Telling the greatest story

On Easter Sunday I had the privilege of hearing my brother giving a sermon at the Cathedral* where he is Dean. He told us all a story (in this case, a story from the Chronicles of Narnia).

In fact, he began his sermon provocatively with a statement that he could not prove the resurrection of Christ. 

He could however point to the stories told by disciples and believers. No scientific evidence exists. However, the story has been told many times and by many voices over the centuries. The story has inspired hundreds of millions of believers. It has shaped history and civilisations. It inspires passion and belief.

As it happens, my brother chose not to retell that story. Instead, he made a powerful point by telling another story written by a master storyteller, CS Lewis. The point he was making is that our beliefs and our values are shaped by stories more often and more profoundly than by facts and figures. The Bible and  the scriptures of all the world's major religions are collections of stories. Rich, colourful moving spicy stories which tell us more than the recitation of dates and facts ever could.

That is why, I believe that our role as fundraisers is to tell stories. When you make a case for support you will make it far more effectively when you can tell the story of what you and your donors will do to make a difference. If you engage with people's imagination, if you can enable them to see, hear and feel the world of difference they can be a part of then you will inspire them to join you.

Some of you will argue the importance of metrics in philanthropy. Some of you will say that it is important to set goals and important to track and measure the achievement of those goals. However, I firmly believe that telling stories about the misery and devastation caused to people's lives by, say, malaria is more compelling than reciting statistics about the disease's incidence.

Which is more compelling? Telling stories and painting pictures about the changes achieved with the elimination of malaria - or percentages? Stories about children able to enjoy education, about local economies beginning to thrive, about eco-systems and indigenous cultures being revitalised - or the dollars and cents generated?

Let me know your thoughts.

*Cathedral of St John the Evangelist, Napier, New Zealand.  And St John's gospel begins, "In the beginning was the word..." You can see this inscribed in the stained glass above.