Nonprofits Utilize the Power of Storytelling
June 28, 2012 — The benefits of storytelling and the need for nonprofits to communicate their impact to various audiences has been a focus of late among nonprofit organizations and corporate social responsibility groups. It has been a hot topic at recent social innovation industry events such as Nonprofit Technology Network, the Cause Marketing Forum and the Social Innovation Summit.
To meet that need, Microsoft is making the Microsoft Local Impact Map available to nonprofits to help them share their stories in a compelling way on their websites. Originally developed to help showcase the impact of Microsoft Citizenship programs in more than 100 countries around the world, the map application is now being offered at no cost for licensing and a $15 monthly fee to host the map online via the Windows Azure platform. The Bing Maps-based user interface allows people to explore impact stories by category or by zooming in on a continent, country or region. The program includes a content management system that makes it easy for nonprofits to publish and manage their stories.
TechSoup Global, a nonprofit that helps similar organizations around the globe acquire and use technology so they can succeed in their missions, is an early adopter of the Microsoft Local Impact Map. The map has allowed the organization to collect all its stories into a single, visual repository that anyone with Web access can view.