Most grantmakers require grantees to report back to them on the success – or lack thereof – of the programs they funded. But funders aren’t the only ones who need to know this information – your organization should be spreading the word about your accomplishments to donors, board members, staff, volunteers, and the public, as well. After all, don’t you want the whole world to know about the great work you do?

In some situations – the grant report, for example – listing facts and figures may suffice. But in most cases, you don’t want to just quote a bunch of dry statistics. You want tell others about your organization’s success in a personal, exciting way. You want to tell a story.

Like a good novel, you want your success stories to reel in the reader and keep him hooked until the very last word. Here are seven tips for storytelling that will keep readers interested, engaged, and enthused.

1. It’s Not All About You

Resist the temptation to blow your own horn too much. Yes, your organization does great work, but your stories should be about the beneficiaries of your work – the people you help, the animals you save, the land you protect. By putting your organization at the center of the story, you take away the focus on the ultimate results. Plus, it just sounds really conceited.

2. Details, Details, Details

Don’t just use generic language in your stories – paint a picture with words. Describe how things look, feel, sound, even smell and taste, if appropriate. Making the story as vivid as possible will help to involve the reader so much more than telling a bland tale.

3. Speak for Yourself

When you use dialogue, you bring your characters to life. The reader will feel like a fly on the wall, as though they’re observing the scene first-hand. Use a digital voice recorder when conducting interviews so that you can get direct quotes – it provides a dose of authenticity to the dialogue that paraphrasing just can’t offer.

4. Lay Off the Five-Dollar Words

It may be tempting to show off your command of the English language by using fancy words and elaborate sentence structure. Don’t – you’ll only put off your readers. Use straightforward language that’s easily read and understood. Still need to add a little interest? Local slang and expressions will add some “oomph,” not to mention establish common ground between the storyteller and the reader.

5. Tell Me How You Feel

You’re not just telling a story to take up some empty space on a page. You want the reader to really care about what’s going on in the story. So don’t be afraid to stir up some emotion. Use tips #2 and #3 to show how your characters feel. The result? Readers that pay attention, and will truly “get” the underlying message.

6. What’d You Say?

Speaking of underlying message, make sure the meaning of your story is clear. You don’t want readers scratching their heads afterwards, saying to themselves, “What was that all about?” Stick to the storyline, and don’t go off on any unnecessary tangents. An easy way to make sure you have a crystal clear message is to have someone else read your story, then ask them what they thought it meant. If they can do that in one or two sentences, you’re good to go.

7. Short and Sweet

Ever sat through a movie that’s too long? You either fall asleep, or start thinking about where you’re going to eat afterwards. Don’t make your readers suffer – keep your story just long enough to make your point. Give yourself plenty of time for editing so that you can weed out all the unnecessary words, phrases, and sentences. After all, you don’t want your reader to doze off right in the middle of your story, do you?

So the next time you’re faced with writing about your organization’s successes – whether it’s for an annual report, your web site, or a brochure – see what stories you can find and use them in your copy. And don’t forget to add photos, if appropriate.

A great story can show the world how your organization creates happy endings.

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