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How to tell your charity’s story: In conversation with Matt Mahmood-Ogston

It comes up all the time, how do you know what stories to tell? In this blog, Katie spoke to Matt Mahmood Ogston, a social impact photographer, storytelling consultant and LGBTQ+ activist, to understand the importance of telling the right stories for your charity.

Matt is CEO of Matt and Naz Foundation, a charity born out of the loss of his late partner Naz, and a desire to make social change for isolated LGBTQ+ individuals. The charity challenges religious and cultural homophobia and provides support to LGBTQ+ people from conservative backgrounds. Watch Matt’s moving documentary here.

Through his work as a charity CEO, Matt began to see the distinct value of long form documentary in the current, fast paced media landscape. He noticed the importance of taking the right tone in potential donor communications, be that on social media, in television advertising, or in email communications. The stories you tell are as important as their tone.

You’ve seen it a million times, that devastating advert depicting a suffering or inequality that tugs at the pit of your stomach. This form of advertising uses guilt as its call to action. It might work, but it does not create a lasting sense of hope that donations will make a difference. This is where Matt’s advice on storytelling comes in.

Showcasing your charity’s value is as simple as applying hope to your stories. Tell the story of survivors (not solely victims) and highlight the “transformation” that has come about as a result of generous donations. Focus on personal stories of betterment- where they were, and where they are now.

But vitally, you, the charity, are not the hero of this survivor’s success story. Your audience of donors are. By positioning your audience as the hero, you create a sense of positive action and drive to support your campaign, and people will see the benefit and reward of their generosity.

So, what stories should you be telling?

Matt pointed out that it’s about how “one person can share an experience of what happened [to them]” and understanding how it can be “converted it into a story”. Think about conversations you’ve had, sitting around a table, hearing a story from a friend or family member, ask yourself what makes a good story? What is it that keeps you listening? And more importantly, what aspects of someone’s storytelling leave you drifting off?

…it’s about how “one person can share an experience of what happened [to them]” and understanding how it can be “converted it into a story”- Matt Mahmood-Ogston

Matt shared that stories are ultimately comprised of frameworks. And in the case of stories told by charities, it has to be a narrative of heroism and optimism, of saving the day. Matt said it was important to consider “the emotional response you want your audience to feel when you tell them [a story]”. You want your audience to feel motivated to make a difference. When retelling a personal story as a charity, it’s important that this person’s openness is respected, and the positive impact of their vulnerability is clear. “Every story needs to lead towards a goal or objective”.

For some charities, anonymity must be considered, creating boundaries for sharing stories in conventional ways. Matt has worked with many charities and understands the importance of confidentiality and sharing stories that are emotive without exploiting vulnerability. He shared that there are plenty of ways to tell meaningful stories whilst maintaining anonymity, from hiring actors, to careful camera angles. It is very much possible to working with survivors respectfully, and it may even make your narrative more engaging and meaningful.

Matt referenced Brené Brown’s Ted Talk about the power of vulnerability, showcasing how sharing your experiences publicly, “it actually makes you stronger, because that vulnerability can’t be used against you anymore to hurt you”. As Brené says in her talk: “Stories are just data with a soul”. Use them like you would statistics but understand that their value has personability and honesty that requires respect.

“Stories are just data with a soul”- Brené Brown

But stories also need to be tailored to their audience, appropriately. If you’re writing a report or a grant application, your storytelling is going to be frank about the reasons why your charity matters and deserves funding. You’re going to lean on statistics and highlight the negative challenges your charity is working to improve. When you’re communicating with the general public, though, think about how they could have an emotional connection to your cause. In these instances, the language that you’re using matters, be vary of words that may be triggering.

Stories have different values depending on where you share them. If they’re shared on Instagram in a quick 6 second video, what message can you share in that time? And at what time of day will that story be heard/seen? Think about the objective of sharing the story and be strategic about when and where you share information.

“It’s really [about] being patient with your work”, said Matt, a story you told months ago could have a ripple effect.

“It’s really [about] being patient with your work”, said Matt, a story you told months ago could have a ripple effect, and help someone later down the line, or they may know to come to you for support. It’s about planting those seeds and “investing in the long term”. “You never know how far a story is going to go”, and if it resonates with one person, or 1,000 people, it can still hold residual value or keep you in someone’s mind.

Bringing on someone like Matt to share your service user’s stories will help to tell the right ones. Matt’s vulnerability with his own experiences means that people can trust their experiences are in safe hands too, never exploited.

Through her conversation with Matt, Katie realised that storytelling is in itself a form of activism and change making. You’re likely to reach more people on social media than you ever will in person, and every time you do, you’re raising awareness and letting people know about the amazing work that you’re doing. The more you share, and the more valuable the stories, the more likely you’ll be to make real change and highlight the importance of the work you do. That way, the donations keep coming in, and you get to keep doing it.

Find out more about working with Matt here, and find his LinkedIn here.

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