Session: From Rubbish to Rescue to Relationship: Fundraising Storytelling Reconsidered

Many hardworking fundraisers who believe in the power of storytelling, think we have to choose between two story types in fundraising:

1. Fact-heavy argumentation with “organisation as hero” stories.
2. Emotional “donor as hero” stories.

In this session, Julie Cooper and Jeff Brooks, explain why both of these models have serious flaws:

The first is simply rubbish – ineffective at raising funds. It’s irrelevant to donors.

The second, while it can be effective, often sets up an unhealthy “victim/rescuer” dynamic. It can lead to the “othering” and even belittling of beneficiaries.

Good news: There’s another way to tell stories in fundraising!

Recent research in psychology has uncovered the concept of “companionate love” – the human need to help those we are connected with. Instead of focusing on rescue narrative, we can create stories that encourage connectedness. This approach not only works to raise funds, there’s evidence that it leads to more donor engagement and retention than the “rescue” model.

Julie and Jeff will show you the remarkably easy ways to transform your stories to the relationship approach that changes the world, and helps donors better understand the work they fund.

Julie Cooper

Julie Cooper is a fundraising copywriter, designer, and consultant who specialises in helping nonprofits raise more money with donor comms from the heart. As founder of JB Cooper LLC (fundraisingwriting.com), Julie uses research from the new science of Philanthropic Psychology alongside established fundraising writing best practices. With her writing partner and spouse, Brett Cooper, Julie co-wrote the book Heartable Fundraising Writing. She also shares weekly tips in her popular Fundraising Writing Newsletter.

Julie has been a nonprofit president and board chair, and a consultant for organizations of all sizes. She's tutored in the Fundraising Copywriting program for the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy (UK), where she earned a certificate in Philanthropic Psychology with distinction. Join Julie and Jeff's session to learn how to go beyond the usual approaches and tell fundraising stories that inspire donors and support long-term giving.