Storytelling and Social Change: A Strategy Guide for Grantmakers

Paul VanDeCarr. 2013, 42 pages, Working Narratives, http://workingnarratives.org/project/story-guide/.

Storytelling can be a powerful tool for communications, organizing, and evaluation. Consider efforts that use oral history to expose human rights abuses, documentary films for prison reform, telenovelas to advance immigrants’ health, or digital storytelling to prevent LGBT youth suicide. This practical guide will serve grantmakers who use or want to use narrative strategies in their funding and communications programs. It looks at the recent history of storytelling and social change; reviews the theories of change behind this work; provides case studies of six to eight projects and funders; offers resources and recommendations to build the field; and includes sidebar interviews and other features.