The Future of Donor Engagement Is Human-Centered, Data-Driven, and Immersive.
This year, Newport ONE attended the 2025 Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, a three-day gathering of fundraisers, storytellers, creatives, and nonprofit leaders focused on the art and science of using stories to inspire generosity. Across dozens of sessions—from emotional storytelling to data strategy, immersion, video creation, and decision science—one message was clear:
Donors don’t just want information. They want to feel something—and then see where they fit in the story.
Here are the biggest takeaways we’re bringing back to our clients and partners.
1. Great Fundraising Starts with Emotion—and Emotion Lives in Contrast
This year’s keynotes emphasized that storytelling works because it connects donors to a world that should be versus a world that is. That gap—warm vs. cold, connected vs. isolated, safe vs. threatened—is where emotion lives. And emotion is where generosity begins.
To move supporters, organizations must create moments that:
- Focus on one meaningful “unit” (person, item, etc.)
- Highlight the stakes and conflict
- Give the donor a clear role
- Offer hope grounded in action
2. Data Doesn’t Replace Stories—It Strengthens Them
A key insight from the Using Data in Storytelling session by Daniel Jenkins was that data plays a supporting role, not a starring one. Stories are 22 times more memorable than facts alone, but donors still need evidence that their compassion is well-placed.
The best fundraising stories combine:
- Emotion (Pathos) to draw the donor in
- Credibility (Ethos) to build trust
- Data (Logos) to confirm impact
As the speaker framed it through the Chip & Dan Heath “Switch” model: the emotional “elephant” moves first, but data frees the logical “rider” to follow with confidence.
3. Tell the right stories in the right places.
In the session From Story to Support, Janelle Suzanne with the Louder Agency challenged nonprofits to rethink where stories appear—and what stories they choose. Too often, organizations tell narratives centered on the organization itself. But donors respond most strongly to stories that reflect their own values.
Three types of stories every nonprofit should use:
- Transformation Stories – the change your mission creates
- Experience Stories – testimonials, quotes, social proof
- Foundation Stories – your “why,” rooted in shared beliefs
These stories shouldn’t live only in appeals—they belong on your homepage, landing pages, donation forms, pitch decks, lead magnets, and social content.
4. Immersive Storytelling Helps Donors Feel Their Impact
Another major theme was the power of immersion. Using the psychology of embodiment, mirror neurons, and the Peak-End Rule, immersive experiences help donors feel the cost of inaction and the hope of intervention.
Examples included:
- VR journeys to experience water scarcity
- “Sleep-out” events to understand youth homelessness
- Sensory simulations like “dinner in the dark”
These aren’t stunts—they’re empathy accelerators. As the keynote speaker put it:
“Nothing happens until somebody feels something.”
The takeaway: you don’t need a big budget to create immersive moments. You need intention, creativity, and respect.
5. Decision Science Reveals How Donors Actually Make Choices
In the session Decision Science Demystified, John Lepp explored the combination of behavioral economics, psychology, neuroscience, and data science that drives donor behavior.
Key principles included:
- System 1 thinking (fast, intuitive) drives giving
- Identity-based messaging makes donors see themselves as the kind of person who gives
- Concreteness improves comprehension and action
- Social proof and urgency increase conversions
- Reducing friction increases response rates dramatically
The R.A.I.S.E. framework—Relevant, Appealing, Intuitive, Social, Easy—serves as a simple checklist for designing donor-centered campaigns.
6. Video Is a Powerful Tool for Donor Engagement
The session Turning Donors into Believers with Video by Natalie Monroe at MemoryFox underscored what we already know from our own client work: video is an extremely effective fundraising tool (when done right). Why? Because it activates three key chemicals tied to giving:
- Cortisol – attention
- Oxytocin – connection
- Dopamine – hope and action
The speaker provided dozens of practical ideas for using video, including:
- Donor and volunteer stories
- Gratitude messages
- Gala openers
- Giving Day promos
- Bite-sized mission updates
- “You Made This Possible” recap videos
Most importantly: donors don’t expect perfection. They want authenticity.
Final Reflections: What This Means for the Future of Fundraising
This year’s conference reinforced what we see every day at Newport ONE:
- Donors want to belong, not just give.
- They crave real stories, not polished reporting.
- They respond to invitations, not instructions.
- They support organizations that make them feel seen, valued, and essential to the mission.
As fundraisers, our job is not to impress donors—it’s to include them. Storytelling is how we do that. And the more human our stories become, the more generosity we unlock.
If you’d like help applying these insights to your next campaign, our team is always here to collaborate.