what goes on at the Centre. Why not? Where is the community outreach? The advocacy?
If past supporters of the OSC don’t know what’s going on, how can you blame the Premier for feeling the same way? The OSC hasn’t done a good job of telling its story, and telling the story of its importance to its community.
Cultural institutions that make a deep and meaningful connection to their location or their community can’t be moved. They become so closely knit to the fabric of the neighbourhood that the feedback loop created between venue and community powers all other kinds of economic development. Think about places like James Gate in Dublin – the Guinness brewery with its 9000 year lease. It defines the city.
This isn’t about galvanizing Science Centre members and supporters; it is absolutely about raising the awareness of the Science Centre and the impact of its thought leadership with non-supporters. How do you stay connected to people in between visits? How do you build connections with people who may never cross the threshold of your organization? How do you build community? Not doing anything to stay connected — clearly — isn’t a working strategy.
The OSC shouldn’t just be a place to visit. In an age when climate change underpins the public agenda, where is the story about what the Science Centre thinks about? What does it know? Is it a leader? Perhaps if people could stay connected to its intellectual leadership and a community coalesced around it, moving wouldn’t be a consideration. If its story was better known and appreciated, the location wouldn’t be an issue. Its brand would be strong enough to defend it from attackers.
How do you tell your story?
It seems like the $64,000 question, but it shouldn’t be.
Clearly define the mission of the organization. What is the brand you aspire to be?
Appoint board directors who are dedicated to – and knowledgeable about – communicating the expertise of the organization.
Put money and energy into telling stories. Documentaries. Podcasts. Books (yes, people still read).
This costs money and has a slow return on investment but it galvanizes community around your collection of stories. Your stories can only be told by you, and gives you an unbeatable platform for public relations and fundraising.
In 1888, the National Geographic Society claimed its purpose was “the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge.” How many people actually visit the Society’s museum in Washington? Very few, relative to the number who are closely connected to its work via Society magazines, books, and television shows. At the National Geographic Society, turnstiles don’t matter: their knowledge products do the real work of allowing explorers – real or imagined – to see and understand the world.
Another place that needs help is Scarborough General Hospital. Its fundraising is in the doldrums compared to other more prominent hospitals. The place looks hat-in-hand begging for donations instead of earning support. It’s like they’ve been relegated. They “ask” but don’t “tell.” No meaningful connections are being made with people in other parts of the city. Why should someone in East York support SGH when Michael Garron, Toronto General and St Mike’s also need support?
To be fair, the borough of Scarborough itself lacks definition. It’s always been lost in the megacity. And yet, people “from” Scarborough are generally proud of their roots. Their community hospital needs to demonstrate how intertwined the hospital is within its community. Lead from the front instead of begging from the back. Think of the amazing PR that could be created from a storytelling campaign that positions the importance a strong hospital plays in building a strong community.
I know that’s a bigger vision than your every-day, old-fashioned fundraising, but Scarborough General needs a Wrexham-like approach to building awareness and community, not another generic hospital marketing campaign. Instead of asking for the money the hospital thinks it deserves, SGH should put energy into proving just how important they actually are.
Sure, Wrexham AFC is a for-profit football club in another country. But they’ve proved how storytelling can help them earn promotion to the next tier. Maybe a similar approach could earn your organization a promotion as well.
About the authors
Robert Ferguson: Rob is a principal at Retool Lab (www.retoollab.com) where he helps clients understand their core strengths so they can tell a better story, connect audiences to their leading ideas, and position themselves as leaders in their field. His writing about brand and content strategy has helped senior leaders at museums, universities, government agencies, hospitals, and professional service firms develop authoritative narratives that articulate core values, mission, and key messages so they can reinforce core values; make the case for change; overcome obstacles; engage stakeholders in the lasting purpose of their organization.
Craig Swistun: Craig writes regularly about the charitable sector, both from the perspective of the charities themselves as well as the donor.
Craig Swistun is a Portfolio Manager with Raymond James Investment Counsel. The opinions expressed are those of Craig Swistun and not necessarily those of Raymond James Investment Counsel which is a subsidiary of Raymond James Ltd. Statistics and factual data and other information presented are from sources believed to be reliable but their accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
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