*All training times are Eastern United States.

There is growing support inside the social sector for the idea that telling personal, deeply human stories is an essential part of creating change. At the same time, storytelling can be resisted as a practice by staff and advocates who often view it as inherently victimizing to already marginalized communities. Part of the problem is a tension we don't talk about enough: research shows that evoking pity is more likely to raise money for short-term goals and services, but it's also more likely to more deeply embed stereotypes that make long-term social and policy change more difficult. As organizations wrestle with how to tell stories in an impactful and ethical way, what's clear is that social service organizations on a whole aren't doing enough to put users of services and the people most affected by any given issue in the driver's seat when it comes to framing and sharing their own stories.

In this training, we'll look briefly at what the research says and discuss tangible strategies organizations can take to partner with people who use their services to shape the stories they tell both about individuals and about broader policies. This 2-hour training will take place over Zoom; you will receive an email with the link after you register.

Who should attend? This training is a great primer to start thinking about your organization’s storytelling practices and identifying areas you may want to explore further with your team. It’s perfect for:

• Front-line and service-delivery staff wrestling with how to find and share stories;

• Communications and development team members responsible for telling stories to external audiences;

• Staff who share stories as part of their policy work; and

• Any team members responsible for shaping storytelling culture and policy.

*The registration fee is per person. If you’d like to register more than one person from your organization, please enter the number of people you are registering in the “quantity” field below.