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Life and Mission

Author: Kay Helm

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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, I'm answering questions about nonprofit newsletters.How many newsletters should you send?How fancy do they need to be?What else can you do with those stories?Why send a print newsletter by mail when you can send email instead? One key thing you don't want to leave out.------------If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
Storytelling is an essential skill for fundraisers.  What do stories do?Stories help us connect. Compelling stories increase empathy.Stories reflect our values. Stories reveal truths. Stories help us see others in a new way.Stories give us context.If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
The time between Thanksgiving and December 31 is by far the biggest giving season of the year. People expect you to ask. If you don't, the assumption will likely be that you don't need their money.Here's what you need to do now.If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
You know you need to tell more stories to raise funds - but where do you find these stories? In this episode, I share five ways to find the stories you need.If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
In the Food Network show Chopped, just before chefs present their first dish to the judges, they must answer the question, “What would it mean for you to win?” It's a question every nonprofit must answer.If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
Own Your Expertise

Own Your Expertise

2023-08-2310:52

Do you think of yourself as an expert? Maybe you should. We need you to share your knowledge and experience with us.-----If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
Your supporters want to help.  Asking them for advice helps you and engages them at a deeper level. You’ll both be glad you did!Often, when you ask for advice, supporters will tell you exactly how they prefer to be asked for money. The transparency you show in  conversations around how you raise funds invites them to also be transparent about how they approach giving. This isn’t a trick to get them to give more. It is an invitation to understand each other and to come into a closer relationship. Be sure to report back to them and let them know how their advice helped!If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
In the last episode, we looked at gaps in your storytelling that cause friction. This week, we’re looking at friction in the donation process.If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
Why aren't people giving? Maybe there's too much friction–little things in your messaging or in your presentation that cause hesitation or second-guessing. This week we look at friction in storytelling, and what to do about it.If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
Every story needs change, regardless of the story's focus. By recognizing this and emphasizing it, you can engage and connect with your audience more effectively.If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
Sports can teach us a lot about nonprofit storytelling. In this episode, we're looking at two examples of sports using storytelling to reach people and to teach people – two things all nonprofits need to do.If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
If you've got a book, you need a course to go with it. Here's my interview with the man who can help you do that, Dr. Lucas Marino.If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
When we are writing to move someone to action, we must be clear. Not clever. Only crystal clear will do. I recently attended the Hope Words conference for writers, where one of the speakers was Katherine Paterson. Mrs. Paterson is the author of over 40 books and the recipient of many awards for her writing, including two Newberry Medals. She told us about a time when she got a note from her long-time editor about a certain paragraph. She had taken great care with this paragraph and she held it dear.The editor's note said, “It’s beautiful, Katherine, but what does it mean?”As a writer, I feel the pain of having something I’ve labored over being misunderstood or torn apart. As an editor,  I know it’s a question that must be asked.All our beautiful writing and storytelling is worthless if it isn’t clear.To be clear in our nonprofit writing, we must answer three key questions:What is happening?What does it mean?What do you want me to do about it?By answering these questions, you can provide context for your message and make it clear what action you want your readers to take.If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
As ministry practitioners and nonprofit communicators, we are often called to sit with difficult stories of human suffering and injustice. Even though we are storytellers, not every story is for sharing. Our words are also meant for remembering, exploring, questioning, and hoping.ResourcesMark Vroegop, Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of LamentMichael Card, A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament (Quiet Times for the Heart)Links may be affiliate links. This means I receive a portion of your purchase price (at no extra cost to you).If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
Parables have a way of getting around our defenses, short-circuiting our stereotypes, and making us think in new ways. In this episode, we're looking at the role of parables in Jesus' ministry, and how you can use stories to break through walls in your nonprofit's messaging.Check out Jesus' parable in Matthew 13, and his answer to the disciples when they ask why he tells so many stories.Things to think about:What misconceptions, bad information, political twists, outdated approaches, prejudices, and stereotypes show up around the work you do? How do those things affect your nonprofit?What stories could you tell to nudge people toward a better understanding of the issues and the work that you do?Resources:Tell it Slant, by Eugene Peterson (affiliate link)Get your 2023 Story CalendarIf you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
The Fundraising Super Bowl is your nonprofit's big game - and winning looks like raising the funds you need to serve. Here are some lessons from that "other" big game.Football coaching legend Vince Lombardi famously said to his almost-champion Green Bay Packers team,  “Gentlemen, this is a football.”What he meant was they needed to execute the basics well, if they expected to win the big championship game. They had failed to win the championship the year before. But by focusing on the basics, they became a football dynasty. Lombardi's advice is relevant to you, today, as a nonprofit fundraiser.Even the best players aren’t perfect.This year, the winning Super Bowl quarterback was Patrick Mahomes. He completed 21 of 27 passes in the big game. The Eagles’ Jalen Hurts completed 27 of 38 passes.  Not perfect. I find that reassuring.During the season, the Mahomes completed  67% of his passes.  I’m sure he’d love to be perfect, but he also knows there has never been a perfect game. Nobody has ever started and finished a game without throwing an incomplete pass. Can you imagine if Patrick Mahomes went out to play, threw a couple of incomplete passes, and then said, "That’s it! We obviously need to just run the ball. No more passing, because I can’t complete every one." He wouldn't do that, because he knows 67% is good. You Real Job as the Fundraising QuarterbackIf you’re the quarterback on your fundraising team. You have a job to do. And that job is simply to move the ball down the field. You line up your team, and execute the appropriate play for the moment. In fundraising, that means you’re doing the basics: Communicating consistently with donorsGetting your message in front of new peopleThanking them when they giveSending emails Telling stories Reporting backLadies, and gentlemen, this is an email.This is a phone call.This is a face to face visit.These are the basics that move us incrementally down the field, one play at a time. Some of those incompletes have nothing to do with you. Other times, you need more practice, training, or time with a coach.Keep doing the basics–with excellence.If you need training to tell your stories, check out Mission Writers. If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
Being a guest on podcasts is a great way to share your message. Here's your guide to being a great podcast guest.Find full show notes and a checklist at lifeandmission.comIf you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
In this interview with Eric Nevins, founder of the Christian Podcasters Association, we discuss the potential waiting to be unlocked through podcasting.Eric hosts the Halfway There Podcast.If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
This week on Life and Mission: End-of-year fundraising may be over, but that only sets up some key messaging for January.  In this episode, I'll give you three key messages to send donors in January (plus a bonus).If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
In this episode, Kent Sanders shares his process for ghostwriting and collaborating on book projects. Plus, thoughts on structure and creativity, and his latest project - a book about Elvis. Kent is the author of 18 Words to Live By: A Father's Wisdom on What Matters Most,   and The Artist's Suitcase: 26 Essentials for the Creative Journey, and co-author of Performance-Driven Giving: The Roadmap to Unleashing the Power of Generosity in Your Life.  He recently collaborated with Billy Stanley for The Faith of Elvis. What is ghostwriting?The process of writing a bookBuilding a business on your own termsCollaborating on a bookDifferent book structuresMentor booksOne thing we can do today to improve our writingKent is a wonderful teacher, and you can learn more from him through the Daily Writer Podcast or join us in the Daily Writer Club.Links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive compensation (at no extra cost to you). Thank you.-----If you struggle to tell stories, you’ll struggle to raise funds. In the Mission Writers course:Learn the exact stories that every ministry, missionary, and nonprofit needs to tell.Master the fundraising story calendar.Develop and practice essential storytelling skills to increase funding for your mission.Build your story library and your confidence.Details at MissionWriters.orgSupport the showMission Writers is an online course and group coaching experience where you’ll develop and practice essential storytelling skills to help increase funding for your mission. Get started now, for a year of coaching at over 60% off the regular price.
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