As a nonprofit, it's hard to make a difference in the community when your finances are holding you back. With Maxis by Freed Maxic, you can navigate complex challenges with the right people, processes, and technology. Learn more about Maxis and schedule a complimentary consultation at MaxisbyFM.com/nonprofit. Welcome back to the Nonprofit Hub Podcast. I'm your host Megan Speer. And joining me today is a practitioner in the field. So many times we have the vendors or the strategists or the consultants, but we're digging in today with Ariel Bateman, who's the Director of Development and Communications at For the Nations. So she's in the trenches, understands all of those pieces for development and communication and fundraising that our audience are all struggling with, so I'm excited to dig in with her today, specifically around the idea of four practices to improve your storytelling. It was a post that I had seen her do on LinkedIn, and I'm excited to dig into that with you today. So Ariel, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me, Megan. I'm really happy to be here. Yeah, it's my pleasure. So tell the audience a little bit about your journey, because having known you for a while, I do know you have been at orgs of all shapes and sizes, and something that I so appreciate about you is most people keep trying to, they have that upward trajectory. I'm going to keep going to bigger orgs and bigger orgs, and you, I think, have a really great history in all of them. There's no pretense to it. It's just where am I called to do the good work, and I love that about you. But tell the audience a little bit more about your journey and where you are right now. Sure, I love that you call that a journey because it really has been, and it's fun to look back and see how I've learned and grown as a result of each stop along the way. So right after college, I worked in a homeless rescue mission. I had nothing except one course in sociology, and so it was hands on learning on the job with people who were recovering from drug and alcohol addictions. And I supported the programs and some of the alumni related communications around that. Then after that, I moved to a larger organization called Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh, where I was working in development and communications with membership in the annual fund. So making sure that all the direct response fundraising was running smoothly, and that we were bringing new members in the door as well. And then from there, I moved to international justice mission, where our mission was to help protect people from human trafficking and other forms of violence internationally. So we were based in multiple countries and had the opportunity to work on a lot of the direct response efforts there, particularly with recurring donors, as well as some mid-level program work. Then after that, I moved to Fourth Nations, DC, which is a small local organization that's based in Northern Virginia that is focused on helping people who are our newest neighbors. So refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers in Northern Virginia to gain the English language skills that they need to thrive in their new home here. So I have had this incredible opportunity to work for a lot of different amazing causes and all different sizes or organizations. And honestly, I pinch myself. I'm like, I get to do this. I get to be here. I get to work with these amazing people. And one of the thing I want to call out is that I had the opportunity last summer to really trace this through line and say, well, I've always been in nonprofits. What about nonprofits? Do I find so attractive? And what am I really good at? Because sometimes we get so focused on doing the work that we don't have that time to step back and say, wait a second, what keeps drawing me here? And what I realized is that this through line of storytelling was present in my journey. So whether I was working in that direct response world, sending messages out to tens of thousands of people, or whether it was sending a message to one person or writing a proposal for a pretty significant gift, the same through line was there telling a story about what has happened about the problem about the present situation. And then about the future that is possible with the goal of encouraging people to engage because it's so easy for us to be discouraged when we look at the problem and to not see the possibility is there. And that is my heart is to paint the picture of what is possible and invite people to be part of that. Oh, I love that so much. And I am excited to dig into those pieces. One of the things that I think that maybe is going to be super appreciated by our audience is this idea that those of us who when we work in the trenches is a one man shop which you are now. Yes, in the trenches. And I've been there myself one man shop doing all the things. It's easy to idealize. Oh, if I just had one more person two more people if I had a staff that I could pass these off to. And it's easy to say the grass is definitely greener somewhere else. But I really appreciate that call out because it just shows that the work is the same regardless. Yes, right. There is the same things that work at a giant organization are also going to work at a tiny organization because they are just universal truth period. So I really appreciate that call out and just the context around it. Yeah, yeah, it is, it is the same work at the heart of it, which is connecting people with something that they're really passionate about and inviting them to be part of that change. Yeah, that's great. So the post that I saw from you on LinkedIn was four practices to improve your storytelling and these were the four that you called out it was stay hopeful. Be curious, focus on the people and own your story. So let's go through those a little bit. Tell me why you started with stay hopeful. Yes. Oh, I think that this is so important because at nonprofits, I really believe that nonprofits tend to attract people who are naturally more optimistic and who want to make a difference. But by working in a nonprofit, you're also face to face with the issues that you're working to help solve every day. So it is very easy to get overwhelmed by the problem or to be overwhelmed by what you don't have. Just like you were talking about, Megan, that the grass is always greener or you look at other organizations that might have more resources and sometimes you can feel like that holds you back. But we have to remember that we are here because we want to help make a difference. And we believe that a better future is possible for the people that we're serving for us as an organization. And for me personally, my faith as a follower of Jesus makes me believe that no matter how bad things look today, tomorrow can be better. So that's what makes me get up every morning and do what I do because I do believe that there is hope. And if you don't believe that there's hope, you might be burned out and you need to take time to take care of yourself. Yeah, that's a really great point. I mean, in general, it's so easy. It nonprofits to get burned out and to reach that point of hopelessness. So if somebody is maybe finding themselves in that moment, because I'm sure we've all been there. What is the, what would your advice be on how to take a step back and find that hope again? Yeah. I find that purpose again to yes, I think that there are a couple of different levels here and it probably varies depending on the degree of burnout. Maybe you're noticing you're just getting a little crispy and you have not prioritized that vacation time that you needed to. And so you just need to get away. Another thing you might need to do is take a step back. This is something that takes a little bit more time, but take a step back and ask yourself the questions of like, how did I get here? It can be easy in a situation of burnout. Like you said, a lot of us have gone through it. I've certainly gone through it to take a step back and say, how did I get here? Because it is easy for us to want to place blame on one particular thing. We might want to put all of the blame on ourself that this is just my fault. We might want to place all of the blame on another person or on the organization where we're working on or on some other reason. And I think that usually the answer is more complex. So to recognize the complexity of factors that might have led to the burnout. To take a step and say, what are the things that I can own and what I can be responsible and then to say, what do I need to do differently in the future? One thing that I have a problem with is I can just get so caught up in work is that I work more hours in the day than I should. So for me, I had to say, okay, I am going to shut down at a certain time. Or if I work longer one day, I'm going to work less the other days. And the scariest thing that I personally have done is told other people what my number of hours cap is that I want to work per week. And that's terrifying because you told people and you've asked to be held accountable. And the scary thing is they will hold you accountable, right? And so it doesn't mean we're going to do it perfectly every time. But I know for myself, I've said, this is one piece that I can own and do things differently because changing our behavior is not easy. But that's so important to protect us so that we can have those boundaries in place so we can focus on doing the things that bring us joy, which is crafting stories, which is connecting with people, which is serving a great mission. And it's hard to I mean, to when you're the person who is responsible for crafting those stories, if your lens is altered or shielded at this point by not being able to see the good anymore, then it's going to impact the storytelling. So definitely I so appreciate that's where you started this list. Because without that. Oh, yeah, everything's going to be tinged. Yes, and it will not only affect your storytelling, but it will affect the people around you. Whereas if you come back with enough juice in your tank, you have the ability to give away. Yeah, again. So second on the list then was be curious. Yes, which I think is an interesting point because most of us would say, especially if you hear someone who's been in a role for a while. I know everything there is to know I can talk about this organization in my sleep. I can write about it in my sleep. I can produce an annual report in my sleep, whatever the case may be. So where does that curiosity come in, especially for folks who've been around for a long time? Yeah, I think that there are a couple of different things that are at play with that. The curiosity is so important on an everyday basis, especially for people who work in development and fundraising because we are not working on programs all of the day. So for me, when I'm talking with my colleagues, everything could be a story. Maybe I get the blessing of getting a quote that day. Maybe it's just an offhand comment. And so to take those things out and say, wait a second, what does this tell about the work that we are doing? How could I use this story this week in talking with a donor or in crafting an email to a number of major donors? And so I do listen really carefully because there is a story everywhere. We just have to have eyes and ears to see it and hear it. I think something that's really important too is when we are dealing with client stories or the stories of other people that we are serving, there tend to be common trends in them. At International Justice Mission, there were often common factors that resulted in a situation of someone being trafficked or enslaved. When it comes to the work that I do working with refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers, there are a common set of reasons why they have come to the US to start a new life here. And so we have to be able to recognize those overall story arcs because we need to be able to quickly articulate with the problem is, and then with the solution is for people that we're talking to. But we also have to recognize the nuance in their story so that we can honor them so that we can see them as an individual. It can be easy to just do that broad brushstroke and miss the individual people with individual parts of their stories, individual joys and individual triumphs that are there. So it's about taking the time to slow down, just see that person to behold, that person, and to see if there are specific nuggets that you can call out with that individual. This also holds true with donors. When we're listening to donors tell the stories about why they have chosen to give, they're often giving for a variety of common reasons, but each of them have those nuances in their origin story. And if we don't listen to those nuances, we'll miss opportunities to tell stories that connect with their passions and interests. And then again, we will miss that opportunity to make an ask that really aligns with that specific interest that they have. So that's why it's so important to stay curious, to stay attentive to those details so that you do not miss the individual that's behind them. Maxis by Freed Maxic is an innovative financial advisory solution for nonprofits. Backed by over 60 full-time professionals dedicated to serving nonprofits, Maxis helps you address short-term talent needs and achieve long-term financial stability by letting you outsource and automate accounting tasks so that your team can focus more attention on mission-driven growth. Learn more about Maxis and schedule a complimentary consultation at MaxisbyFM.com/nonprofit. That is a fantastic segue to your point number three, which is to focus on the people. I feel like this is one of those points, duh, of course, make it about the people, right? But so often, I think we stuck in the trap where we want to talk about our organizations, right, and the broad brush. So talk to me about why you put focus on the people in there when it does, in theory, seems like it would be a no-brainer, but also clearly we needed the reminder. Yeah. It is hard because it's one of those fundraising 101 things. It is still pertinent. Still, we're on a daily basis. I catch myself when I'm writing copies. Sometimes I'll be like, "Wait a second, this needs to be about the donor. This needs to be about the people that they are hoping to help." Because there's nothing more than people like than stories that are about themselves, stories that are about other people. Social media isn't just a phenomenon because we have videos and things that are catch our eyes. It's because the end of the day, something like social media, it's just stories about people. It's about people putting themselves out there, and we find that endlessly fascinating. So it's important when we are putting together fundraising content to focus on the people. People love to hear about themselves. It's not one of those things that's selfish or it's just the way that we're wired. And so it is our job to tell people not only who they are, and that is the best version of their selves. The one that is compassionate, the one that is generous, the one that is kind, those key words. We know that people deeply resonate with. We also want to tell them about who they can be and who they can help because it's touching that deep level aspiration that they have. People want to make a difference. It doesn't have to be a big difference, but they want to know that they matter. They want to know that they can change things instead of being overwhelmed by something that's huge. They want to know that if I give something, it can actually help someone. And so they don't care as much about an organization or say about us as for the nations, even though we're people that work with some pretty amazing people, right? They're not there to help us. They're there to help the refugee who has been forced to flee their home from violence and who doesn't know people in Northern Virginia and who wants to learn English so that they can help their kids with school, so that they can get a job, so that they can feel connected in their community. So it's always our job to get out of the way. Instead of being a door that they have to pass through, we start a bridge that connects them directly with the people that we're looking to serve. So it's our job to get out of the way instead, pave the way so that they can be connected to the people that they care about. I love that. That's an excellent illustration. We had Matt Hussey from Generosity X on the podcast a couple weeks ago, and he was talking about crafting a story in a way that the audience can very clearly see their role in it. Yes. And giving them that image, here's how you fit in to whatever the problem is. Fill in the blank topic, totally fine, regardless. But how do we create that picture? Because I think to your point, far too often we get stuck in, if we're focusing on the people, it's the people that we're serving. There are other people involved. There are donors, there are people who are serving them, and those folks, their stories also deserve to resonate and be heard as we're looking to get the narrative out there. Yes, and that's a way to mobilize people who otherwise would not be engaged is to tell them a story, to get them to think about what they want to be, and to empower them to go and make that difference. Yeah, excellent, which leads you to point four. Yes. You own your story. Yes. So what does it look like individually for you doing the work, and then what does it look like to empower somebody to do that by partnering with any organization? Yes, so this starts with the personal practice of that storyteller, which is to accept the strengths and the weaknesses that you have and get to work. I think that this is a lifelong process. I think that this is one I particularly dealt with in the early part of my career, is we're shaped by what we believe about ourselves, about what we believe are good at, what we believe we're not good at, and we're shaped by how we choose to respond to those perceptions. So if we haven't acknowledged something is a weakness, we spend time trying to disguise it, we spend trying to deny it, or to prove it otherwise, most of all to ourselves, but secondly to others. There is so much freedom that comes when we recognize what our strengths are, and our weaknesses are, because then we can't simply accept them. We can get help where we need it, and then we can focus our attention and our energy on the people that we're working with, and the people whose story we're looking to tell. Something about a storytellers is we might not always be amazing with all of the details. And the sooner we accept that, the better. So that's something that I have to learn, and so for the operational geniuses that I had the opportunity to work with out throughout my career, I need them. Yeah. And they appreciate my storytelling in return. So that's just something that I have learned to be really grateful, and so that I can go to those folks and say, I so appreciate you. Thank you for that amazing gift that you have, and that frees me to focus my creative energies on telling these stories, so that I can be fully present with that person that I'm interviewing, that I can think about. How do I translate this story in a way that's going to resonate with my donor audience, who may have a few different motivations, so that I can think about the people who are receiving the story, what angle, and what component of the story might resonate with the most with them. It just frees me up to focus on that part of the work. I think that another thing that owning your story lets you stay humble, and so you're always learning. I had a situation recently where I was interviewing one of our students who was from the Congo, and he was having trouble understanding my open-ended questions. I was working with the translator as some of the questions I was asking were just a little bit hard for the limited English he has. And the translator looked at me a couple of times, and at the end he's like, don't ask questions like that. He just wants to answer your questions specifically. And so for me, in America, speaking with other native English speakers that has been told, ask open-ended questions, keep it open-ended, don't inject your bias. In that particular situation, that was not helpful for my friend who this English was, I believe his fourth language. So being mindful of nuance and always saying, you're like, I'm going to keep learning, I do not have this figured out, keeps us humble and helps us to grow more. I love that, and it's so interesting because there is that we want to give people the room to talk. We want to tell them some very story. But in a lot of situations, especially even people who are native English speakers, sometimes that's going to be hard for them, depending on what they've been through that has brought them to needing the services of your organization. That can be a real challenge. So that's a good thing to keep in mind to you. I can. Same thing applies to our donor sometimes too, is sometimes I can want to come up with a really incisive question that honestly, maybe they haven't thought about before. So it's about how do I ask questions that slowly open the box for them and help them to get to that point to understand their own story. So each person is so different. Yeah. So I'm curious, from your perspective, and I really appreciate all four of those points. So thank you for that. First of all, but from your perspective. When we talk about telling those stories, there are at this point, probably more communication platforms to be able to tell those stories than there ever have actually just had a conversation that was asked to speak to a group of folks who are graduating from college with communications degrees, and I said to them, look, I am old enough to remember. So when I graduated from college with my communication PR degree, there was no social media. Not exist. I have built my career off of a platform that I couldn't have learned in college because it wasn't there. And they're all like, whoa, yeah, I am that old. So across social media channels, we're still doing direct mail and we're still doing short form video and long form video and we're still doing email and we're still on our websites. There are so many options. So yes, somebody in a role like yours who has, you know, you're gathering the stories, you have a great story to tell. Talk to me a little bit about your process for deciding where stories go and how, because the platform is going to matter as well for how those messages get out there. So how do you go about deciding that? Yeah, that's a good question. And it, I think it's something I think about often because as a very small organization, I have a very finite amount of time. So we're going from a big organization to a very small organization has helped me to be more strategic because I do not have the luxury to be able to post on all the platforms. It actually forces me to say, where are my people and where will this message make the biggest impact. As funders, years, we know that the people who are most important to us are the ones we already have. Yeah. So where are my donors already and where am I likely to find the most people and where do I have an existing following that I can build off of. So for me, I am focusing on email on so on mass email and then focusing on those one in one donor communications, which could be email, which could be text, which could be over the phone in addition to sharing messaging front of a church audience. I'm also focusing on my personal social channels, because I'm linked in, I have more followers in our organizational channel does, and working on boosting our executive director's personal channels, because we did not have a person who was doing social media in the past. So we are starting from the ground up. So for me, I'm saying I'm going to focus in a few different places right now and build up from that because we're again, we're very small. I want to focus on a few platforms where I can do that well so that we can grow. That's some wisdom right there, because you don't have to be everywhere. Right. I think that's something that we as marketers, it's easy to chase the flash in the pan. The newest platform, the bright and shiny, if you will, but actually taking time to be thoughtful and strategic about where your people are, I think, is some great wisdom. As people are taking all of these storytelling tips, right, it doesn't have to be on every platform. We don't have to go after every possible outlet for our messaging. If we're being thoughtful about where it goes, then the story is going to be more impactful. Absolutely. Absolutely. Because we have to ask ourselves, what is the biggest bang for our buck? Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Especially when we're working with limited budget, limited time, we've got to be smart about that. Yes. Yes. And when we're having both the mass fundraising and then grant fundraising, one-on-one donor fundraising, you have to ask that question. I think it's a good one because it makes us work smarter and harder. Nice. That's great. So as we wrap up, first of all, super grateful for you being on today and sharing this wisdom with us. I think it's going to be really encouraging to a lot of our folks. If you had to leave folks who are similar to you in that you're one person shop, taking care of all of the things for development and communications, if you had to leave them with one piece of encouragement, today, what would that be? My goodness. I think that my one piece of encouragement would be continue to focus on the relationships that frees us up from the kind of the overwhelming pressure, right, that we can feel sometimes as fundraiser to bring in all the things. It also frees us from that temptation to look at relationships as transactional and instead to see the people first. So to say, if I focus on the people, that's what's most important as being a human, right? That is what's most important in moving the needle for our organization. I love that. Ariel, thank you so much. This has been excellent. Really appreciate you sharing. Again, my guest today has been Ariel Bateman, who's the director of development and communications at For the Nations. So thank you so much for joining us. Glad to have you here. Thank you so much, Megan. This has been a blast. Excellent. Thank you so much. Thank you for joining us. We will see you next time on the nonprofit hub podcast. [MUSIC] [BLANK_AUDIO]
