A short video clip from Andy Goodman on corporate storytelling and its use at a nonprofit, Nov-2006: http://www.agoodmanonline.com/workshop/index.html . It's now in this SSIR podcast (see [21:49-28:33]) https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/andy_goodman_-_storytelling_for_good_causes#
Catherine Milton, who is featured in the segment, was the head of US Programs at Save the Children when I first arrived there. She moved on before I left. She was the President of Friend's of the Children in Portland, OR for 2001-2004, which this podcast refers to.
4:00 Intro to Friends of the Children
6:50 Catherine's story of TR
7:15 - 10:15 New TR Slide and full story
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Catherine: I'm just not connecting with audiences.
DG: Let's start over; let's throw this away.
Can you just tell me the story of somebody you've helped through your program? Just the story of one person, so I can get my mind around what you do.
She said, well that's easy, I'll tell you the story about TR. And she told me about the story of one young man who had been through the program. And by the time she finished that story, first I'm wiping a tear away.
I said to her, Catherine, from now on when you go out and talk to groups, start with that story.
So I want to show you what became her new slide one. And there it is [Picture of TR]
She would tell people this is TR a young man in our program who we met in second grade. We were just getting off the ground. And we interviewed him to see what his life was like and what first grade had been like for him. We found out he lived in Northeast Portland in a neighborhood surrounded by crime, gangs and drugs. His mom was on welfare; his dad was long gone. In first grade, the year before, he had been suspended 22 times in one year.
But the biggest indicator of where he was at as a human being are those three words. They said, "what were you like in first grade TR?" And he said "I was bad." And you think about it, here's a kid about 6 or 7 or 8 years old, and he already he thinks he's a bad kid, and I think the battle is almost over.
So they matched him with this guy, Zach Harris. Zach started to work with TR four hours a week, week in and week out, getting him to school on time, getting him home, doing homework with him.. Just being that solid adult presence that he lacked. Zach could see right away that this was making a difference, This was really turning his life around. But he could also see that this was not enough because when he brought him to his home in Northeast Portland, he was basically handing him back to the gangs. Zach could see that this was basically undoing everything he was doing. He realized he had to talk to the gang members. This what he did.
I want to read you his words, because I can't say it any better. This is what Zach Harris said:
I recall going to the gang members one day. I will never forget the lump I felt in my belly. This one gentlemen he had to be 6' 2 and he's staring me right in the face."May I help you." Little TR right there. He's mine now. He's going to be OK. And I'd appreciate it if everyday he came home you would let him go inside the house and not hang out with the guys any more. From that day, that's just what they did. They realized that this was a kid who actually had a chance
That was more than 10 years ago. TR grew up to be Number 2 in this picture, starting fullback in Jefferson High School, recruited by division one colleges all around the country, and was offered him a full scholarship. Took his SATs, he didn't do so good. He had to take them again. Fortunately he still had friends in his life to help him..
Finally he was able to get into the university of Oregon where's he's now in his junior year. They were so proud of him they put him on the cover of their newsletter. That's him now, a man, and above his head you can see his words: living the dream."
This is one life that has been turned around by Friends of the Children.
Yes, give it up for them.
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Let me ask you, Do you have more of a feeling for what Friends of the Children does? Yes! Now when Catherine went out to speak with groups, there was a palpable difference in the room. She could feel people understanding what she did, at a gut level getting their hearts and minds around it and wanting to know more. Now she could give them the numbers and charts and metrics to show that there was more than one story to be told, but she started with one story and it made all the difference in the world..
Storytelling needs to be considered a best practice. Frankly, I think it is the single most important, most powerful communication tool you have bar none.
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