What's Your Story?

Everyone's got a story to tell and lately in the nonprofit tech world, everyone seems to be telling others about, well, telling stories! And with good reason. Storytelling is one of the most effective ways for nonprofits to raise funds and raise awareness about their cause.

The power and popularity of storytelling is evident by sites like Stories for Change, an international community of digital storytelling facilitators and advocates. Users can connect with others, share tips and resources, announce events, and upload their own videos. Several hundred videos from around the world have already been submitted to the site. Other organizations like the Center for Digital Storytelling offer workshops and tools for creating digital stories.

Together, the Museum of the Person International Network (Brazil, Portugal, USA, and Canada), the Center for Digital Storytelling, and Stories for Change are putting together the first annual International Day for Sharing Life Stories. This will be an opportunity for individuals and groups worldwide to participate, whether it's gathering together in person or connecting via Websites, email, and virtual environments. Community organizations are encouraged to host events, collect stories, and/or share them online. Through this inaugural event, these organizations seek to gain broad recognition of May 16 as an annual day for sharing, listening to, and gathering the stories of people’s lives.

For more information, The International Day’s website has more information, including a list of events happening around the world and information on how to put together your own event.

Wondering how to go about telling a digital story? This TechSoup article has eight tips for success.

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