Powerful storytelling is one of the cornerstones of a great nonprofit fundraising strategy. To learn how to tell great stories, we can look to one of the masters of storytelling: Pixar. If you’ve ever seen one of its award-winning films, you know the people at Pixar do an A+ job of getting the viewer invested with simple, clear, and powerful storytelling. The Pixar pitch is a storytelling method that you can use to convey the impact and vision of your nonprofit to the world.
How can you use Pixar’s storytelling techniques to power up your nonprofit fundraising story?
Pixar Storytelling Framework
Here is the Pixar story framework in a nutshell.
- Once upon a time, there was ____________.
- Every day, _____________.
- Then one day, __________.
- Because of that, _________.
- Because of that, __________.
- Until finally, ________________.
Using this storytelling framework, you can structure your nonprofit’s story in an emotionally compelling way that draws people in and invests them in your mission.
Here’s the story applied to the Pixar film, Finding Nemo:
- Once upon a time there was … a widowed fish, named Marlin, who was extremely protective of his only son, Nemo.
- Every day … Marlin warned Nemo of the ocean’s dangers and implored him not to swim far away.
- One day … in an act of defiance, Nemo ignored his father’s warnings and swam into the open water.
- Because of that … he was captured by a diver and ended up in the fish tank of a dentist in Sydney.
- Because of that … Marlin set off on a journey to recover Nemo, enlisting the help of other sea creatures along the way.
- Until finally … Marlin and Nemo found each other, reunited and learned that love depends on trust.
What you should note is that the story sets the stage with a way of being that is uncomfortable and unacceptable. Marlin lived in a constant state of fear and insecurity, and Nemo felt oppressed.
Then, something occurs that shifts the status quo, setting the stage for a change. In this case, Nemo decides he’s had enough of overprotection. The result is that the world is turned upside down, and the audience gets really invested to find out how things turn out.
Here’s another example of the formula as it appears in the film, The Incredibles:
- Once upon a time there was… a family of superheroes who were forced to hide their abilities and live normal lives.
- Every day… they had to suppress their desires to help people by using their powers for good.
- One day… the father, Mr. Incredible, received an invitation from a mysterious benefactor for a secret project.
- Because of that… he was captured by the evil villain Syndrome and held hostage on a tropical island.
- Because of that… his family traveled to the island to rescue him.
- Until finally… the family returned to the city for one last showdown with Syndrome, where they learned how to work together as a team and protect each other.
As you may have noticed, one of the most important aspects of the Pixar pitch is that it is relatable. Both Finding Nemo and The Incredibles ultimately focus on the power and importance of family. That’s a story that will resonate with almost everyone.
Let’s take an example that’s not explicitly about family, but still illustrates the need for relatability in the Pixar pitch. Here’s the structure for the film, Ratatouille:
- Once upon a time there was… a rat, named Remy, who dreamed of becoming a chef in Paris.
- Every day… he ignored the warnings from his family about the danger of humans, continuing to imagine his life as a star chef.
- One day… he met a young man, Alfredo Linguini, working at a restaurant and the two of them began secretly cooking together, with Remy controlling Alfredo from inside his hat.
- Because of that… Alfredo became famous around Paris for his culinary brilliance.
- Because of that… Remy and Alfredo had a falling out and Remy took revenge by leading a raid on the pantry with other rats.
- Until finally… Remy and Alfredo reunited to make a dish for a famous (and harsh) food critic, who came to accept Remy as a legitimate chef.
While families appear in this story, they aren’t the central focus. Instead, Ratatouille is about ambition and dreams, and how they are always achievable, no matter who you are. This is exactly the kind of uplifting message that inspires adults and children alike.
The Pixar pitch is a way of simplifying a story so that it communicates a relatable, inspiring message to a broad audience. As a nonprofit professional, this is an invaluable tool for presenting your organization to donors.
Applying the Pixar Pitch to Your Nonprofit Storytelling
The Pixar Pitch is actually already well suited to storytelling for nonprofits because it focuses on a status quo that suddenly shifts.
Applying the Pixar pitch to your organization should be easy. Nonprofits exist to solve problems in the world. So begin with the problematic status quo that will get the donor’s attention. Then move through a series of steps that your nonprofit has taken to address this issue to show how the new (and better) status quo has come about because of your work.
Generally, this is how you should be structuring your Pixar pitch:
- Once upon a time, there was… a problem.
- Every day… the problem negatively impacted lives.
- Then one day… the solution to the problem arose.
- Because of that… an organization was founded to solve the problem.
- Because of that… the organization began applying the solution to the problem.
- Until finally… the burden of the problem was lessened.
Here’s another example from a real nonprofit:
- Once upon a time, there was … unreliable electricity in rural Nepal, and because all the men had left the villages for the cities, it fell to the women to figure out how to get energy and still do all their other work.
- Every day … women had to spend 8 hours of their day collecting firewood and would spend more than they could afford on kerosene, just so they could light their homes. Kids were getting sick from the smoke, and poverty was crushing the families.
- Then one day … cheap, reliable solar technology was designed, and a pair of social entrepreneurs decided access to something as simple as reliable lighting was a universal right. With backgrounds in women’s rights and sustainable energy, they saw an opportunity to help the Nepalese villages.
- Because of that … they decided to take on the challenge of energy poverty and began training women to become renewable energy technology distributors.
- Because of that … women in rural Nepal gained a sense of empowerment as well as valuable business experience. They were able to generate revenue by leveraging their community connections while also directly alleviating the problem of energy poverty
- Until finally … women-led families in rural Nepal escaped the literal darkness thanks to the hard work of women themselves. Kids could study at night. Women got hours of their day back. And a new social movement had been kicked off that would continue to grow and empower a new generation of South Asian women.
This is actually the story of a nonprofit I worked for, Pollinate Group. The story told in this framework sets up a powerful sense of momentum and empowerment, essential for enlisting donors in your mission.
The end result doesn’t have to have been accomplished yet. Your “Until finally…” section can be your imagined outcome. You should still include it in your story because that is what you are asking donors to help you accomplish. You want to make it easy for them to imagine what the outcome of their help will be.
The Pixar Pitch came from a set of storytelling rules published by story artist Emma Coats. Exploring these rules in greater detail can help you refine your pitch and make it more effective, so let’s examine them now.
1. You Admire A Character For Trying More Than For Their Successes.
We all love to see results. But the most important thing about nonprofit work is that it is ongoing. You may not be able to completely solve the problem that you are addressing with your work. So when structuring your Pixar pitch, think about how you can emphasize how the work that you continue to do every day makes the problem less acute or intense.
2. You Gotta Keep In Mind What’s Interesting To You As An Audience, Not What’s Fun To Do As A Writer.
This rule is central to nonprofit storytelling. You probably have tons of specific projects and initiatives that you would love to tell your audience about. But remember to ask yourself if they would be interested in learning about it. When in doubt, keep it simple.
3. Write The Story. Then Rewrite.
First drafts are crucial. Don’t spend all your time trying to make the story perfect right away. Instead, draft a pitch, give it some time,, and then go back to edit it.
4. Once Upon A Time…, Every Day…, One Day…, etc.
You’re already familiar with this rule. Follow the formula and you can’t go wrong.
5. Simplify!
Skipping over detail may seem like oversight to you, but remember that your audience doesn’t have the same level of expertise that you do. The simpler you can make your pitch, the more it will resonate with a wide audience.
6. What Is Your Character Good At? What Challenges Them?
Consider how you would answer these questions for your character (your nonprofit) as you write your Pixar pitch. Not only will they help you come up with a list of talking points about the strengths and outstanding needs of your organization, but also they will help you frame your story in an engaging way.
7. Come Up With The Ending Before The Middle.
This may seem backwards to you, but it’s important. It always helps to know what goal or objective that you are working towards. For nonprofits, this could be the fulfillment of your mission or vision. Everything else in your story should be leading up to this, so it’s important to keep it in mind throughout the writing process.
8. Finish Your Story.
At some point, your Pixar pitch has to be presented to the world. You could spend an eternity trying to tweak it in the pursuit of perfection, but if it stays on the drawing board, it won’t have an impact.
9. When Stuck, Make A List Of What Won’t Happen. Then Figure Out What Will.
This is a common trick for writers. If you ever get stuck writing your pitch, write a list of ideas that you know won’t work. Oftentimes, this will help you find the one that will.
10. Pull Apart The Stories You Love. What You Love About Them Is A Part Of You.
Ideally, you want to make your audience connect so strongly to the mission of your nonprofit that it becomes their mission as well. With a well-conceived Pixar pitch delivered to the right person, this goal can become a reality.
11. Putting It On Paper Lets You Fix It.
This one should be obvious, but make sure that you write it down! You may think with such a simple structure that you can keep it all in your head, but think again. The Pixar pitch is an important communicative tool for your nonprofit. You should record it and rehearse it several times before presenting it to the audience.
12. Surprise Yourself!
You know your nonprofit better than anyone. Chances are, you can fill out the template above in a couple of minutes. However, spend some time with the process. Come up with more ideas. You may think of a better way to communicate one or more of the points if you allow yourself to be surprised by your own mind.
13. Give Your Characters Opinions.
As a nonprofit, it’s okay to take a stand. Don’t present a passive view of the problem you are solving with your work. Show how you are actively working to make it go away.
14. Why Must You Tell This Story?
This rule is so important that it could easily be the first on this list. Ask yourself why you need to tell this story and why you need to solve the problem. These are crucial questions to communicate with your audience to get them engaged with your work.
15. If You Were A Character In This Situation How Would You Feel?
Empathy is a powerful resource for nonprofits. Wherever possible, ask your audience to empathize with those who suffer as a result of the problem in question. This will make them more likely to connect with your mission and get involved.
16. What Are The Stakes?
The stakes of your nonprofit’s work will vary depending on its size and mission. However, regardless of how large or small, your organization does have something at stake with its mission. Make sure that your audience understands that.
17. No Work Is Ever Wasted.
Even if you don’t end up using your Pixar pitch in its exact form, you will undoubtedly borrow parts of it when communicating with donors and community members.
18. You Have To Know Yourself.
You know what information will work best when telling a story about your nonprofit. The trick is how to package that information in a digestible and relatable way. So when structuring your Pixar pitch, try new elements and ideas. Always be testing.
19. Coincidences To Get Your Characters Into Trouble Are Great; Coincidences To Get Them Out Of It Are Cheating.
When building a Pixar pitch, try not to focus too heavily on the context of why the problem came about. It matters more that it is a problem, instead of how it became one. Similarly, make sure to emphasize that this problem won’t just go away. It is only through the work that you do that the problem can be solved.
20. Exercise: Take The Building Blocks Of A Movie You Don’t Like And Rearrange Them Into Something You Do Like.
You can do this exercise with movies to improve your familiarity with the Pixar pitch, but you can also do it with nonprofit communication. When you see messages or appeals from another organization, ask yourself how you would do things differently.
21. Identify With Your Story And Characters.
Your organization exists to solve a problem. Don’t lose sight of that as you become more engaged with the day-to-day operations of your nonprofit. The focus, especially for the audience, should be on the problem and the results of your work.
22. What Is The Essence Of Your Story?
The Pixar pitch is already simple, but can you simplify it further? How would you describe the mission and impact of your organization in one sentence?
Start Writing Your Pixar Pitch Today!
The Pixar pitch is an invaluable tool for nonprofits of all sizes. As you have seen, this framework can help you stay focused on the elements of your organization’s story that an audience can clearly follow.
Try using the Pixar Pitch framework to tell the story of your nonprofit to get clarity and a sense of momentum for your fundraising efforts.
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