Ann Searight Christiano and Matt Sheehan Author Article on Effective Storytelling Tips for Nonprofits

Ann Searight Christiano, director of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Center for Public Interest Communications, and Matt Sheehan, the center’s managing director, co-authored an article offering storytelling strategies for nonprofits.

Their piece, “5 Tips for Effective Storytelling to Build Public Trust and Understanding,” was published Sept. 29, 2025, in Candid.

Christiano and Sheehan offer tips to help nonprofits build public trust and understanding when communicating how their work positively impacts communities and causes.

To make storytelling more compelling, they suggest: explain how funding is used and the difference it makes to the organization; show how real people and communities are impacted by the work; use concrete, visual language; explain the decision-making process and staff involvement; and embrace storytelling across the organization and for all projects.

“Nonprofits have a great deal of power, and much of that power lies in the language you choose, the stories you tell and the data you collect and share to earn public trust and understanding,” Christiano and Sheehan wrote. “Vivid, transparent stories and visual language help people see how change happens—and generate a narrative in which we see the potential each of us has to overcome massive social challenges.“

Category: College News
Tagged: Ann Searight Christiano Center for Public Interest Communications Matt Sheehan Nonprofit Storytelling
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