You’ve finetuned your fundraising priorities, identified the most suitable funders, and pulled together compelling funding proposals – but why are funders still saying no? Often, the answer lies not in what you do, but how you’re telling your story.

Time and time again, we see excellent organisations struggle to meet their fundraising targets because they’re unable to communicate their narrative across multiple platforms clearly. This inconsistency limits funders’ ability to understand how their core purpose, target beneficiaries, and impact areas interconnect, isolating them from the funding they need and deserve.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the art of storytelling, considering key aspects of successful storytelling for you to implement in your own efforts and utilise diverse communication channels to your advantage.

S → Streamline your Story

When considering how well your organisation is telling its story, looking at the flow from your mission, vision, and values to your areas of work is a strong starting point. Potential funders want to see that the work taking place is a direct response to the initial challenges that catalysed your organisation’s establishment. It’s important that these challenges, as well as the core purpose of your organisation’s work, haven’t become diluted by the breadth of your delivery areas. Ultimately, funders want to see your core purpose reflected throughout your daily outputs, raising no questions about the work being done and how it aligns with your mission, vision, and values. 

Therefore, it’s essential to consolidate these fundamental concepts. An organisation without a mission statement to guide its work lacks clarity and direction, which doesn’t make for a particularly fundable proposition. Like a boat without an anchor, you’re more likely to drift from one opportunity to another, taking a reactive rather than systematic approach to project design, beneficiary engagement, and funding applications. Your mission statement, however, grounds your narrative to its purpose, keeping you steady and ensuring that every aspect of your work responds to your core reason for existence. 

Closely linked to this, clarifying your values enables you to carry out work that feels authentic, genuine, and aligns with your organisational goals. Consider what kind of philosophy or culture you want to embed, both internally (within your team) and through your outreach work – what key words epitomise this ethos, and how can you put them into practice? 

Envisioning the kinds of improvements you want to see in your communities or the world more generally, and being able to articulate these clearly, is equally important. Think of your vision as the hypothetical, ideal scenario in which you’ve brought your mission to life – considering it in this way demonstrates why it is just so important to consolidate throughout your storytelling endeavours. Your values, mission, and vision need to steer your outputs and, as I’ll touch on, dictate the types of impact data you gather to demonstrate the value of your work. 

T → Theory of Change

A Theory of Change document provides a framework to articulate how, and why, a desired change is expected to happen in a particular context. It provides direction by identifying your long-term goals and breaking these down into tangible, actionable steps. This document considers what conditions need to occur in order to bring about the change you wish to see, creating a chain of events that map out the exact steps and outputs that, if followed, will achieve this impact. 

Creating a Theory of Change is an effective way to root your work and future goals in your mission, vision, and values. The impact and outcomes you want to effectuate are the direct antithesis to the challenges that brought your organisation into existence, and your Theory of Change provides a methodology that will take you there. Not only does this create Key Performance Indicators to streamline your impact monitoring and evaluation processes, but it is also an incredibly useful way to streamline your story across all platforms.

Some funders request a copy of your Theory of Change document during the application stage, or at least ask you to break down the steps you’ll take to bring your mission and vision into reality. Consider using this template to structure your Theory of Change with clarity, provide direction as to the areas of work you engage in, and demonstrate how your delivery is rooted in your core purpose: 

O → Online Presence

Time and time again, many organisations in the sport for development sector are underutilising online communications to tell their story and reach a wider audience. Platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and Facebook provide opportunities to tell your story. They’re free to access, enable you to connect with a wide audience, and are relatively easy to navigate. 

While the importance of a streamlined, effective website is unequivocal, a significant proportion of organisations are either neglecting their social media sites or simply don’t have them in the first place. This is despite many funders, particularly trusts and foundations, asking applicants to provide links to their LinkedIn and any other social media they may use. From a funder’s perspective, a strong online presence indicates that you’re actively connecting with stakeholders, and so they often want to see proof of this. They’re interested in understanding how you talk about your work, your commitment to keeping your beneficiaries, local communities, and the wider sector informed, and the methods you use to articulate your impact. In addition to demonstrating that your organisation is active and engaged with your community, it indicates that you take the time to report on your work and, if done well, identify the most compelling stories and impact data to evidence the changes you’re making. As a result, it shows transparency, encourages credibility, and builds trust between your organisation and potential funders. 

We suggest using your online platforms to promote your key activities and celebrate your impact. Share case studies (anonymising if and when necessary), testimonials, and impact data to spread the word about your work, raise awareness of the challenges you’re addressing, and show funders that you have the means to articulate and report on your activities. The content on your website should be consistent with the proposals you’re submitting, in terms of data, statistics, areas of work, and organisational information – discord here is an instant warning sign for funders. 

Due diligence checks from prospective funders and partners aren’t limited to your website; they often access LinkedIn and other social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook. We recommend you prioritise LinkedIn due to its professional networking, learning and development, and visibility opportunities. However, Instagram and Facebook can increase outreach further, connecting you to a wider audience and diversifying the demographics of your stakeholders. 

Checklist for success:

• Beneficiary voices, with appropriate permissions and safeguarding precautions

• Staff spotlights that bring to life the expertise and passion driving your work

• Visual impact data that uses infographics, photos, and videos to connect with audiences

• Milestone celebrations that show progress towards impact goals, keeping stakeholders up to date with your work

• Thought leadership on sector challenges to show awareness and contribute to wider discussions

Red flags to avoid:

• Long gaps between posts, as they suggest inactivity and break down communication flow

• Prioritising quantity over quality in your communications – every post should have a clear meaning and purpose

• Generic stock images which are disconnected from your work and indicate you haven’t gathered your own visual impact data

• Heavy jargon or academic language that is inaccessible and unappealing to the average reader

• Posting without engagement, such as responding to comments and engaging with other organisations 

R → Real-Life Examples 

Storytelling efforts can only go so far without hearing the voices of the people you work with. As discussed in our recent blog, Fundraising Readiness: Measuring and Reporting on Impact, gathering case studies, testimonials, and other qualitative data that bring your work to life is crucial in articulating your case for support and demonstrating the ongoing value of your work. Leading your storytelling efforts with emotive, person-centred stories, whether via online communications on your website and social media or throughout proposal writing, builds a bridge between funders, stakeholders, and your beneficiaries. 

Many organisations in the sport for development sector engage with beneficiaries experiencing marginalisation and whose voices may otherwise be overpowered – including children and young people, those from minority backgrounds, and people living in low-income areas where opportunities to contribute to decision making are scarce. By harnessing the power of people-centred stories, you not only amplify previously unheard voices but also demonstrate a commitment to equality and inclusion that potential funders will identify. 

Moreover, emotive storytelling enables you to connect on a deeper level with potential funders. It builds compassion by focusing on the human element of your work, identifying the real lives you change and linking real, human experiences to quantitative data and impact statistics. This makes for more compelling funding applications by adding another dimension to your writing. Additionally, it provides evidence that you’re bringing your vision to life, especially when beneficiaries can describe their experiences before, during, and after engaging with your organisation. 

I → Impact

Impact reporting, therefore, is closely linked to your storytelling efforts. By creating impact reports, you transform concepts and ideas into tangible, credible evidence of success. Impact reports are more than just internal documents or essential components of funders’ reporting processes – they’re powerful storytelling tools that show transparency, build trust, and enhance your fundability. 

Funders don’t just want to know what you’re doing – they want to see the changes that have occurred as a result of your work. Through statistics (e.g., engagement levels, direct pre- and post-participation comparisons), case studies, and testimonials, impact reports show the difference your work is making. This builds confidence amongst funders that your organisation will deliver on all objectives, making you an attractive investment opportunity to actualise their own philanthropic priorities. 

Therefore, impact reports are crucial elements of an organisation’s storytelling efforts. They provide real-life examples of your vision coming to life, data to back up your claims, and authenticity that builds depth and credibility between your organisation, your stakeholders, and current/prospective funders. Linking your impact reports to your Theory of Change is an incredibly effective way to demonstrate that your organisational outputs and key activities are making your mission and vision a reality, while highlighting how you embed your core values across all areas of delivery. You’re able to show the connecting thread between the reasons as to why your organisation was established and the tangible outcomes and long-term impact of your work on the communities you support. This is the foundation of strong, effective storytelling and demonstrates why solid and methodical impact reporting goes hand-in-hand with this. 

E → Engagement

A key element of storytelling, and one that you may not have previously considered, is engagement. We’ve already discussed how you can enhance and diversify your communications with stakeholders and funders, but what about your engagement with the wider sector? 

Being able to demonstrate your unique contribution to the sector(s) you’re working in is crucial in highlighting the importance of your work and why funders should support you. Having awareness of what’s going on in the wider sector, not only in sport for development but also in other spaces you engage in (youth work, education, disability rights, and social inclusion), shows your knowledge, expertise, and experience. It enables you to adapt your work to fill unmet gaps in provision and, as a result, demonstrate your bespoke ‘value add’. 

Along a similar vein, engaging with the wider sector tells funders that you’re willing to engage in collaborative work with like-minded organisations. For many grant-making organisations with limited budgets, investing in partnership work is an effective way to spread resources more widely and increase the likelihood that they’ll receive the return on investment that they desire – not in a monetary sense, but in actualising their philanthropic mission. 

Our engagement recommendations:

• Join relevant sector networks and alliances, such as StreetGames network and the Sport for development coalition.

• Participate in sector events by attending webinars, presenting at conferences, and collaborating on research and evaluation projects.

• Share learning openly and widely by publishing case studies, contributing to sector reports, and offering input into discussions.

• Support sector consultations by commenting meaningfully on updates and policy developments.

• Nurture relationships with complementary organisations as well as competitors – for example, by engaging with their posts to build a rapport

S → Style

Finally, it’s worth taking some time to reflect on the style and tone of your storytelling endeavours. Whether in your website communications, social media updates, impact reports, or funding applications themselves, clarity is key. You know your organisation inside and out, and it can be easy to forget that people who are new to your organisation may need a little helping hand to get to know who you are, what you do, and why you exist. 

We recommend reviewing your different communication streams, perhaps engaging an external consultant to analyse the clarity of your storytelling efforts and pinpoint areas for improvement. This will enhance fundraising efforts – when funders access your documents and online platforms to get to know your work on a deeper level, they’ll be able to retrieve the information they need and build a more comprehensive understanding of your organisation. 

This is why essential elements of your storytelling approach, such as streamlining your communications, creating a Theory of Change, and consolidating your impact data through effective impact reporting, are so interlinked. Not only do funders need to see a causal flow from problem → activities → outcomes → impact, but they want to understand this easily, without ambiguity and having to ask additional questions. This increases your position as an investable funding prospect, making you competitive against the dozens, if not hundreds, of other applicants. As a result, it unlocks new funding opportunities, partnerships, and authentic relationship building with a range of potential funders who may support your work. 

Not only is clarity essential, but catering your tone to different audiences is a proven way to enhance your communication streams:

• Corporate partners → professional but human → focus on measurable outcomes, return on investment, and the quality vs quantity of impact

• Trust funders → passionate but credible → emphasise impact, learning, and wider sector contributions.

• Individual donors → emotive and personal → leverage beneficiary stories, case studies, and visual impact data.

Conclusion 

Your story is your most powerful fundraising asset—but only if it's told well. Taking a planned, methodical approach to how you tell your organisation’s story is a vital step in becoming fundraising-ready. Clearly demonstrating the connection between the challenges that led to your organisation’s creation, the work you do to address those challenges, and the impact you achieve is crucial for fundraising success. Communicating this narrative clearly and concisely—while ensuring consistency across multiple platforms—is no small task. However, by applying the guidance in this blog and setting aside time to review and refine your current storytelling efforts, you can strengthen your organisation’s position in the sport for development sector and unlock new funding opportunities.

What's next?

• Assess your fundraising readiness with our free Fundraising Readiness Tool - it will help you identify where your storytelling is strong and where it needs development, as well as all six fundraising readiness pillars.

• Review your current communications - take 30 minutes to look at your website, social media, and recent funding applications through fresh eyes. Is your story clear, consistent, and compelling?

• Develop your Theory of Change - if you don't have one, this should be your priority. It provides the narrative backbone that connects everything else.

Written by Lucy Wilkes