How to Measure the Impact of Your Narrative Change Strategy (with Josh Gryniewicz and Brett Davidson)

For nonprofits, stories matter. But the underlying narratives that shape how people make sense of the world matter even more. As narrative change takes on a larger role in strategic planning, leaders, boards, and funders are asking a critical question: How do we know if it’s actually working? In today's episode, Josh Gryniewicz and Brett Davidson discuss ways nonprofits of all sizes can measure the impact of narrative change work and why that measurement matters. Tune in to learn practical frameworks for assessing narrative impact, including how to think collaboratively, how to spot meaningful signals of change, and how to make a stronger case for narrative strategy with funders and decision-makers.

Want to suggest a topic, guest, or nonprofit organization for an upcoming episode? Send an email with the subject "NPFX suggestion" to [e-mail].

Additional Resources

Measuring Narrative Change: Moving From Theory to Practice by Brett Davidson
https://ssir.org/articles/entry/measuring_narrative_change_moving_from_theory_to_practice

[NPFX] Co-Creating Solutions: The Next Level of Community Listening
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/co-creating-solutions-the-next-level-of-community-listening-narrative-strategy

[NPFX] From Micro-Stories to Meta-Narratives: How to Influence Perception and Drive Change
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/from-micro-stories-to-meta-narratives-how-to-influence-perception-and-drive-change-narrative-strategy

[NPFX] Authentic, Ethical, and Effective Messaging — From Theory to Practice
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/authentic-ethical-and-effective-messaging-from-theory-to-practice

[NPFX] Flipping the Script: Using Narrative Strategy to Improve Messaging and Prevent Donor Attrition
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/flipping-the-script-using-narrative-strategy-to-improve-messaging-and-prevent-donor-attrition

[NPFX] How to Find Authentic Voices That Inspire Action
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/narrative-strategy-how-to-find-authentic-voices-that-inspire-action

Guests

Josh Gryniewicz is the founder and Chief Narrative Strategist at Odd Duck, a storytelling-for-social-change creative consultancy focused on impact-driven organizations. Josh is the co-author of the award-winning national bestseller, Interrupting Violence. For over a decade, he has worked in nonprofit communication. In 2018, he founded Odd Duck to combine his passions for storytelling and social change. The agency’s Navigating Misinformation for Community Health framework has been shared with over a thousand community health organizations. Odd Duck has worked with nearly a hundred change-making organizations and advised hundreds more, including the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Harvard School of Public Health, and the White House.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgryniewicz/
https://oddduck.io/
https://www.interruptingviolence.com/

Brett Davidson is founder and principal at Wingseed LLC, where he supports social justice changemakers around the world to amplify their impact. Brett also serves as Lead of Narrative Field-Building with IRIS, the International Resource for Impact and Storytelling. Previously he was director of Media and Narratives at the Open Society Public Health Program, where he led an international team focused on changing long-held social narratives impacting health equity. Prior to joining Open Society in 2010, Davidson was a media consultant to civil society organizations in Southern and Eastern Africa. He previously served as program manager at the South African democracy institute Idasa, where he helped community radio stations develop participatory news and current affairs programming. Before that, he worked as a presenter and producer in radio current affairs at the South African Broadcasting Corporation, and in collaboration with the BBC.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettdav/
https://www.wingseed.org/
https://brettdavidson.substack.com/

Hosts

Russ Phaneuf, a co-founder of IPM Advancement, has a background in higher education development, with positions at the University of Hartford, Northern Arizona University, and Thunderbird School of Global Management. As IPM's managing director & chief strategist, Russ serves as lead fundraising strategist, award-winning content creator, and program analyst specializing in applied system dynamics.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russphaneuf/
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/

Rich Frazier has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 35 years. In his roles as senior consultant with IPM Advancement and founder of VisionConnect LLC, Rich offers extensive understanding and knowledge in capital campaigns, fund development, strategic planning, and board of directors development.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richfrazier/
https://www.visionconnectllc.com/