Local Story

Mission: We believe that authentic stories resonate far more with audiences. Local Story works with non-profits to develop these stories for a variety of purposes including to help engage viewers and train staff in our storytelling methodology.  Local Story marries video, still photography, and authentic narrative with hands-on training. We use non-traditional storytelling tools to turn "likes" into inquiries, and inquiries into advocacy for global NGOs, community organizations and local leaders. Local Story integrates staff training modules into each project. Experiential learning gradually shifts responsibility to local staff, building confidence and competencies as we go.

About Us: Launched in 2015, Local Story believes in human-centered storytelling. This means that individuals, groups of people, or a community guide the storytelling process: they tell us what stories are pressing in their lives, not the other way around. We listen to the stories stakeholders already have to tell—sometimes they have direct links to a client, sometimes the client is tangentially connected. Either way, we believe that these authentic stories resonate far more with audiences, and ultimately our clients benefit despite there being a greater degree of uncertainty in the beginning of the process.  

Services 

Local Story provides a variety of storytelling services including:  

• Sustainable Storytelling Project: Using our proven methodology for delivering sustainable storytelling, a typical year-long project develops social media videos (60 seconds), one website video (3 minutes), 100 photos, and a trained staff member in photography. Local Story tries to structure partnerships over a series of several visits, generally 3. This structure allows us to develop stories over long periods of time, helping build trust within the communities you serve, capturing change over time. 

• Comprehensive Storytelling Services: Our three year projects builds upon our Sustainable Storytelling Project, with three to four annual trips. . Your trained staff member continues to receive support with both in-person and virtual check-ins by Local Story staff. Includes a yearly social media engagement calendar and delivery of content to match your needs. 

• Start-up Storyteller: Begins with two to three-week project to help organizations begin to build their narrative as well as 2 to 4 key deliverables. Local Story will provide our expertise and process to support this project. 

• Training & Workshops: Customized for each nonprofit, training and workshops can be based on storytelling methodology, videography, editing, and nonprofit communications.  

• Other Non-Profit needs: In addition to storytelling, Local Story can provide non-profits with the people, training, and tools to improve your internal accounting, fundraising, graphic design, monitoring and evaluation, and organizational development.