What Happens When Stories Help People Feel the Impact?

In our latest Raising Impact episode, we sat down with Heather Spratt from A Dollar A Day Foundation, and one thing she said stopped me in my tracks.

Statistics matter. Data matters. But stories help people feel the impact.

As Heather put it:

"You can understand the need, but you don't really feel it until you share a story with someone else."

If you work in mental health and addictions, you already know this tension. Most people care about mental health. Most have been touched by it. But the complexity can feel overwhelming, and overwhelm doesn't move people to give.

Stories bridge that gap. They move someone from understanding a problem to connecting with the people behind it.

What struck me about Heather's approach is the respect built into it. A Dollar A Day doesn't dictate what stories their partner organizations should tell. They invite organizations to decide what feels right for their communities. That's not a small distinction. It's the difference between extracting a story and honouring one.

And it reflects the bigger theme running through our whole conversation: trust.

Trust in organizations. Trust in communities. Trust in the people closest to the work.

We also talked about how storytelling helps reduce stigma, strengthens donor relationships, and creates a stronger sense of shared purpose. For nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and grantmakers, it's a good reminder that storytelling isn't just a communications tactic. It's one of the ways people come to understand why the work matters.

Listen to the full episode here.