Every nonprofit is made of countless stories—the story of your organization’s founding, the moment a volunteer fell in love with your work, the day you changed a beneficiary’s life, and so many more. Compelling stories are all around you, and you can harness them as powerful tools for marketing and raising more for your mission. All you have to do is tell them effectively.

In this article, we’ll cover the basic elements of any good nonprofit story and how you can hone in on each one. Once you understand these storytelling essentials, you’ll be able to incorporate powerful, engaging stories into your nonprofit marketing strategy long-term.