Impact stories show the world how Laidlaw practices its vision and values
Highlights
- Laidlaw Foundation highlights their grantees every year in their annual report
- The COVID-19 pandemic context necessitated a shift in their storytelling approach
- For the past four years, the Foundation’s stories have better reflected and contextualized its work
Before: The challenge
Laidlaw Foundation is no stranger to using nonprofit storytelling to amplify their impact. Their mission to support young people who have been impacted by the education, child welfare and justice systems is weaved throughout their annual report stories.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first began, the Laidlaw Foundation’s story was about adjusting. Their grantees had to shift their entire way of serving their communities, many of which were already experiencing challenges and upheavals prior to.
As the pandemic continued, the the story became about community. With community-led solutions from their grantees, the Laidlaw Foundation navigated the new normal with collaborative practices and support, including the formalization of two funds to relief communities and address systemic inequities, respectfully.
However, with shifts in their story, Laidlaw was tasked with telling more impact stories that situated their grantees and the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic in emerging themes that were proving to show their impact in a different way.
The challenge: How does the Laidlaw Foundation shift their nonprofit storytelling approach to better reflect this unique context?
During: The solution
We first collaborated in 2021 and I discussed with the Laidlaw team the themes of their annual report and the kinds of stories they wanted to tell. Our meetings were insightful collaborations that got us on the same page: Essentially, the goal was to connect the dots between their mission as a Foundation and their impact on the ground through their work with grantees. What that meant was to make the grantees the stars and storytellers of their narratives. Laidlaw Foundation chose the grantees, reached out to them and put me in touch to set up interviews.
The research process
From here, I researched each grantee and studied the words they used to describe themselves and their work. As well, I looked at social media accounts to understand their “why”. Why did they care about the work they did? What did it mean to them personally and professionally? What does their collaboration with Laidlaw mean now and in the near future? I used the answers to these questions to craft my interview questions.
The interview process
But I didn’t craft too many. It was really important for me to lead these conversations with care and kindness. So, I made it my mission to follow the lead of the grantees and shape the story how they tell it. That meant that my role in the interviews was less “interviewer” and more “active listener”. This approach meant that I received a lot more information than I planned for. I took detailed notes during the interviews to make sure I didn’t miss anything, especially context. Grantees were open, honest and forthcoming about their relationship with the Laidlaw Foundation, which made the experience an incredible one. Personally, I learned so much about different communities, histories, legacies and more.
The storymaking process
Putting the interview and research pieces together into a story was the fun part. I made sure to make the annual report theme shine throughout the story by choosing particular language and using the appropriate tone and voice that aligned with the Foundation’s brand. As well, I structured the story to have a narrative arc that didn’t just land with great financial success or a happy ending if that’s not what the story was. Rather, I focused on impact.
After: The results
These stories help Laidlaw Foundation supporters understand the “how” of the Foundation’s work. They position Laidlaw as a champion of social impact and a catalyst for advocacy that creates systems and local impact. This positioning is aligned with their values, particularly accountability, equity and responsive. Finally, I made sure that the grantees voice didn’t get lost in the story by using meaningful quotes that contextualized their work. And of course, I got their sign off on these stories.
As a result, Laidlaw has published several stories I crafted for every year per annual report, for the last three years. These stories have served as a window into more than the impact that Laidlaw Foundation had had. They’ve also shown how that impact has grown, changed and evolved into other actions that serve their mission. For example, the stories in the 2021 that highlighted their commitments to Black and Indigenous communities has evolved to include a report about the state of Black and Indigenous youth in the province of Ontario, demonstrating the continuation of their mission, practice of their values and journey towards their vision.
Reflection
Nonprofit storytelling starts long before the story is told. It starts with a vision and strategy to find, collect, craft and share stories. In other words, it really starts with brand messaging. What are you trying to say, to whom and why? And how do the storytellers factor into the equation?
Start doing nonprofit storytelling with a purpose.