Understanding the Hero’s Journey: A Guide for Nonprofits to Create Compelling Stories
In his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, American mythologist Joseph Campbell explored an idea that would transform the way stories are told: The Hero’s Journey. Campbell’s research uncovered a common narrative structure—what he called the "monomyth"—found in myths, legends, and stories across all cultures. This pattern became known as The Hero’s Journey, a storytelling framework that is still used today in books, films, and, increasingly, in marketing and fundraising campaigns.
For nonprofits and organizations, understanding The Hero’s Journey can be a powerful tool to help craft stories that resonate with audiences, especially when creating videos to engage donors, volunteers, or stakeholders. Let’s break down the structure of the Hero’s Journey and explore how your nonprofit can apply it to tell emotionally compelling stories that drive impact.
The 12 Stages of the Hero’s Journey
While The Hero’s Journey is often depicted with 12 stages, not every story needs to include them all. However, understanding the key elements can help nonprofits better shape their narratives.
The Ordinary World: The hero (your subject) begins in their normal, everyday environment. For a nonprofit video, this could be the initial setting of a community in need or the state of a pressing issue your organization aims to address.
The Call to Adventure: The hero receives a challenge or opportunity to embark on a journey. This could be when a donor, volunteer, or program participant encounters the problem your nonprofit solves, sparking their desire to act.
Refusal of the Call: Often, the hero hesitates or encounters doubts. In your story, this might be when the subject faces obstacles—whether it’s the fear of taking a risk, feeling too small to make a difference, or doubts about a solution.
Meeting the Mentor: A mentor appears to guide the hero. For your nonprofit, this mentor could be a program leader, volunteer coordinator, or even your organization itself, providing the guidance and tools to help someone succeed.
Crossing the Threshold: The hero commits to the journey. This is the turning point when the subject of your story—be it a donor, volunteer, or program participant—takes that first step toward action, symbolizing the impact your organization can have.
Tests, Allies, and Enemies: On the journey, the hero faces challenges, meets allies, and encounters obstacles. This is where your storytelling can highlight the struggles or hurdles your nonprofit helps people overcome, as well as the support network they find along the way.
Approach to the Inmost Cave: The hero nears their goal but faces their biggest challenge yet. In a nonprofit context, this could represent the hardest part of a mission or a critical fundraising campaign that requires everyone’s contribution.
The Ordeal: The hero faces a major test or crisis, where everything is on the line. This is the most dramatic part of your story, showing the emotional or physical challenges that people encounter in their journey—whether it’s the peak of a personal transformation or the height of a campaign.
The Reward: After the ordeal, the hero receives a reward. For nonprofits, this could be the achievement of a goal—helping a community in need, hitting a major fundraising milestone, or seeing the personal success of a program participant.
The Road Back: The hero begins their return journey, often with new challenges ahead. This is a great opportunity to show what happens after the initial success—how lives have changed, or what ongoing needs still require attention.
The Resurrection: The hero is transformed by their journey, overcoming the final challenge. For nonprofits, this can be the lasting impact of your work—how your programs or donors have made a long-term difference in someone’s life or in a community.
Return with the Elixir: The hero returns to their ordinary world, but they are changed. The “elixir” can be the knowledge, power, or benefit the hero brings back to share with others. In a nonprofit context, this could be the subject sharing their transformation or a powerful call to action for your audience.
How Nonprofits Can Use the Hero’s Journey for Storytelling
1. Humanize Your Cause
At its heart, The Hero’s Journey is about transformation. By positioning the people your nonprofit serves, your volunteers, or your donors as the “hero” of the story, you humanize your cause. Whether you’re highlighting a personal story of change or the broader impact of your work, this framework helps make your message relatable.
2. Create Emotional Connection
The Hero’s Journey taps into emotions—fears, hopes, and triumphs—that are universal. Nonprofit organizations thrive on the ability to inspire and motivate people to take action. By following the structure of The Hero’s Journey, you create stories that evoke empathy, pride, and a sense of purpose, making your audience more likely to engage and donate.
3. Build a Clear Narrative Arc
Every successful story has a beginning, middle, and end. The Hero’s Journey gives you a roadmap for developing this arc. For example, you can show the “ordinary world” by highlighting the problem, the “call to adventure” by introducing your organization’s mission, and the “reward” by showing the tangible outcomes your work has achieved. This clarity can make your videos and content easier to follow and more impactful.
4. Highlight Your Role as Mentor
In the Hero’s Journey, the mentor is crucial to the hero’s success. Your nonprofit can position itself as this mentor, guiding heroes (donors, volunteers, or beneficiaries) to make an impact. This approach subtly emphasizes that your organization is the key to enabling positive change.
5. Drive Action with a Call to Adventure
The Call to Adventure in the Hero’s Journey is where your audience should feel compelled to take action. In your videos, this can be a clear call-to-action (CTA) for donations, participation, or advocacy. By positioning the CTA as the pivotal moment in the hero’s journey, you give your audience the sense that their involvement is part of something bigger.
Conclusion
Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey is a timeless storytelling framework that offers nonprofits and organizations a powerful way to create emotionally compelling, impact-driven content. By aligning your stories with this narrative structure, you can create videos that not only engage and inspire your audience but also drive them to take meaningful action. Whether you’re crafting a documentary, a fundraising video, or a social media campaign, The Hero’s Journey can help you transform your content into a story worth telling.