Stories Change Power

As part of our LinkedIn community, you already know that Stories Change Power’s people-centered and trust-building approach to advocacy is urgently needed. To meet the moment, we're launching THE NEXT CHAPTER campaign. Our goal? Raise $100,000 by December 31, 2024 to support effective, empathetic, and trusted advocates across the country in 2025. The campaign kicks off on #GivingTuesday. On that Tuesday, December 3, we hope to raise $20.25K for our scholarship fund. Scholarships have supported 60% of our Learning Community participants, either in full or in part. Giving on #GivingTuesday will MULTIPLY your impact in two ways: 1) You'll help us earn part of GlobalGiving’s #GivingTuesday campaign bonus funds; and  2) Your gift will be matched by a generous Stories Change Power donor up to $5,000.   Please MARK YOUR CALENDAR now to be part of THE NEXT CHAPTER on #GivingTuesday: https://lnkd.in/gVcPCJGz By giving that Tuesday, you’re not just donating—you’re joining a global celebration of generosity and writing the next chapter of civic engagement in the United States. #EffectiveAdvocacy #EffectiveCommunication #BuildingTrust #BridgingDivides #Depolarization #Empathy #Respect #ProfessionalDevelopment #CapacityBuilding #NonprofitSupport #CivicEngagement #TheNextChapter

“Before [solidarity], you need trust.” National service can build that trust. Want to know how? Take a listen to this inspiring conversation between Gina Baleria, Ed.D. of Civity and Jennifer O. Leshnower of AmeriCorps. We particularly appreciate their focus on belonging and Jen’s work to “infuse the practice of connecting with one another across lines of difference.” With Thanksgiving a matter of hours away, we’re grateful for *all* service members across the United States, including a member of our own current Learning Community, CJ LaCreta, MPP, who is serving communities in New Hampshire through City Year! #InspiringListen #BuildingTrust #CommunityBuilding #Democracy #Depolarization #EffectiveCommunication

If you’re reading this, you know we all deserve policies that work for everyone. ✅ You know that to get there, we need effective advocates. 💜 You know that to get there, we need empathetic advocates. 🤝 You know that to get there, we need trustworthy advocates. Stories Change Power equips people who want to make a difference in their neighborhoods, communities, and country with the tools, strategy, and network to be those advocates. ONE WEEK FROM TODAY - #GivingTuesday - we're launching THE NEXT CHAPTER campaign. 💵 We need to raise $20.25K to support scholarships. Scholarships ensure cost never stands in the way of taking part in our programming. 🗓️ Please mark your calendar today to be part of THE NEXT CHAPTER next Tuesday, December 3, 2024: https://lnkd.in/gVcPCJGz 🌎 By giving on #GivingTuesday, you’re not just donating—you’re joining a global celebration of generosity and writing the next chapter of civic engagement in the United States. #CivicEngagement #Depolarization #BuildingBridges #BuildingTrust #EffectiveAdvocacy #BeAnAdvocate #EffectiveCommunication #ProfessionalDevelopment #CapacityBuilding #CommunityEngagement

Do you feel like there's a LOT competing for your attention these days? You aren't alone. That's true for everyone you're trying to reach with your story, too. That's why the first few sentences of your story are so important; they set the tone and grab people's attention. 📝 Tip: Use a surprising fact, a provocative question, or a vivid scene to draw people in. Rather than, “It was a crazy day,” think more along the lines of, “I felt like I was on the edge of the cliff with the wind gusting so hard I didn't know if I could keep my balance." Grab attention right away and make people want to know more. ❓ Have a question about storytelling? Let us know! #StorytellingSunday #EffectiveStorytelling #Advocacy

"[A]lmost half of of the U.S. electorate thinks members of the opposing political party are 'downright evil.'" You read that correctly. "Evil." Yet, people we disagree with are also the people working with us, caring for us, living alongside of us - and next Thursday, eating across the Thanksgiving table from us. Are you struggling to connect over a political divide? Understanding the neuroscience of disagreement can help, including the fact that trying to convince someone they're wrong is NOT an effective way to change minds, as you'll hear from Allison Briscoe-Smith in NPR's Shortwave. Or skip the science and go straight to the three tools outlined alongside the episode in the Seeking Common Ground series: https://lnkd.in/gWhe9dkB (Source: poll by SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University) #BridgingDivides #Depolarization #BuildingTrust #SocialConnection #SaveThanksgiving #SavingThanksgiving #CivicEngagement #EffectiveCommunication #BrainScience #Politics #GrowthMindset #EffectiveListening

"You have so much to offer. You have content, you have nuance, you have experience. They need you. Give them a chance to hear your story and your research." WATCH THE VIDEO of our latest webinar to hear the wisdom Dr. MaryEllen McGuire and Dr. Laura Perna shared about connecting your research to policymakers: https://lnkd.in/esUVNZJY #AcademicResearch #Advocate #EffectiveCommunication #HigherEducation #PostsecondaryEducation #PolicyChange #ConnectingWithLawmakers

"Fear can inspire personal behavioral change. But hope can inspire systemic change." We thank Julia Hoppock, Impact Producer of The Social Dilemma, for joining a session of our current Learning Community to talk about advocacy through film! Julia's work in the tech reform movement and her multifaceted campaign alongside a film that was *the most popular* in the U.S. on Netflix a mere four months after release left us inspired. From screenings at tech companies and for groups of attorneys general to the 40-minute educational cut of the film and highlighting healthy tech creators, we explored ways to raise awareness and promote smart policy. Watch the trailer to understand why you need to see this film (or see it again): https://lnkd.in/diQmMcB Read the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center's report to appreciate the film's impact on public understanding of "attention extraction" and the potential for better design and regulation to promote mental health, especially among kids and teens worldwide:  https://lnkd.in/e6X-Ep4F And check out Center for Humane Technology to "learn how the old paradigm went wrong, and how to act from a new, more humane paradigm:" https://lnkd.in/edD-83B5 Thank you, Julia! #Advocacy #EffectiveCommunication #PolicyChange #ImpactProduction #DocumentaryFilm #Filmmaking #Changemakers #HumaneTech #SocialMedia #MentalHealth #Technology

This Storytelling Sunday we're sharing a fabulous resource: Story District Whether you live in the Washington, DC area or not, our friends at Story District can help you learn to tell your personal story, including through their podcast, "I Did It For the Story." Each episode features a true story told live in a Story District show and includes insights from Amy Saidman, Story District's Executive Director: https://lnkd.in/eMmmCAEg ❓ Have a question about storytelling? Let us know! #StorytellingSunday #EffectiveStorytelling #Advocacy #ResourceAlert

TOMORROW! Register today: https://lnkd.in/eiFP_zwV Advocates, communications professionals, academics, and higher ed leaders will leave with actionable next steps to effectively connect with policymakers. As always, *everyone is welcome* regardless of field or level of experience. #FreeWebinar #Academics #Academia #Policymaking #Advocacy #Advocate #Changemakers #EffectiveCommunication #HigherEd #HigherEducation #ProfessionalDevelopment

For three years, our founder drove across the plains (both enameled and fruited), saw life along the shining seas on both sides of our country, and experienced something that seems to be in short supply these days: TRUST. Sharing that experience in a recent blog, Piper notes the "decline in trust has profound implications: anything that fuels polarization and undermines social cohesion makes it harder to effectively address our collective challenges:" https://lnkd.in/e2jtW8hX We'd love to hear from you... do you sense a fraying of "the invisible thread that connects us?" Is it impacting you personally? Professionally? If you're an advocate, what does this mean for your work? And how can we help? #Trust #EffectiveCommunication #Advocacy #Polarization #Depolarization #BridgeBuilding #BuildingTrust