Storytelling as Invitation: 4 Essential Questions for Creating Powerful Campaigns

As the creative lead across a variety of nonprofits, I have the privilege of collaborating with some of the most passionate, mission-driven organizations in the world. One of the things I love about direct response marketing is how it relates to its supporters. For me, it comes down to space: direct response creative leaves space for its audience to participate, to go beyond consuming a story into becoming part of it.

At the same time, each organization brings a distinct voice, purpose, and community to the table. But no matter the issue at hand – whether it’s human rights, child advocacy, or gun violence prevention – one truth remains: Every campaign starts with a meaningful story. A story that resonates. A story that connects. A story that inspires people to act.

It’s a privilege to create these, an almost one-of-a-kind medium to work in, and I want to share some of what I found essential so that you can create even better stories for your nonprofit (or know what we’d be like as a partner).

When I sit down to begin work on a new campaign, I always come back to a few guiding questions:

1. What is the story we’re telling?

Every cause we work with is doing powerful – sometimes, often, lifesaving – work. So many times, these organizations are moving mountains, getting volunteers and resources into far-reaching places. I’m looking to tell these stories with as much ambition as possible, ambition that fits the insights at the heart of these organizations. Each story deserves to be told with care and clarity – and deserves to reflect the organization’s mission and mirror the urgency of the moment. We spend time understanding not just what the organization does but why it matters right now. Because timing is everything in advocacy and fundraising. When we tell a story with authenticity, grounded in the lived experiences of the people our partners serve, we create an invitation – not a pitch. We open the door and say, “Come be a part of something meaningful.”

2. Whose story is it?

Any given email or ad comes from someone, whether a collective (the organization) or a particular individual therein (the executive director or a program officer or someone whose life has been changed by the organization’s mission). I need to know what motivates them so that we can use that viewpoint to motivate the audience. If someone founded an organization to end gun violence, say, where did it start? What about clean water or hunger? The beginning is often a throughline. Organizationally, what might success look like? Can we take people on a from-to journey: from here to there.

3. How do we want our audience to feel?

Fundraising can often feel like a transaction. But real connection? That’s emotional. That’s where empathy and creativity intersect. Our goal is to help supporters see themselves in the mission – to recognize their values, their hopes, and their concerns reflected in the cause. Through story, imagery, and design, we build bridges. There’s no passive consumption of direct response stories, or, at least, we don’t want that. We want, instead, to show supporters that they belong here, that they are part of a community that cares deeply and acts boldly. When someone opens an email or lands on a donation page, they should feel invited and compelled.

4. How do we want our audience to react?

Connection without action is only half the equation. The most effective campaigns don’t just move hearts – they move feet, they move fingers to guide cursors to that donation button. We want to channel that emotional connection into meaningful steps: signing a petition, sending a message to Congress, sharing a story, making a gift. We think carefully about what we’re asking and how we’re asking it – making sure each call to action feels like a natural next step in the journey we’ve invited our audience to join.

When we approach every campaign with these questions in mind, we do more than communicate – we cultivate. We build deeper relationships, foster shared purpose, and turn storytelling into impact. Because at the end of the day, our creative work isn’t just about making something beautiful. It’s about helping our partners build the world they envision – one story, one supporter, one action at a time.

Want to read more insights from MissionWired creative leads? Check out Uncanny: The underdog design trend of 2025 by Art Director Lauren Allen. For a look at how we’re tracking results across the nonprofit industry, go to Introducing: Nonprofit Trends by MissionWired.