TL;DR: Impact data matters, and you need it. But data proves you’re effective; it doesn’t make people care. Lead with a story, and let the stats reinforce it. The organizations that break through are the ones that remember what makes anything matter in the first place: not the stat line, but the story behind it.
I’ve been thinking about sports lately because this is the time of year my boys play baseball, 3-5 nights a week.
And I sometimes wonder: why are we so obsessed with a kid throwing a ball, another kid trying to hit it with a stick, and then running around touching all the white squares before the other team can tag them out?
The only answer I have: it’s the stories.
I know these kids. I’ve known them since they were little. I know they used to pick their noses, and I know the work they’ve put in as young adults to improve at their sport.
The Analytics Revolution Gave Us Data. It Didn’t Give Us Meaning.
Stats are everywhere these days. Batting averages, player efficiency ratings, expected goals, wins above replacement. The analytics revolution has given us more data than we’ve ever had.
And yet, what makes sports great isn’t the data.
It’s the stories — the underdogs, the comebacks, the rivalries that span decades.
The significance of a batter facing a pitcher in the National League Championship Series changes completely when you realize that these two players are brothers.
The stat line from that at-bat is just data. But knowing they grew up together, probably playing wiffle ball in the backyard, and now one is trying to strike out the other in front of millions?
That’s a story.
Stats describe what’s happening. Stories touch people’s hearts — and move them to action.
Nonprofits Fall Into the Same Trap
We obsess over metrics just like sports analysts obsess over WAR and OPS+.
We track the number of people served, graduation rates, meals delivered, grants received, and program outcomes.
And we should. Impact data matters — a lot. Funders need to know their investment is working, boards need to measure progress, and staff need to know what’s actually changing. Without real outcome metrics, you’re flying blind.
But too often we stop there. We lead with the numbers and assume they’ll speak for themselves. They won’t. Data can prove you’re effective, but it won’t make someone care — and caring is what opens wallets and changes systems.
A stat tells a funder what happened, but a story tells them why it matters.
Think about how you respond when you read:
- “We served 10,000 meals last year.”
Versus:
- “Maria didn’t know where her kids’ next meal would come from. Then she walked through our doors.”
The first gives you information. The second makes you feel something — and feeling is what moves people to give, volunteer, share, and advocate.
Why This Matters for Donor Engagement
Research consistently shows that emotionally compelling stories outperform statistics in driving donations. Donors don’t act because of the size of the problem — they act because they see themselves in one person’s experience.
Leading with story doesn’t mean you throw out your data — it means you let the stats reinforce it. The data proves you’re credible, and the story proves you’re worth caring about.
How to Lead With Stories
A few ways to shift your approach:
1. Make sure to lead with people, not numbers
Start your appeals, reports, and emails with a specific moment or a specific person. Let the reader see someone before or as you start throwing statistics at them.
2. Use data as a validation tool, but not to convert
Never share the numbers without sharing stories too. Remember, impact statistics are vital, but they are more effective when attached to something human.
3. Make the donor part of the story
The best nonprofit storytelling doesn’t just tell the organization’s story — it makes the donor the hero. “Because of you, Maria’s kids didn’t go hungry.” That’s a story the donor can see themselves in.
4. Build storytelling capacity
A 2024 Georgetown study found that staff capacity is the #1 barrier to effective nonprofit storytelling. If you want to lead with story, you have to invest in the people and processes that make it possible. Storytelling isn’t a communications nice-to-have — it’s infrastructure.
The Real Point
We live in an era drowning in data where every organization has metrics and every annual report has charts. This is a great improvement from the days when we had no evidence that our work had an impact.
But the organizations that break through, the ones that build lasting donor relationships and move people to sustained action, do it by leading with story.
Remember, it’s the story behind the stats that moves people. It’s not that two players faced each other in a playoff game; it’s that they were brothers.
If you’re trying to move people (donors, board members, the public), lead with the story. The stats will land harder when they arrive.
Audit Your Nonprofit’s Storytelling
Paste this prompt into ChatGPT or Claude to get an honest assessment of how your organization tells stories — and where you can get stronger.
I just read “Why Stories Beat Stats in Nonprofit Fundraising” by Todd Hiestand at Liminal, a branding agency for nonprofits. Todd is also the author of The Welcoming Nonprofit.
The core idea: nonprofits often lead with statistics when they should lead with stories. Stats describe what happened — stories make people feel why it matters.
Help me audit how my organization is doing with storytelling.
First, use what you already know about our work from previous conversations. Then, if I share our website URL, review it, and look at how we talk about our impact, our programs, and our fundraising appeals.
Ask me questions about:
- How we talk about our impact (do we lead with numbers or people?)
- Where our stories show up (or don’t) across our communications
- Whether we have systems for collecting and sharing stories
- How our fundraising appeals are structured
Based on what you find and my answers, give me an honest assessment and 2-3 specific recommendations to strengthen our storytelling.
Todd Hiestand is co-founder of Liminal, a messaging-first branding agency serving justice- and equity-focused nonprofits, and author of The Welcoming Nonprofit.
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