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Storytelling and writing are essential skills for missionaries, ministry and nonprofit leaders. In fact, if you struggle to tell stories, you'll struggle to raise the funds you need. Kay Helm is a writer & editor with experience in missions and the business world. She founded Mission Writers in 2022 to help missionaries write fundraising appeals and powerful stories to share with supporters. In this podcast, she offers tips you can use today to improve your missions & nonprofit writing.
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In this episode we explore the fifth part in our series on the building blocks of nonprofit storytelling—When. Learn why timing matters in your fundraising, from year-end campaigns to creating urgency with matching gifts, celebrating donor milestones, and telling powerful follow-up stories. Plus, practical steps to plan your storytelling calendar. Mentioned in this episode: Fully Funded Academy The Bible Project: Looking Back at 2025 and Ahead to 2026 10 Years and 500 Episodes: The Story of ...
Clarifying and sharing your “Why” builds trust, connects with supporters, and sets your mission apart. Send me your questions Support the show Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!
Part of the Building Blocks of Storytelling Series. You've found Life and Mission in a series on the six building blocks of storytelling: Who, What, Where, Why, When, and How. So far, we’ve looked at WHO and WHAT. Today, we’re looking at WHERE. Where are you? Where do you do what you do? You can help donors feel the "atmosphere" of your location — bring them closer, let them see and hear and taste and smell. Let them feel the weight of the place, get some sense of the challenges (or joy) of w...
Part of the Building Blocks of Storytelling Series We’re in the middle of our series on the six building blocks of storytelling: Who, What, Where, Why, When, and How. Today, we’re diving into WHAT. The “what” of your story can do so much more than just describe your work. In this episode, I’ll show you how your “whats” can help move people from surface-level giving to true, heart-level involvement with your cause. Send me your questions Support the show Mission Writers i...
Part of the Building Blocks of Storytelling series. In this episode, we dig into the “Who” of nonprofit storytelling—who you are, who you serve, and who your donor is. I’ll share why getting clear on these three characters builds trust, honors the people in your stories, and helps donors see themselves as true partners in your mission. When you get the WHO right, your writing stops feeling like a sales pitch and starts feeling like an invitation to a shared mission. Send me your...
Today, and in the next few episodes, we’re going all the way back to the most basic building blocks of storytelling: who, what, where, why, when and how. Simply including these in your content isn’t enough. Over the next few episodes, we’ll discover how using these building blocks effectively can move you from just reporting dry facts to building a world your donor can step into. Send me your questions Support the show Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonp...
Whether you're a missionary, a nonprofit leader, a change maker of any kind, you know that a powerful story can open hearts for people to join you in your mission. In season 4 of the Life and Mission Podcast, we're looking at the building blocks of every persuasive story: who, what, where, why, when, and how. Sounds basic, But I'll offer a few twists that you might not have heard before. Grab your notebook and get ready to tell stories that build relationships and raise more for your m...
When things don't turn out as planned, a well-told setback story can give donors another reason to support you. Here are some of the stories you can tell around a setback: Explain the process of change your beneficiaries go through.Focus on one aspect of the change process and help supporters understand why it's such a hurdle.Share a story about the setting that causes difficulties in the change process.Feature something in your work that deals specifically with one of those hurdles.Wh...
I have a love-hate relationship with conferences and networking events. While I love to meet new people and to learn new things, large or busy events can get overwhelming. I'm an introvert. I like my alone time. After a lot of activity, conversations, and noise, I need to go somewhere quiet and recharge. Last week's Daily Writer Retreat got me thinking about the advantage of smaller events (at least for me). This was a two-day event, with dinner together at a local restaurant the...
The tables are turned as fundraising expert Mary Valloni interviews Kay about using stories to connect with donors. We talked about: Using stories to connect Where we go wrong with storytelling Stories for people in admin roles Telling your own origin story The key story we forget Missionary fundraising training with Mary Valloni fullyfundedacademy.com Level up your storytelling skills with Kay missionwriters.org kayhelm.com Send me your questions Support the show Mission Writers is...
Your donors are busy. They’re tired. They make decisions all day in a world where everyone is clamoring for attention. Here's a simple way to help them "catch" your stories. Send me your questions Support the show Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you...
Our stories have the power to move supporters along on a journey: introducing them to a problem, dispelling myths, offering hope, introducing them to our organization, showing them how we solve the problem, building trust, and inviting them to take action. At any point in time, you'll have people at different stages along these five levels of awareness: Unaware - They don't even know there is a problem.Problem Aware - They know about the problem, but not about solutions.Solution Aware ...
My guest today is Joy Capps, author of Joyful Copy—How to Show Up in the Marketplace Ethically and Authentically. There are a lot of copywriting formulas and blueprints, and many ways to reach your audience. But not all ways line up with what we know to be ethical and true. Joy created her Joyful Copy framework to help us write marketing copy that isn’t slimy. Based on Galatians 5:22-23 and Philippians 4:8, her framework filters best practices of copywriting through the teachings of th...
Every story gives us a chance to choose. Do we set up a “them and us” narrative, or will we do the work to offer another perspective? Airbnb runs an ad featuring a family of shaggy “monsters” enjoying their vacation. the goal of the ad is to invite people to become hosts on the platform. It starts where many of us are when it comes to inviting strangers to stay in our homes–it’s a little scary. But then we see a delightful series of scenes: enjoying beautiful views with a cuppa tea, a family...
I got a message today from a supporter who needs to stop her monthly donations. I'm thinking of my friends in ministry who raise support–missionary support or raising funds for the ministry as a whole–and you’re on the field, you’re doing the work, and you get a message like this. The temptation is to shrink back. The temptation is to say, "Well, people are hurting (they are) and so I feel bad asking for money to support the ministry." But I want to encourage you that this is not the time to ...
How to make your fundraising materials more inviting and easier to read, so more people can join you in your life-changing mission. Send me your questions Support the show Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!
My interview with Katie Hornor, author of Flamingo Marketing: How to Leverage Unique, Stay Relevant and Change the World [00:02:28] Leverage your unique [00:04:11] Why mindset is so important [00:06:03] Doing hard things [00:09:26] Time management [00:13:08] Legacy [00:14:03] Details on the book Katie has bonuses for you at freeflamingobook.com Send me your questions Support the show Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and non...
My three top takeaways from the Virtual Event on Virtual Events, and how you can serve your people by sharing the things you learn. I try to attend something every year that’s outside of but adjacent to my field. It helps me see things with fresh eyes. New possibilities, solutions to old problems, and a break from the routine. I recently attended The Virtual Event for Virtual Events and came away inspired and energized. Here are my top three takeaways that any communicator (even if yo...
You need to tell stories to raise more funds for your mission, ministry or nonprofit. But why is that? What exactly is it that stories do? Every known culture tells stories. This is the way we make sense of the world and our place in it. All through the donor journey, especially with people who are not yet aware of you and your mission. Stories help draw them in, and help them get to know, like, and trust you. Why Tell Stories? Stories help us connect – When you listen to a story, you...
It's a new season for the Life and Mission podcast! Mission Writers Send me your questions Support the show Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!
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