Blog

A go-to resource for practical storytelling tips, creative insights, and powerful tools—plus personal musings, funding opportunities, curated mixes, and more. Updated regularly!

Sean Peoples Sean Peoples

Map Your Storytelling Spectrum

Every story you tell as a non-profit organization or NGO is an opportunity to make a difference. Whether you’re revealing a new issue, refocusing attention on a familiar problem, investigating a controversial cause, or humanizing an entrenched one, your storytelling should always be intentional and strategic.

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Sean Peoples Sean Peoples

Quick Guide: Optimizing Videos for Social Media

Learn how to optimize your videos for social media with our essential toolkit, designed to help non-profits extend the reach of their content. From platform-specific aspect ratios to the best export settings, we’ll show you how to make your reports and videos shine across every digital platform.

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Sean Peoples Sean Peoples

How to Craft Powerful Impact Stories

An impact story isn’t just a report of what you’ve done—it’s a compelling narrative that combines personal anecdotes and data to demonstrate the tangible and emotional results of your projects. It gives life to numbers and provides a pathway for your audience to understand the real-world changes your organization makes.

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Sean Peoples Sean Peoples

30 Essential Interview Questions for Impact Storytelling

The best interviews are those where the subject feels comfortable, open, and willing to share deeply. To achieve this, the questions you ask must be carefully thought out. They should give room for reflection, encourage the interviewee to share their journey and align with the organization's mission and goals.

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Sean Peoples Sean Peoples

Watch Club: Sierra Pettengill’s The Rifleman

In The Rifleman, Sierra Pettengill delves into the hidden history of the National Rifle Association (NRA), using archival footage to uncover the organization’s shift in ideology following the civil rights movement.

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Sean Peoples Sean Peoples

Quiz: Identify Your Audience for Video Projects

A tool like this audience quiz can serve as an important first step to pinpoint an audience’s needs, preferences, and behaviors before diving into content creation. It streamlines the process of audience identification, making it easier to tailor content that speaks directly to specific groups—whether it's donors, volunteers, or the general public.

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Sean Peoples Sean Peoples

An Ode to the Soundtrack of Rat Film

Two things happened this week that sparked this post. First, I was itching to start sharing some of my favorite film music and soundtracks. Second, I was chatting with a creative collaborator earlier this week and we both expressed our love for the director Theo Anthony. Enter Rat Film, Anthony’s 2016 documentary, which explores the complex relationship between the history of Baltimore and its rat population.

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Sean Peoples Sean Peoples

Storytelling for Social Impact

Non-profit organizations and NGOs must leverage the power of storytelling to drive social change. The Documentary Impact Report highlights critical insights that can transform how your organization approaches impact storytelling, ensuring your message resonates with the right audience and drives meaningful action.

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Sean Peoples Sean Peoples

Watch Club: Dean Goes Surfing

This week on Watch Club, we're diving into Dean Goes Surfing, a documentary that rides the waves of passion, perseverance, and pure joy.

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Sean Peoples Sean Peoples

Transforming Data into Stories: The Power of Motion Graphics

Attention spans are shorter and the competition for your audience's attention is fierce. For non-profits and NGOs, presenting data in a way that is not only informative but also engaging can make a significant difference in how your message is received. Enter motion graphics!

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