Refreshing the Voice of Living Opps through Storytelling
The Opportunity
Living Opportunities is an award-winning organization serving individuals living with physical and intellectual disabilities in Southern Oregon. Their mission is to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live in the same neighborhoods, work for the same employers, and share in the same experiences to which we all aspire.
Operating for 25+ years, Living Opps is a well-established nonprofit that, under new leadership, saw the need to revamp their communications approach to increase audience engagement and strengthen relationships with key donors.
After investing in a brand new website, they were ready to bring their quarterly printed news mailers up to date as well. In reviewing the first draft of their newsletter content, I saw a lot of potential, as well as room for improvement.
The Writing Process
I worked with Living Opps to bring a storytelling lens to their newsletter to make each section more compelling to readers and capture their interest from start to finish. I also helped them develop a template for organizing content in their newsletters moving forward, grouping together stories to ensure that each element of their work is well-represented.
I prompted Living Opps to conduct simple interviews, gathering just a few quick bullet points from program participants, which I then crafted into memorable vignettes of the lives touched by Living Opps on a daily basis. Moving forward, Living Opps is prioritizing these real-life stories alongside other important newsletter information such as upcoming events, program updates, and messages from leadership.
Creating a Consistent Voice
Because Living Opps is all about dreaming big and celebrating life, we developed a brand voice that is fun, captivating, and conversational. I've worked to help Living Opps carry this voice over consistently to all of their communications materials, including fundraising event invites, donor appreciation letters, and new program brochures.
View a few newsletter samples:
Living Opportunities: Talks (Fall 2016)
Living Opportunities: Rocks (Winter 2016)
“I couldn’t be happier with Lisa. I love how she picks up the essence of what I am looking for and puts it all together in such a warm, professional and inspiring way. I appreciate the timeliness of her service, her professional ethic and the confidence that comes with her knowledge and ability to write engaging content. Her services always far exceed my expectations and she is an excellent writer that I highly recommend.”
I'd love to help your nonprofit rethink your storytelling approach and produce fundraising and engagement products you are proud to share. Please contact me if you're interested in working together.