Non-profit Case Stories and How to Use Them

July 17, 2024

by Juan M. Jimenez

Have you considered how a real-life success or case story could inspire more people to seek your help or attract potential donors? Here are some tips and insights on how to effectively use nonprofit case stories to maximize their impact.

Case Stories | What Are They?

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Case stories enhance the impact of a compelling client story by incorporating relevant data. By seamlessly blending emotional and informational elements, the story’s reach can be expanded while maintaining a strong connection to the protagonist.

Nonprofits often choose individuals or families they have aided to demonstrate the effectiveness of their services. Unlike case studies, case stories prioritize storytelling, while reinforcing it with data to present a comprehensive perspective.

How to put nonprofit case stories together

The success of your case stories will rely heavily on the story and the subject matter that you choose. So, there are a few key elements that you’ll have to look for when deciding which story to use. Here are a few examples:

The story and subject should be a direct representation of what you do.
The original situation of the people involved should be similar to many of the people you help.
The person will allow you to use their story and interview them.
The people involved will be comfortable talking about their stories.
The audience will be able to relate to/connect with the person and the story.
Note that non-profit case stories can also be of animals, places, events, and impact.

The story you pick may not necessarily be the most dramatic one, but the one you think represents your work the best.

What to do

Interview your client about their whole story and use quotes. It doesn’t matter if you know it perfectly. Pay attention and some new useful quotes may appear.
Tell their entire story. Where were they before they came to you? What made them come to you? What were their goals and needs? How did you meet those goals and satisfy those goals?
Add data. This will strengthen the story and will connect it with the bigger picture of your organization’s impact. How would this work apply to the rest of your community? Was this story a result of one of your programs? Are there any more success stories like this one? How did donations help make this a reality?

Videotape: A picture is worth 1000 words when it comes to case stories. Here are a few of our favorite video stories from around the world.