Navigating confidentiality in storytelling

As a non-profit, storytelling is one of the most powerful tools you have in your toolbox. It’s like showing instead of telling, and it helps donors see their dollars at work. 

But confidentiality concerns can sometimes make telling stories easier said than done. It’s a common challenge, and one we often help our clients navigate. Storytelling may be the heartbeat of your work, but protecting someone’s privacy is also non-negotiable. 

So how do you balance both? These five suggestions can help you protect your clients’ privacy while sharing stories that move supporters to action.

It’s okay to use a pseudonym. Even if your mission is focused in an area where maintaining confidentiality is obvious (e.g. working with survivors of violence, at-risk youth, or with people who have been involved in the justice system), you will still find clients who are willing to — and even excited to — share their story. They likely have a powerful story to tell and one that speaks to the heart of your mission.

If they don’t want to share their real name, that’s okay; respect their choice and work with them. Ask them what pseudonym they’d like to use (to make sure you don’t accidentally choose one that can identify them) and then include a brief note in your story explaining that names have been changed to protect privacy. Your readers will understand, and will appreciate your transparency.

Evoke emotions (without exploiting your storyteller). When telling someone’s story, you want to evoke an emotional response from readers, but not at the expense of the storyteller. Tell their story thoughtfully and with empathy as it relates to your organization without getting too graphic or lost in the details. Remember, their story is a vessel for helping donors understand your organization’s great work, so share their story as it relates to their involvement with your programs or services.

Swap out their photo. Like the pseudonym, it’s okay to not use their photo with the story. Simply choose a thoughtful photo to represent the story and note in the caption for readers that the photo is for illustrative purposes only. 

Give the storyteller the final say. When someone shares their story with you, make sure they review and approve it before it’s published or shared with donors. This simple practice ensures the storyteller is satisfied with how they’re portrayed.

Find alternate ways to tell stories. Clients are not your only source for stories. Board members, volunteers, and staff all have stories that relate to your mission. Their backstory can be just as interesting and engaging to readers. (For example, see this one from our client, Nellie’s!) Program staff can also tell stories through their eyes. Talking about the people they’ve supported is an effective way to showcase programs or services with heightened privacy concerns (i.e. programs involving children). 

Respecting confidentiality doesn’t limit your storytelling; it simply demands a thoughtful approach. When you protect your storytellers as carefully as you support them, you not only earn trust, you strengthen the heart of storytelling itself.