Ethical Storytelling in Nonprofit Communications with Caliopy Glaros

Do you struggle to portray your program participants as their own agents of change, while admitting that they also need your organization’s help? 

Do you worry about jeopardizing the dignity of the people in your stories for the sake of raising money? 

Do you find yourself debating ethical storytelling principles with colleagues who don’t see eye-to-eye?

Tough but important questions - and Caliopy Glaros has us covered.   

Caliopy (CAL EE OH PEE) is the Principal Consultant at Philanthropy without Borders, a firm which provides strategic guidance on donor travel, ethical storytelling, and virtual engagement. 

She has helped organizations in more than sixty countries around the world build storytelling processes that are contributor-led, donor-educating, and money-raising, all while instilling principles of ethical storytelling in their teams. 

Here are some of the topics we discussed:

• When donor behavior doesn't line up with your organizational values 
• What it means to have an ethical storytelling strategy and process
• How nonprofits can share stories authentically and without tokenizing the subjects of the stories
• How nonprofit staff can get buy-in from their teams and co-workers when changing their strategy around storytelling 

A Caliopy Glaros quotable: "In our communications we actually have the potential for changing some of the beliefs and behaviors that have contributed to and held up these very inequitable systems... We have a chance to counter that in our narratives, and be influencing our donors, and be bringing them closer in to our organization as partners who embody these shared values - not just asking for cash."

Connect with Caliopy:
https://philanthropywithoutborders.com/
https://www.instagram.com/philanthropywithoutborders/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/caliopyglaros/ 

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About Julia Campbell, the host of the Nonprofit Nation podcast:

Named as a top thought leader by Forbes and BizTech Magazine, Julia Campbell (she/hers) is an author, coach, and speaker on a mission to make the digital world a better place.

She wrote her book, Storytelling in the Digital Age: A Guide for Nonprofits, as a roadmap for social change agents who want to build movements using engaging digital storytelling techniques. Her second book, How to Build and Mobilize a Social Media Community for Your Nonprofit, was published in 2020 as a call-to-arms for mission-driven organizations to use the power of social media to build movements. Julia’s online courses, webinars, and talks have helped hundreds of nonprofits make the shift to digital thinking and raise more money online. 

Clients include Mastercard, GoFundMe, Facebook, Meals on Wheels America, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. 

Take my free masterclass: 3 Must-Have Elements of Social Media Content that Converts