Should We Share Stories or Statistics?
When it comes to creating marketing and campaign materials, there are always a couple questions that come up: should we share stories, or should we share statistics? Which one will convince the most donors to support our United Way?
The answer? You should use both equally! If there is one thing we have learned from our years of surveying donors, it’s that there is essentially a 50/50 split between donors who want to hear stories and donors who want to hear statistics. That is why it is so important to provide both in your marketing and campaign materials.
Statistics
Some people are number people. Nothing is more convincing to them than seeing in statistics and percentages the difference their donation made the previous year. These are the types of donors who ask questions like, “How many people did you help this year?” and “What percentage of kids who attended your summer learning camp are now reading on grade level?” These are valuable questions, and the answers will benefit even those who normally prefer stories. When creating your marketing and campaign materials, we encourage you to select one program you run and then provide one or two statistics about the impact of that program from the year before.
A powerful example comes to us from United Way of Marathon County’s 2024 Annual Report, “United Way of Marathon County has set out to lift 10,000 community members into financial stability by the year 2033. In 2024, 3,906 community members have been lifted.” This sentence is exactly what a statistics person wants to hear. Because of their donation, almost 4,000 people are now financially stable.
Stories
Other people tend to prefer stories of those who were helped. Most people want to be able to connect with the story of another person in their community who benefited from their donation. While those who love statistics are asking questions about what happened because of their donation, story lovers are asking, “Who did I help?” They want a face they can put to the issue, a success story that could not have taken place without their donation.
Again using United Way of Marathon County’s 2024 Annual Report as an example, they tell the story of Jennifer. Jennifer is a single mother who lost her job and was wondering how she was going to make it through the month. Then she discovered 211 which was able to connect her to temporary assistance to cover her essentials, job training, and a career coach. After a few months, she was able to land a stable position. Being able to hear Jennifer’s story, and how their donation to United Way of Marathon County helped get her back on her feet, is very motivating for donors. They are able to connect to her story and know that a member of their community was helped.
The Secret
The real secret though is that most of the time, statistics people still want to hear stories and story people still want to hear statistics! Just because they lean one way, doesn’t mean that they don’t find value in the other. When you combine stories and statistics, you craft a message that anyone can connect with!
