What do you think?
Rate this book
Storytelling: The Secret Sauce of Fundraising Success
Good news! There is a newer Second Edition available on Amazon at
Stories have been written, printed, blogged, shared, discussed, debated, and passed down through the generations. Why? Because people have an incredible appetite for stories. Stories trigger a physical response in the same way a delicious meal satisfies. Nonprofit organizations have amazing stories to share — stories of perseverance, fortitude, and generosity. Stories give nonprofits a way to stand out in a world that gets noisier every day, where people are looking for ways to find meaning and connection. Great stories engage donors and raise more money. Scientific evidence confirms good storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to engage stakeholders and influence behavior. Stories raise awareness, change behavior, and trigger generosity. Facts and logic are not nearly as persuasive as a good story. Stories penetrate our natural defense systems and become more compelling and memorable. As a result, great stories can be very powerful. But what makes a great story? What ingredients engage the audience and have an impact? What flavors will spark the appetite and make the mouth water? There are some ingredients that are essential. You just can’t make a good sauce (or gravy as my grandfather called it) without tomatoes. Like a good meal, storytelling can be delicious if it is executed with a bit of strategy. It requires planning the meal, choosing and collecting the right ingredients, and then sharing the meal with the right people, in the right setting, and at the right time. With the right recipes, you will use stories to engage stakeholders and increase gifts to your organization. In the chapters of The Secret Sauce of Fundraising Success, you will find the recipes to become a storytelling gourmet! Winner of the BookAuthority’s 2020 Best Fundraising Books of All Time Award BookAuthority, which collects and ranks the best books in the world, named The Secret Sauce of Fundraising Success among the best fundraising books of all time. Table of Contents
Foreword Introduction Chapter One
The Introduction to Delicious Stories Chapter Two
The Recipe for the Secret Key Ingredients for a Good Story Chapter Three
Shopping for the Perfect Finding Your Stories Chapter Four
Serving up the Entré Sharing Your Stories Chapter Five
Variations on the Adding Spice to Your Stories Chapter Six
The Side The Many Ways Stories Can Be Served Chapter Seven
The Kitchen Navigating Change with Storytelling Chapter Eight
The Sweet Success Stories Conclusion
Check Please! Summary and Additional Resources Appendix A
Story Collection Form Appendix B
Sample Consent Form Appendix C
Storytelling Culture Assessment Form Appendix D
Resources
Stories have been written, printed, blogged, shared, discussed, debated, and passed down through the generations. Why? Because people have an incredible appetite for stories. Stories trigger a physical response in the same way a delicious meal satisfies. Nonprofit organizations have amazing stories to share — stories of perseverance, fortitude, and generosity. Stories give nonprofits a way to stand out in a world that gets noisier every day, where people are looking for ways to find meaning and connection. Great stories engage donors and raise more money. Scientific evidence confirms good storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to engage stakeholders and influence behavior. Stories raise awareness, change behavior, and trigger generosity. Facts and logic are not nearly as persuasive as a good story. Stories penetrate our natural defense systems and become more compelling and memorable. As a result, great stories can be very powerful. But what makes a great story? What ingredients engage the audience and have an impact? What flavors will spark the appetite and make the mouth water? There are some ingredients that are essential. You just can’t make a good sauce (or gravy as my grandfather called it) without tomatoes. Like a good meal, storytelling can be delicious if it is executed with a bit of strategy. It requires planning the meal, choosing and collecting the right ingredients, and then sharing the meal with the right people, in the right setting, and at the right time. With the right recipes, you will use stories to engage stakeholders and increase gifts to your organization. In the chapters of The Secret Sauce of Fundraising Success, you will find the recipes to become a storytelling gourmet! Winner of the BookAuthority’s 2020 Best Fundraising Books of All Time Award BookAuthority, which collects and ranks the best books in the world, named The Secret Sauce of Fundraising Success among the best fundraising books of all time. Table of Contents
Foreword Introduction Chapter One
The Introduction to Delicious Stories Chapter Two
The Recipe for the Secret Key Ingredients for a Good Story Chapter Three
Shopping for the Perfect Finding Your Stories Chapter Four
Serving up the Entré Sharing Your Stories Chapter Five
Variations on the Adding Spice to Your Stories Chapter Six
The Side The Many Ways Stories Can Be Served Chapter Seven
The Kitchen Navigating Change with Storytelling Chapter Eight
The Sweet Success Stories Conclusion
Check Please! Summary and Additional Resources Appendix A
Story Collection Form Appendix B
Sample Consent Form Appendix C
Storytelling Culture Assessment Form Appendix D
Resources
112 pages, Paperback
Published April 25, 2019
4 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 12, 2025
It’s a book that gives an brief overview of several truly important points.
However, it could have been written as a “six-page memo” like Bezos.
It gets a bit boring; when you think of a book about storytelling, you expect it to really hook you.
However, it could have been written as a “six-page memo” like Bezos.
It gets a bit boring; when you think of a book about storytelling, you expect it to really hook you.
Displaying 1 of 1 review