457: Why Ethical Storytelling Raises More Money with Maria A. Bryan

A fundraising story asks people to care and act. How you gather and share that story matters to the person who lived it, the audience hearing it, and the donor relationships you hope to build. Sarah invited Maria A Bryan, a trauma-informed storytelling trainer who helps nonprofits tell difficult stories while protecting the people involved, to unpack how consent, safety, and choice belong in fundraising. They discuss asking for stories without pressure, preparing audiences for difficult content, and building donor relationships around shared impact rather than guilt. Who it's for You want to share compelling stories while protecting the people in them. You want donors to feel connected to your mission without using guilt or pressure. You want a clearer process for consent and responding when a story causes harm. What you will hear Why someone receiving help may feel unable to say no to sharing their story. How content warnings give audiences a choice about hearing difficult stories. Why Sarah argues that relationships built on shared impact can support long-term giving. What Maria's experience of trying to pause a monthly gift reveals about donor choice. Why your storytelling process needs a plan for repairing harm. Links from this episode Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter: weekly tips for leading your nonprofit Maria A Bryan's website Connect with Maria A Bryan on LinkedIn When Bearing Witness: trauma-informed storytelling certification Emotional Intelligence Is Nonprofit Retention Infrastructure with Brittan Stockert More of Maria's expert insight Ethical Persuasion in Fundraising: Inspire Without Pressure, The Nonprofit Podcast A Guide to Ethical Storytelling, What the Fundraising Podcast The Problem with Nonprofit Storytelling, Nonprofit Nation An Inclusionary Wakeup Call for Public Interest Copywriters, Journal of Public Interest Communications Trauma-Informed Storytelling with Maria Bryan, A Trauma-Informed Future Podcast Connect with Sarah Sarah Olivieri's website Sarah Olivieri on Substack Thank you to Donorbox Thank you to Donorbox for sponsoring Inspired Nonprofit Leadership and supporting these conversations. In this episode, Maria and Sarah discuss giving donors control over their recurring gifts. Follow Donorbox on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.