Telling your story

Rafael Barahona, Founding Partner and CEO of Lightbox, an award-winning design agency, and Jordan Kauffman, Founding Partner and COO of Lighbox, spoke to the Anabaptist Community Development Network, about how to best tell your story as a nonprofit. 

Highlights of the virtual meeting include: 

• Put your audience at the center of the story: Using the StoryBrand framework, your organization plays the role of "guide," not the hero. Your messaging should position your donors, volunteers, and community members as the ones on the journey, with your organization helping them succeed.
• Personas make your messaging more effective: Simple personas for your key audiences (donors, volunteers, etc.) that include their goals, fears, habits, and relationship to your organization, can lead to more targeted, relatable communication.
• Tailor your message to the channel and the audience: The core message stays consistent, but how you say it should shift. A social post, a donor email, and a phone call each call for different emphasis. Start with the strategy and key points first, then adapt the delivery to fit the channel.
• Use AI thoughtfully, not blindly: Free AI tools come with tradeoffs in data privacy and security. Consider paid tools for sensitive information, and write specific (not generic) prompts using the personas to help AI better understand your audience and goals. Even an informal AI use policy is helpful in providing guide rails for employees.

Downloadable resources from the speakers are available at their website.