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Will Cocktail Stories Work Without Cocktails?
nonprofit management tips

If you’ve ever been to a cocktail party, you know the value of a good story. And if you want to reach the largest generation in history, make it a good, detailed one.

Get specific about impact, rather than the details of your organization, to attract the attention of millennials, according to Cheryl Stein, vice president of marketing with Ruffalo Noel Levits, a marketing and research firm serving education and fundraising clients nationally.

Telling a story that show’s your organization’s results will make your message more personal and more effective, said Stein during a presentation to participants at the National Catholic Development Conference in National Harbor, Md.

What, exactly, can stories do? A lot, according to Stein.

Stories force you to be more specific. Stories can more clearly show the impact of an action and can connect your reader to your school and programs.

And, perhaps most notably, stories are more apt to be shared.

So, focus on the impact a donor’s gift will have — and illustrate the impact through a story and images. “Millennials support issues, rather than organizations,” Stein said.