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Template of the Story Canvas by Digital Storytellers, featuring sections for audience, purpose, key messages, story, people and places, style and tone, campaign, call to action, outcomes, and indicators.
Guides

20 Jan 2025

The Story Canvas

By Digital Storytellers

Discover the Story Canvas—a practical tool to craft impactful, strategic stories tailored to your needs. Designed by Digital Storytellers, this downloadable canvas simplifies storytelling for nonprofits, social enterprises, and impact organisations. With step-by-step guidance and resources, it helps you create engaging stories that inspire action and advance your cause effectively.

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Summary

The story canvas is an excellent tool to help you think through the best, and most impactful story to tell for your current context and needs. You can download and print the canvas and the webpage shares step by step instructions along with supporting resources. 

Storytelling is a powerful tool to inspire and engage people, communities and organisations to contribute ideas, energy and resources to advance a cause. However, to achieve these results, storytelling must be strategic. 

After working with hundreds of nonprofits, social enterprises and impact organisations, Digital Storytellers distilled their steps for developing awesome stories into an easy to follow process, The Story Canvas. The Story Canvas is based on the Business Model Canvas’ and is a simple to use tool to develop and iterate your story ideas.

Two circular portraits on a light grey background with abstract curved shapes and teal arrows. Christina Chun, Chief Product Officer, is pictured smiling at the top left against a coral background. Kate Kutty, Engagement Lead, is pictured at the bottom right against a cream background with an orange circular border.

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