Why I Nonprofit – Part 1

What was I thinking???

When I launched my new brand, storytelling, and marketing advisory practice a couple of months ago, I chose to focus primarily on helping nonprofits.

Why?

Wouldn’t for-profits seem like a more lucrative focus?

Perhaps.

But stop for a moment. Imagine a world without nonprofits.

Think of all the vital services that would not exist. Healthcare. Housing. Therapy. Job training. Food. Legal aid. Education. Climate change mitigation. Clean water and air. Scientific research. Civil rights. And so much more.

Nonprofits are absolutely critical to uplifting our friends and neighbors in our community who, due to circumstances beyond their control, are struggling, suffering, and need our help.

We have an opportunity, and in my opinion, an obligation, to help each other. To level the playing field. To ensure a minimum standard of living and opportunity for all in our society.

All of us go through highs and lows in life. At our highs, it’s easy for us to lend support to others in need. At our lows, WE are those people in need, and nonprofits are there to HELP US TOO.

Nonprofits do remarkable, indispensable work. They toil to make a better world for all of us.

Yet, they constantly struggle to gain the support they need to achieve this.
Why? And how can we help?

I believe part of the solution is simply better storytelling.

A good story underscores the emotional stakes and viscerally conveys the WHY. It immediately compels people to empathize with those in need, and to naturally want to help.

I’ve devoted my whole career to storytelling—identifying and conveying an organization’s WHY clearly and compellingly. Now I want to help nonprofits tell those stories, win the hearts of people who want to help, and grow their social impact.

This is part of the reason I nonprofit.

(Yes, I just created a verb—to nonprofit. Please feel free to use it.)

In Part 2, I’ll explain the other reason nonprofits are so important to me personally. Stay tuned for that story.