YOU know your organization’s impact is powerful, but others might not (yet!).
One of your top duties is to explain it clearly to others who have no idea.
Whether you’re talking to potential donors, grant funders, or community members, having a concise, compelling way to tell your nonprofit’s story can be the difference between people signing up to help or – literally or figuratively – scrolling past you.
Let’s get into our 3-sentence framework to do just that:
In Sentence 1, answer: What’s the Problem?
Most people don’t know the full scope of the problem your nonprofit is working to solve – So, you’ve got to assume they are hearing about it for the first time.
Your first sentence should describe the need in your community using clear, accessible language paired with a compelling data point.
Here’s an example:
✅ In our county, 1 in 5 children go to bed hungry every night because their families cannot afford consistent meals.
In Sentence 2, answer: What are you doing about that problem?
Your second sentence should highlight how your organization is uniquely positioned to solve this problem.
What makes your approach effective?
Keep it focused on the outward-facing impact on the community, not your organization’s internal needs.
It might look something like this:
✅ Our nonprofit provides weekly grocery deliveries and nutrition education to over 500 families, ensuring kids have healthy meals at home.
In Sentence 3, answer: Who cares?
Data is powerful, but nothing helps people connect with your cause better than authentic stories.
In your third sentence, end with a short but emotionally-impactful example of someone your nonprofit has helped. This will really bring your mission to life and make it feel real.
For example:
✅ Like Mary, a single mom who told us that without our support, her son wouldn’t have the energy to focus in school.
Let’s Bring It All Together 🚀
Using this formula, here’s a complete three-sentence nonprofit story:
“In our county, 1 in 5 children go to bed hungry every night because their families cannot afford consistent meals. Our nonprofit provides weekly grocery deliveries and nutrition education to over 500 families, ensuring kids have healthy meals at home. Like Maria, a single mom who told us that without our support, her son wouldn’t have the energy to focus in school.”
Try It Yourself!
Take a moment to draft your own three-sentence story using this structure.
What’s your three-sentence nonprofit story?
Hit reply and share it with me!
