We were thrilled to be a part of the 2025 Nonprofit Storytelling Conference in San Diego this November! Not only did our President, Diane Leonard, present—but also, inspiration was wildly abundant.
Lots of folks who travel to this annual conference come from what you might think of as “development” backgrounds such as annual giving or campaign communications—they are experienced in direct-mail marketing, digital appeals, and so on. You don’t typically see very many full-time grant professionals in attendance.
But each year’s knowledge sharing at the NPST conference applies to all professionals who seek funds for their nonprofit organization. Telling a moving story is an essential part of what we all do.
This year’s kickoff speaker was Chris Davenport, the conference founder and a filmmaker.
Chris led conference attendees through the analogy that development work (and we would argue, grant seeking specifically) shares similarities with filmmaking. And he holds that the filmmaker (and we might suggest, the grant professional/writer) is the reason that someone rushes home to talk about the movie (or cannot wait to award you the grant), or not.
Chris had rushed home to talk to family after seeing the movie F1 the Movie, starring Brad Pitt! Have you seen it? Coincidentally, Diane *had* and, given her racing background, had also loved it. She so appreciated Chris’s references to the movie throughout the session.
Figuratively, Chris explained, we are all holding a camera, capturing and sharing the best possible story in order to evoke emotion. Expertly guiding the viewer, or reader of the grant application, through the story is key, sharing the details you specifically select at the precise moments you want your audience to see them.
An insightful point that Chris shared from film editor Richard Chew was that an effective filmmaker will first make someone laugh, and then, maybe two minutes later, make them cry. He likened the setup of a story to a rollercoaster climb. The bigger the climb, the louder the screams on the descent.
What evokes emotion in a rollercoaster rider or film viewer (or we might say, a grant reviewer) is the contrast (see the image below). If you rush straight to offering a solution without truly illustrating the depth of the problem (if “the climbs in the rollercoaster aren’t that big”), the funder won’t feel the compelling urge to fund your solution.
A team member of ours feels the strong contrast of laughter-tears-joy when they watch the original 1947 Miracle on 34th Street! How about you?
A slide from Chris Davenport’s presentation at the 2025 Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, showing compelling contrasts. Photo credit: Diane Leonard
Here’s how we suggest adopting this filmmaking approach into your grant proposal:
- Encourage empathy by leading the reader to feel the friction, and perhaps the heartbreak, caused by a worrisome problem (described in your evocative need statement).
A movie that strongly evokes those feelings of friction and heartbreak is rom-com Sleepless in Seattle, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan—is it in your collection? - Provide a freeing release by sharing that, indeed, the solution you propose will lessen this disturbing problem (because of your inspiring project design supported by your well-reasoned budget).
Up-and-down, contrasting emotions in your grant storytelling will bring about a “meaningful moment,” to use Chris’s phrase, just as in filmmaking! The opportunity is yours.
So, what movies evoke intense and memorable emotions in you? Or can you remember past grant proposals that you wrote with an approach similar to that encouraged by NPST presenter and filmmaker Chris Davenport? Comment below!
Also, did you know that you can book company owner Diane Leonard as your next keynote speaker? She is a skilled storyteller with many years of grants experience who will inspire and connect with your audience.