Storytelling Masterclass for Fundraising Copywriters, Marketers and Leaders (26-Feb-25)

Direct Mail
26 February 2025
10:00AM to 04:30PM

Storytelling has a vital role to play in almost all types of fundraising content: letters, emails, social media, case studies, newsletters and trust applications.

Standard Content

A good story well told has the power to engage, educate, inspire, and persuade like no other form of communication can. You can use storytelling techniques to win new supporters, increase donor value, improve retention, motivate staff and build your brand.

This practical and applied ‘live’ online course explores the essential elements, narrative stages and characters that create a compelling story. You will learn how to apply proven storytelling techniques such as audience-centricity, emotional drivers and visual language to great effect.

You’ll learn how you can use storytelling to make your fundraising appeals, campaigns and case studies more interesting and inspiring for your audience. You’ll understand what you need to do to create a great brand story, and how to apply storytelling at managerial and leadership level to achieve positive changes in people’s attitudes and behaviours

Who should attend?

The course will be ideal for any fundraising, marketing, or donor engagement professional who is responsible for garnering support, donations or cooperation. It would also be highly beneficial to departmental leaders, marketers and copywriters.

In just one inspiring and informative day you will learn:
  • How stories have been used historically to engage, educate and persuade
  • What makes storytelling such a powerful and persuasive method of communication?
  • How storytelling wins the hearts and minds of supporters
  • The key components that make a story engaging, compelling and persuasive
  • Why stories about failure and loss can sometimes be more effective than success stories
The role of Storytelling in fundraising
  • How to plan and plot your story so it is both engaging and persuasive
  • The role of the central character and how to choose the right one for your purposes
  • The fundamental components every story, presentation or copy should include
  • How to start and end your story so it leads your audience to your intended conclusion
How to create stories people will want to tell and hear
  • How to plan and plot your story so it is both engaging and persuasive
  • The role of the central character and how to choose the right one for your purposes
  • The fundamental components every story, presentation or copy should include
  • How to start and end your story so it leads your audience to your intended conclusion
Expert Storytelling tips that improve outcomes and results
  • How to apply emotional drivers in your appeal copy and stories
  • How to use internal representation to make your appeals more engaging
  • Expert narrative techniques that make your story more interesting, believable and memorable
  • What’s your story? Your chance to create your own personal or professional story
  • Group review of selected delegate and real-life charity’s stories

About your trainer

Paul Chuter F IDM

Paul is one of the UK’s leading communications practitioners. Since 1991, he has provided communications advice and copywriting to leading international business enterprises, not-for-profit organisations, government agencies, professional bodies and academic institutions. Paul has successfully trained staff from more than 300 UK charity sector organisations in effective copywriting techniques. His training is very ‘real-world’ and combines attitudinal approaches, practical techniques and best-practice methodologies that can be applied immediately in the workplace to achieve impressive results.

The live virtual training experience

The Chartered Institute of Fundraising's live virtual training is delivered by trainers who are leading experts in their chosen discipline. Each virtual course has been especially designed to deliver a rich virtual learning experience. Your course will feature:

Technology requirements

The course is being delivered via the online platform zoom. To enable you to interact with your tutor and your class you will need to have access to a microphone (or access to a landline phone) and ideally have a working video link via a camera. To test compatibility with your system, you can join a test meeting via this link https://zoom.us/test

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