by Matt Pearl, Pearl Impact Media
It's critical that we learn from each other.
The nonprofit space can be isolating at times. And while every nonprofit is different, we can gain great strength by learning how others operate, particularly around subjects that aren't our expertise.
That's why I created the Nonprofit Storytelling Survey.
Storytelling isn't everyone's favorite subject. But it's essential to communicating, fundraising, and nearly everything we do as nonprofits.
I put out the survey in late fall of 2025 and received dozens of responses. While there are limits with a smallish sample size, there are clear takeaways that should guide our actions as we move forward as nonprofits.
Let's begin:
1. The diversity of responses was outstanding. We heard from nonprofits from across the country, dealing with more than a dozen issues of focus. And the majority of respondents - nearly 75% - came from nonprofits with annual revenues below $5 million. If this seems high, it's actually the opposite: In real life, it's 97%. Similarly, roughly 60% of respondents had a staff of 15 or fewer.
2. The vast majority of respondents devote resources to marketing – to a point. More than 80% of respondents devote between 1 and 4 staff members to marketing, communications, or social media. Hardly any go beyond that; most of the rest simply don’t staff that work.
3. Most nonprofits have a storytelling calendar. Far fewer have a strategy. We asked the question, "Which best describes your organization's approach to communications and storytelling?" The choices:
- REACTIVE: We post when we can
- PLANNED: We have a calendar but not a strategy
- STRATEGIC: We follow a communications plan
- INTEGRATED: Communications drives our fundraising strategy
The good news? Barely 20% of respondents answered "REACTIVE," which means most nonprofits at least use a calendar to plan their social media posts, email blasts, and other forms of content. But fewer than half follow a designated strategy beyond "PLANNED."
Matt Pearl is a nonprofit video storyteller and former journalist who’s worked with organizations nationwide to elevate their stories with clarity, dignity, and impact.
