Let the Story Do the Work

CHAPTER 1

MASTER THE KEY ELEMENTS OF STORYTELLING

IN SPRING 2016, A small art museum in Cincinnati, Ohio, was preparing for a critical meeting. The museum was about to launch a capital campaign and needed several major donors to pledge six-figure gifts to give momentum to the fundraising effort. After months of extensive research and networking, the campaign director secured an initial meeting with a well-known banker. This potential donor was of course a very busy person, and promised only fifteen minutes to the director while he was in town for business. Knowing the initial conversation could make or break the chance of a sizable gift, the campaign director asked the museum’s lead curator to join the meeting to discuss the museum’s impact on ...