The goal of your Derby Duck Race is not only to raise funds for your nonprofit organization but to use it as another platform to bring awareness about your organization's cause. Your story will have an impact on how many duck adoptions you receive, whether they are done online through your Equack website or in person at adoption events.

It may seem easy to provide a brief sentence of what your organization does and link to your home website to "learn more", but the power of your story should be highlighted on your website, adoption papers and marketing collateral. Here are some storytelling tips to help make your story most impactful when seeking duck adoptions. Keep your story short.

The average human has an attention span of fewer than 8 seconds. Provide the most engaging and informative information first. If readers and listeners want to learn more, then that is the opportunity to link to your home website in the closing clause. i.e. "To learn more about our cause visit us at www.yourorganization.com". Personalize your story.

Many times stories fall into the trap of speaking about the organization and not about the actual cause and those affected by it. Have someone who is benefitting from the work that you do tell their story. Humanizing the story will go a long way. Don't be afraid to add a little emotion to it.

This will draw readers and listeners in and they will remember how you made them feel about it and ultimately remember what your cause is. No matter what, authenticity is key. Show people something they can relate to. Make it visual. A block of text can often be overlooked so videos are a great way to personalize your story if you have the capabilities.

If you don't have a video, photos can be just as powerful. If you are using text, be creative and play with fonts and colors on certain important words to make your message stand out. Ask your team why

they joined your organization. If you sit down with individual staff members and ask why they wanted to work or volunteer for your organization, they will provide some insight that will help with the brainstorming of what to say in your message as well as personalize it. This is a great way to break through the "writer's block." The best part about storytelling is that no two stories are the same. If you have any stories to share or ideas of how to make a story impactful, please share with us on our Facebook!