Tools to Share Your Stories
Purpose:
This document was designed to help us capture and celebrate the amazing things we do at Girl Scouts of Western New York every day. It’s time for us to share the amazing work we do with others. Our stories will Capture WHY we do things not What we do. Stories should show the outside world our purpose, cause or belief - WHY do we exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should others care about Girl Scouts?People don’t want to know WHAT we do, they want to know WHY we do it. This document will help us to share and utilize stories about the great work we accomplish every day.
Capturing and sharing great stories:
Why_Why do we share our stories? Storytelling is in our biology as human beings. Stories help us to make sense of our lives and give our experience meaning. As Maya Angelou so eloquently sums up, “People will forget what you tell them, but never forget how you make them feel.” Stories have the unique power to inspire feeling, connection, and action.
Here at Girl Scouts we do such great work, often with few resources. We must take the time to step back and celebrate our accomplishments. We need to paint a picture of the lives we are changing through the work YOU do every day.
Who_Who is a story about? Stories can be about anyone who has contact with our organization. Even our staff have personal stories to tell about how Girl Scouts have impacted their lives. We want to hear them! Consider submitting a story when you are interacting with the following groups:
- staff members
- board members
- volunteers
- girls
- friends and family of Girl Scouts
What_ Stories are not always serious. Touches ofhumorcan be powerful tools. Good stories show a small glimpse of life as a Girl Scout. Stories can showcase a celebration of what a funder has allowed us to do in an area or a success that has been achieved. Stories can highlight inclusion or bonding as a result of Girl Scouts. They can be impactful and motivating pieces that express why girls should join scouts or why an adult should volunteer. Stories can be about challenges we face as well. Sometimes the best stories come from problems you see. Understanding specific instances where our organization faces challenges can be a very powerful tool in asking donors to fund a project or program. Most importantly stories should not be a list! They should be told in a human way. When compiling a story consider writing it as if you were telling a friend or coworker about the news you are sharing.
What does a good story look like?
- simple: it doesn’t try to cover too many bases. It focuses on one person or a group of people, it is one event or moment, and it is easy to understand.
- short: 3-8 sentences is all we are looking for. Stories should be concise.
- active: stories should occur around actions or activities such as: camp, registration, earning badges, earning awards (Gold Award), receiving a uniform, joining a troop, a program or event, overcoming barriers to participation or adversity (girls receiving financial assistance, first time Girl Scouts, translatinginformation, starting troops in new areas, finding first time volunteers, etc.)
- real person: identify who it is, give your audience someone to care about
When & Where _Once you appreciate the power of stories and if you listen,you will start to find them everywhere. Next time you are at an event, meeting, Service Unit gathering, registration event, program, or anywhere there is activity going on keep your ears open. Consider doing a bit of digging and asking our members and patrons questions (e.g. How has your experience been in Girl Scouts? What are you or your scout enjoying most about the year? ). Consider reaching out or calling your contacts that have a long and rich history with Girl Scouts. The next time you go home from work with a smile on your face, share that in the form of a story!
The fund development team will be spending time this fall collecting your amazing stories. Please take a moment to share your experiences with us. We will be starting a Story Bank and a list of potential speakers to share their stories in person which we will draw from all year long. Please share 2 stories with us by October 15th, 2015. We encourage you to submit additional stories throughout the year, as we know you do amazing work year round! You may use the form below as a template, or share a detailed typed story in a few sentences.
MVP & Fund Development Story Bank Form
Staff Member’s Name: ______Story Topic: ______
This story occurred in the following County or zip code:
CattaraugusChautauquaErieGeneseeLivingstonMonroeNiagara Orleans Wyoming Zip code: ______
Please indicate who this story is about a (specify age level):
VolunteerParent/GuardianStaff Member Community PartnerBoard Member Individual Girl Scout (Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, or Ambassador) Age: ______Troop ( Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador, or Multi Level) Troop #: ______# of years involved with GSWNY: ______Other: ______
Additional details as needed: ______
What event or location did this take place at (i.e. camp, registration event, STEM-a-palooza, troop meeting etc.)? Please provide event details including when the event occurred: ______
______
What happened (share your success or story in 3-10 sentences please include the “why factor” why is this story or event was so significant):______
______
Participant is interested in sharing their Girl Scout experience bydoing public speaking with GSWNY if the opportunity presents itself by the council.(Participant’s personal information below will not be made public but used internally to make contact about upcoming public speaking opportunities.)
Name: ______
Address: ______
Phone number: ______Email: ______