The value of impact storytelling is enormous. According to the Stanford Graduate School of Business, stories are remembered up to 22 times more than facts alone. Great stories have the power to inspire, engage and bring about real change. As a nonprofit professional, you have the unique chance to see authentic stories in action every day – but do you have a way to capture videos, photos, and written testimonials that bring your mission to life? 

That is where we come in! Here at MemoryFox, we know every nonprofit has great stories to tell. But, we also know that securing the funding for nonprofit storytelling can be challenging. In this article, we will explore how your nonprofit can secure funding for MemoryFox so you can meet and exceed your organization’s goals.

What is MemoryFox?

MemoryFox is a technology solution designed to help nonprofit organizations collect, organize, and share stories directly from their community. With MemoryFox, you can easily curate impactful narratives, helping you boost your nonprofits reach and impact. This blog post explores how nonprofits like yours can apply for funding to cover the cost of MemoryFox so you can tell great stories at no cost to you. To take a deep dive into how MemoryFox works, check out our How it Works page. 

What Types of Stories Could I Collect?

Everyday, our storytellers are finding new ways that all nonprofit departments create value with MemoryFox. And with our unlimited storage – the sky’s the limit! Here are just a few examples of the types of stories that your organization could collect that will bring your mission to life:

• Client testimonials 
• Program participant feedback
• “Why I Support” donor testimonials
• Board member stories
• Volunteer experiences
• Special events attendee stories
• Staff member institutional knowledge
• Staff videos (birthdays, holidays, work anniversaries, etc.)

What Can I Do With My Stories? 

MemoryFox offers a variety of “share” tools – like the MemoryFox Video Editor, Story Pages, and Canva integration – that empower your team to turn your most compelling submissions into moving, impactful content. You can utilize the collected videos, photos and written testimonials in various ways, including:

• Donor appreciation & stewardship 
• Event promotion for the next year
• Sponsorship & grant applications
• Board meetings presentations
• Event strategy & execution
• Social media engagement
• Annual reports

6 Tips To Get MemoryFox Funded in Your Next Grant

1. Make it Obvious That You Understand The Grantor: What is it about this specific grantor that makes them likely to fund an innovative technology solution like MemoryFox? Research the grantor thoroughly to understand their goals, priorities and evaluation criteria. 
   
   Then, use your insights to blatantly tailor your proposal to align with the grantor’s mission and interests. This is not the time to beat around the bush! Many large granting organizations will run your submission through a system to determine how relevant your application is before even considering it. Stay relevant by using the same keywords the grantor used in their priorities and evaluation criteria.

2. Clearly Define MemoryFox: Provide a clear and concise description of MemoryFox that the grantor will understand by explaining its purpose. Here are a couple examples:

• MemoryFox is a technology solution built specifically to help nonprofits collect, organize, and share stories directly from their community.
• MemoryFox brings nonprofit missions to life with an end-to-end technology solution for organizations to collect, organize and share impact stories easier than ever before.
• MemoryFox is a technology platform built to assist mission-driven organizations tell impact stories that will inspire and engage action from their communities.

3. Communicate Your Pain Points: Take your application to the next level by sharing how MemoryFox will address the persistent barriers your organization is facing. Use data and statistics to illustrate the need for the platform and show evidence of a gap in existing solutions or services. Here are a few pain points your nonprofit might be facing:

• Collecting videos, photos and written testimonials from my community is time consuming and frustrating.
• We don’t have a system to keep our content organized, which results in time wasted and submissions lost.
• We don’t have a cost-effective or time-effective way to turn our videos, photos and written testimonials into compelling content that is worth sharing.

4. Demonstrate Your Storytelling Vision: According to Classy, fundraising campaigns that incorporate video receive 114% more funding than campaigns that don’t. Convey the potential your great stories will bring by highlighting the positive impact MemoryFox would have on your organization. 
   
   What stories do you see your organization collecting and how would you plan to use them to meet (and exceed) your goals? Start by explaining your highest priority stories that will empower your fundraising campaigns, but don’t forget to list all the supporting stories that will help your secondary goals like: increased brand awareness, enhanced transparency, donor stewardship and retention. 

5. Highlight Long-Term Sustainability: Create a detailed budget that outlines how the grant will be used to cover the cost of MemoryFox. Be transparent and realistic about your financial needs. Explain your plan for sustainability beyond the grant period by showing how you’ll generate revenue or secure additional funding to keep MemoryFox in in the future.

6. Tell a Compelling Story: As you know by now, we are always in support of sharing a great story – especially our own! If you have room in your grant proposal, take a moment to share the story of MemoryFox and how our team truly believes that storytelling is the quintessential tool to connect people across cultures, generations, and socio-economic backgrounds. But don’t just take our word for it – Incorporate success stories from like-minded organizations to show social proof and engage the grantor emotionally.

What Types of Grants Should I Apply For?

• Technology Grants: As a technology solution ourselves, we appreciate grants that prioritize innovation in the “tech for good” space. Writing a grant focused on how MemoryFox solves an ongoing problem at your organization using a simple, thoughtful, end-to-end approach is something we know grantors who prioritize technical innovation will believe in. 

• Capacity Building Grants: Great stories lead to great results. Applying for a grant that emphasizes the importance of expanding the capacity – whether through program expansion or by increasing your impact – of your nonprofit is perfect for a tool like MemoryFox. 

• Storytelling Grants: In a world surrounded by endless amounts of data, applying for a grant that places emphasis on storytelling and impact-driven results is ideal. MemoryFox brings nonprofit missions to life through storytelling. So, finding a grantor who understands the power of storytelling is a great fit when looking for funding opportunities.

• Mission-Focused Grants: Ultimately, a grant making organization that prioritizes your unique mission is the best fit for you! Our tool is built to show your mission in action, and a grantor who supports your unique mission will understand better than anyone how essential your organization is. 

Finally, best practices when it comes to grant writing include: proofread your proposal carefully, adhere to the grantor’s guidelines, and submit your application before the deadline. Additionally, seeking feedback from peers or professionals experienced in grant writing can greatly improve the quality of your proposal. Best of luck with your next grant proposal!