I walked into a massive, mostly empty room for breakfast at a conference with 1,500 attendees. Looking around, I didn’t recognize a single face. I made my way to a half-filled table and asked if I could join.
Two of the friendly faces at the table were Josh Kligman and Jeff Rum, co-founders of Storyraise. They were welcoming, energetic, and friendly at 7:30 a.m., which is a feat in itself.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that their company was doing something powerful: helping nonprofits engage with donors in a meaningful, personalized way. I was hooked and had to learn more.
Josh agreed to make time for me, and I’m excited to share more about their platform that’s changing the game for nonprofits—helping them create dynamic, engaging reports and videos that resonate with their supporters.
Making Engagement Easier and More Meaningful
Josh, a seasoned marketing pro, has seen firsthand the challenges nonprofits face in engaging their supporters. He noticed a disconnect between the powerful stories organizations were telling and the outdated, impersonal reports they were sending to donors. Together with Jeff, he set out to create a solution that would make donor engagement easier, more meaningful, and highly specific.
One of Storyraise’s standout features is the ability to create dynamic, personalized stories for donors. By using a donor’s giving history and preferences, nonprofits can send customized reports or videos. When a donor opens their report, it highlights the specific impact they’ve made—whether that’s supporting a food program, helping with volunteer efforts, or contributing to a community initiative. This level of personalization builds a deeper emotional connection, making the donor feel more involved and appreciated for their unique contributions.
With Storyraise’s easy-to-use tool, nonprofits can create short, engaging videos and visual stories, showing how contributions directly affect beneficiaries. Instead of a dry, text-heavy annual report, supporters get to see the real change they’ve helped create—whether that’s a student graduating thanks to scholarship funds or a community receiving critical resources during a time of need. These human-centered stories are what truly drive engagement.
Beyond the Traditional Annual Report: The Power of Short-Form Content
In a world where attention spans are shrinking, traditional, lengthy reports just don’t cut it anymore. No one wants to sift through a 20-page report. Storyraise shifts this focus to short-form content that’s optimized for the digital age.
Josh pointed out that 60% of people view impact reports on their mobile devices. This means nonprofits need to be mindful of how their content is consumed. With Storyraise, organizations can deliver concise, web-friendly reports, complete with videos and images, without overwhelming the donor with excessive text.
And since these reports are mobile-friendly, they can be sent regularly, meeting donors where they are. This consistent engagement ensures that donors stay connected to the cause, making them more likely to continue their support.
Building Relationships with Data
One of the most powerful aspects of Storyraise is its ability to track donor engagement in real time. Rather than relying on gut instincts, nonprofits can see exactly how engaged each donor is with the content they’re receiving. Josh explains that donors are categorized based on their interactions with reports—whether they are “great,” “neutral,” or “poor” engagers—allowing organizations to adapt their communication strategies accordingly.
This data-driven approach helps nonprofits make their outreach more effective. Storyraise not only shows the emotional impact of messages but also tracks the success of engagement strategies, making donor retention and relationship-building more measurable.
Technology That Saves Time and Increases Impact
Another benefit of Storyraise is the time it saves for nonprofit teams. Traditionally, creating personalized, high-quality reports requires significant time and effort, especially when integrating donor-specific data and crafting compelling narratives. Josh and Jeff designed Storyraise to automate much of this process, freeing up nonprofit staff to spend more time on meaningful donor interactions.
For example, in the past, creating an endowment report or donor-specific impact statement meant digging through spreadsheets, sourcing images, writing copy, and customizing each detail. With Storyraise, much of this work is automated and simplified.
Affordable, Scalable Solutions
Nonprofits often struggle with balancing quality engagement and tight budgets. Traditional methods, like hiring marketing agencies or producing professional-quality videos, can be prohibitively expensive. Storyraise provides a cost-effective, scalable solution. Nonprofits can create as many personalized reports and videos as needed, without breaking the bank. The platform’s templates and user-friendly design tools empower any nonprofit team, regardless of size or marketing expertise, to produce professional-quality content that resonates with supporters.
Josh’s goal has always been to make engagement more accessible—no matter the size of the nonprofit or its budget. By removing barriers to creating impactful content, Storyraise is helping nonprofits engage their donors more effectively while being mindful of their resources.
The Future of Donor Engagement
Josh’s energy and enthusiasm are contagious, and he’s committed to continuous evolution. Storyraise plans to integrate even more sophisticated features, like dynamic video creation and further personalization, ensuring that it stays at the forefront of donor innovation.
For Storyraise, the bottom line is clear: make engagement easier, more meaningful, and more specific for each donor. Storyraise is transforming how nonprofits communicate with their supporters, leading to stronger relationships, increased donor retention, and, ultimately, greater impact.
For more information, check out their website.
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