Explore best practices in public relations for nonprofits and discover how to share powerful volunteer stories.
If you work in a nonprofit organization, you’re probably well-versed in the power of storytelling, especially when it comes to nonprofit PR. Telling your organization’s stories in a way that inspires people to act can mean the difference between a good fundraising campaign and a great one.
Among the impactful anecdotes your organization could share, the volunteer stories might get overlooked. We’ve seen firsthand how these narratives carry serious weight in inspiring support and building awareness for mission-driven organizations, particularly when leveraged effectively as part of a well-rounded nonprofit PR strategy.
April is National Volunteer Month, so let’s celebrate and honor the big-hearted folks who generously donate their time by exploring ways to share their stories that will increase support and amplify the impact of nonprofit organizations.
What Do We Mean By ‘Volunteer Stories,’ and Why Are They Important in Nonprofit PR?
Volunteer stories can take different shapes, especially in public relations for nonprofits. But we’re most interested in a volunteer’s core reasons for sharing their time and talents. Their origin story can inspire others to get involved. What attracted the volunteer to your organization? Why do they care about the cause? If they’ve volunteered for years, what keeps them coming back?
Finding the answers to those questions can provide powerful narratives to leverage in a nonprofit PR strategy. We might have a vague recollection of a volunteer’s origin story, but sitting down and having a conversation could reveal new details and a story worth sharing.
Volunteer stories carry innate vulnerability as they reveal personal motivations, aspirations, and challenges faced by individuals who selflessly dedicate their time. This vulnerability makes these narratives resonant and compelling as human interest stories. By showcasing the genuine experiences of volunteers, nonprofits can connect on a human level with members of their audience, tapping into shared experiences and universal themes.
This authenticity captures attention and can foster empathy and understanding among supporters. By amplifying these narratives, nonprofits not only shed light on the selflessness of volunteers but also underscore the tangible impact of their work on both the individuals involved and the communities they serve.
Moreover, when audience members can relate to a story, they’re more likely to remember it and be inspired to connect. Volunteer stories that remind audience members of the community they grew up in, the loved one they lost, or their childhood best friend, ultimately motivate them to give back. It’s stories that represent various communities and diverse backgrounds that encourage individuals to get involved and contribute where they can. Familiarity with a cause or brand increases the likelihood of future support and engagement. This connection can lead to a boost in volunteers and donations over time.
So, if you’re not already keeping your ear to the ground to listen for impactful volunteer stories to incorporate into your nonprofit PR strategy, now is the time to start. Keep a running list of ideas to revisit throughout the year when you’re in search of timely angles.
Telling Great Volunteer Stories With Care
In your work, you’ve undoubtedly encountered a range of personalities among your organization’s volunteers—from outgoing to reserved and a lot in between. Some volunteers may feel reluctant to share their stories for personal reasons, which is okay! You’d never want someone to feel pressured to share something beyond their comfort zone.
Instead, continue listening and building trust over time. Maybe this approach will lead to the volunteer sharing their story eventually, or maybe it won’t. Either way, it’s all good—building a relationship with volunteers is always the number one priority.
For volunteers who are a little warmer to the idea of sharing their experience, have a staff member they’re most familiar with initiate the conversation with them. Then, be open and ready to listen to what they share in a sit-down interview. Take some time to prepare thoughtful questions in advance. Find out their comfort level when it comes to being spotlighted on social media or participating in media interviews. And, of course, make sure to adhere to the principles of ethical storytelling: avoiding tokenism and saviorism and honoring the information that is shared.
For some volunteers, the only encouragement they’ll need is to understand the potential positive outcomes of sharing their stories. To illustrate this, share past instances when other similar stories were particularly influential.
Lastly, sometimes offering small incentives is the way to go. A gift card, for example, is a nice way to honor their time and express gratitude for their participation.
As with any relationship, trust with volunteers is built incrementally over time. Ultimately, you want to get to a place where you have a couple of compelling volunteer stories in your back pocket to share at the right moment.
Maximizing a Story’s Impact: Best Practices in Public Relations for Nonprofits
You’ve got an amazing volunteer story—awesome! So, what’s next? Thankfully, in today’s digital landscape, there are lots of ways to share stories.
Depending on the anecdote, perhaps it begins as a social media post, launching a series of monthly volunteer spotlights. Recording video and audio footage will help you tell the volunteer story creatively in a way that catches the attention of your followers and encourages audiences to learn more directly from the volunteer themselves. Plus, according to a 2024 report, social media users retain 95% of a message they watch on video as opposed to just 10% of what they read in text.
This same story could be better suited for something bigger, like a blog post, a highlight in an email newsletter, a community article, or even a pitch for a TV, radio, or podcast spot. Having a steady drumbeat of content for your owned media channels helps cultivate your organization’s authority and trustworthiness. Earned media placements—placements you “earn” from organic sources—offer third-party credibility that helps you build trust with your audience.
When you work with nonprofit PR specialists like Scatena Daniels, you might recognize the media potential of a volunteer’s journey early on, and what starts as a social media post could evolve into a full-fledged media campaign.
At a recent “Volunteer Appreciation Event” hosted by one of our clients, our team was on-site capturing visual assets for media. While there, a member of our team started a casual conversation with a volunteer couple who received recognition for their years of service. The volunteer spoke candidly about the origins of her and her husband’s volunteerism, and our team quickly recognized a storytelling opportunity. From there, we reached out to the volunteer couple for additional information and confirmed they would be open to sharing their story with the media to inspire other couples, families, individuals, and groups to volunteer with the organization. Watch the clip below to see one of the results!
Finally, don’t forget to keep the volunteer informed along the way. When their story is published, send them a link to the coverage and express your gratitude for their help.
We recently presented on this topic at the Public Relations Society of America’s Western District Conference, particularly focusing on telling stories ethically. You can download our ethical storytelling workbook, which was given to conference attendees, by filling out the form here. The guide also features eight tips on how to gather impactful volunteer stories.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to get the most value out of the stories your organization shares in the media and across your promotional platforms, let’s talk!