Nonprofit411 Podcast

Gold Mines of Stories - with Don Martelli, PR Bunker | Nonprofit411 Podcast

August 28, 2026·25 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Gold Mines of Stories — with Don MartelliEvery nonprofit is sitting on a gold mine of stories. Most never mine them.Don Martelli is a former Boston Globe reporter and longtime PR agency executive who now leads PR Bunker, working with mission-driven, impact-focused organizations. He helps nonprofits tell the stories their communities need to hear so they can engage the people who fuel the mission. He joins Sarah to explain how nonprofit PR actually works: how to find the one human story that carries your whole mission, how to place it with the right reporter at the right moment, and how to turn a single piece of coverage into a campaign that raises real money.He walks through a real example. A woman named Lisa, once homeless, now helping others through the same organization that housed her. That one story, told well, raised nearly a quarter million dollars in a week.If PR feels like a black box, this episode opens it.In this episode:The "micro that fits the macro" method for finding a story reporters actually wantWhy the most positive stories are the hardest to place, and how to place them anywayPaid, earned, shared, and owned media, explained simplyHow to pitch a reporter in 250 words or fewerWhy a fractional expert often beats hiring in-houseA few ideas to steal:The story is the headline. If you have to sell it, it isn't a story yet.Keep the pitch to one paragraph, then follow up until you get a yes, a no, or silence. Silence is a no.End or start each week by asking your team, "What happened this week that made you feel good?" Those are your stories. Someone has to own collecting them.One good story, repurposed across your site, newsletter, socials, and a podcast, is a marketing campaign, not a one-and-done.Connect with DonPR Bunker: www.prbunker.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/donmartelliThe PR Bunker podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pr-bunker/id1839463900Connect with SarahNonprofit 411: www.nonprofit411.orgLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411The Generosity Roadmap for Nonprofits, a free class to explore the systems that keep community at the heart of fundraising: https://nonprofit411.org/generosity_mapChapters00:00 Introduction to Nonprofit 41102:57 The Power of Impactful Storytelling05:56 Telling Impactful Stories through PR09:06 Advice for Nonprofits on PR17:23 The Role of Consultants in Nonprofits24:09 Utilizing Impactful Stories in Nonprofits

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