Eight non-profit organizations in western New York and seven in central New York have been selected for the StoryGrowing Class of 2018.
Based on the teachings of Andy Goodman of The Goodman Center, StoryGrowing is a nine-month communications capacity-building program that trains organizations to harness the power of storytelling and nurture their organization’s growth through effective branding and communications. Working directly with a variety of local professionals, StoryGrowing participants will learn how to balance emotional and rational messaging, target the right audiences and make efficient use of digital and social tools.
The selected organizations participate in the program at no cost to them.
The eight Western New York non-profit organizations selected for the StoryGrowing WNY inaugural class of 2018 are:
- Cazenovia Recovery Systems
- Child & Family Services
- ECBA Volunteer Lawyers Project
- Neighborhood Health Center
- New York State Caregiving and Respite Coalition
- Roycroft Campus
- The Foundry (Net+Positive, Inc.)
- Westminster Economic Development Initiative
After a successful pilot in 2016, seven organizations will participate in the second year of the StoryGrowing program in central New York:
- ARISE Child and Family Service
- Cooperative Federal
- Margaret L. Williams Developmental Evaluation Center
- Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency
- Society for New Music
- Syracuse Model Neighborhood Corp.
- Syracuse Northeast Community Center
The StoryGrowing program will feature a variety of learning techniques—including lectures, workshops, private coaching, guided development and presentation opportunities—to help participants determine compelling key messages for the organizations; use stories in advocacy, development, recruiting, and other primary communications; and identify and apply types of stories and their relevance to organizations’ target audiences. Best practices in writing, photography, videography, disseminating stories through community outreach, and effectively telling stories will also be shared.
The program will culminate with a community celebration in each region in April 2018.
“Stories have the power to inform and inspire, excite and empower. But for most non-profits, capturing the essence of the organization and its impact is easier said than done. That is why we are so excited to work with our partners in both regions to help a diverse group of organizations harness the power of storytelling to achieve their goals,” said Kate McLaughlin, communications director at the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York.
StoryGrowing in central New York is supported through a partnership between the Health Foundation, the Central New York Community Foundation and the Gifford Foundation. StoryGrowing in western New York is presented by the Health Foundation and The John R. Oishei Foundation.
