Storytelling That Moves Money: Why Your Voice Matters More Than Your Script
If you’ve ever thought:
“I’m not a natural speaker.”
“I’m an introvert—this isn’t my thing.”
“Just tell me what to say and I’ll memorize it.”
Let’s clear something up.
Fundraising doesn’t move because you found the perfect sentence.
It moves because someone felt something when you spoke.
That’s the difference between information and transformation.
And most nonprofits are stuck delivering information.
The Loudest Voice Isn’t the Most Powerful
The most impactful people in the room aren’t the loudest.
They aren’t the most polished.
They aren’t the ones performing authority.
They’re the ones who know how to tell a story—and be radically present while they’re telling it.
That’s good news if you’re an introvert.
That’s good news if you’re thoughtful, observant, reflective.
That’s good news if you notice details other people miss.
Because great storytelling isn’t about being big.
It’s about being real.
Public Speaking Is…Everything
Public speaking isn’t a stage.
It’s:
A donor meeting
A boardroom conversation
A podcast interview
A sponsorship pitch
A phone call asking for support
The moment someone else can hear you—you’re public speaking.
So when people say, “I’m not a public speaker,” what they usually mean is:
“I was never taught how to use my voice with confidence.”
That’s not a personality flaw.
That’s a missing skill.
And skills are learned.
You Don’t Need a Big Story—You Need a Real One
You don’t need:
A heroic origin story
A trauma TED Talk
A dramatic life arc
Sometimes the most powerful stories start with:
“Yesterday, something small happened—and it made me think.”
The best stories:
Come from ordinary moments
Include details
Put us in the room with you
Show us what you noticed
Storytelling is noticing—and then inviting someone else into what you saw.
“Best Practices” Are Killing Your Pitch
A lot of nonprofits were trained into blandness.
They were taught to:
Remove emotion
Sound “professional”
Strip out humanity
Lead with data, not people
The result?
Technically correct pitches that nobody remembers.
Your donor doesn’t need a case study.
They need to feel why this matters.
Your Voice Wasn’t Broken—It Was Conditioned
From the time we’re kids, we learn:
Don’t be too loud
Don’t be too emotional
Don’t be too much
Don’t take up space
So we learn to use our “inside voice” everywhere.
But fundraising requires more than an inside voice.
It requires connection.
And connection uses:
Voice
Face
Eyes
Body
Presence
You were born knowing how to do this.
You were trained out of it.
Awareness Is the First Skill
Most people aren’t making “bad” communication choices.
They’re not making any choices.
They don’t realize they can:
Slow down
Speed up
Get quieter to create impact
Change tone to signal meaning
Move closer to create intimacy
Once you realize you have options, everything changes.
Practice Where It’s Safe
You don’t get better at storytelling by writing scripts alone.
You get better by using your voice with other humans.
Try this:
Start meetings with a short story round
Share one moment from the field
React to what you’re talking about
Let it be messy
Public speaking is relational.
You only get better in relationship.
High-Stakes Pitches: What Actually Works
If you’ve got a big donor meeting coming up, here’s what matters:
Disconnect from the outcome
You can’t control their yes.
You can control your clarity, presence, and preparation.Own what you can control
Your story.
Your examples.
Your why-now.Workshop, don’t memorize
The worst thing you can do is:
Remember all the words—and forget the meaning.
Say it out loud.
To a person.
Multiple times.
Not in your head.
Not once.
Not perfectly.
If you’ve never said it before, don’t make the donor the first audience.
Your Inner Critic Isn’t Your Enemy
That voice that says:
“Don’t sound stupid.”
“Don’t mess this up.”
“Don’t be embarrassing.”
That’s not a critic.
That’s a protector.
It learned, a long time ago, how to keep you safe.
Thank it.
Then lead anyway.
You’re not five anymore.
You can handle being seen.
If You Hate Talking About Yourself
Good news: storytelling isn’t about centering yourself.
You can:
Tell stories about what you witnessed
React to moments in the work
Share what moved you
Describe what you saw
You don’t have to bare your soul.
You just have to let people feel something.
Awkward Means You Haven’t Practiced Enough Yet
If you feel:
Self-conscious
Clunky
Hyper-aware of your body
That’s not a personality flaw.
That’s a rehearsal problem.
The more you practice:
The less you think about yourself
The more you focus on the mission
The more present you become
You don’t overcome nerves by avoiding practice.
You overcome nerves by doing it until your body feels safe.
Play Builds Skill
Kids learn through play.
They fall.
They try again.
They don’t decide “I’m bad at this” after one attempt.
Adults forgot how to play.
You need spaces where:
It’s okay to be bad
It’s okay to experiment
It’s okay to try new ways of speaking
Improv classes can help.
Team story practice can help.
Low-stakes reps build high-stakes confidence.
When You’re Lost—Return to Truth
If you forget your words…
If you ramble…
If you freeze…
Say:
“Here’s what I’m really trying to say.”
That’s truth.
Truth is more powerful than polish.
Truth always reconnects.
Your Voice Is a Funding Tool
That spotlight you avoid?
It’s not about you.
It’s a vehicle to funding.
And funding is a vehicle to impact.
You don’t need to be perfect.
You don’t need to be loud.
You don’t need to be someone else.
You need to be practiced.
Present.
And willing to be seen.
Because your mission doesn’t need a flawless speaker.
It needs a brave one.