How to tell the story of your impact network: Captivate your members & funders

Why network stories matter more than ever

Networks are doing some of the most powerful work in social change:

Weaving trust, distributing leadership, and amplifying quiet transformations.

But when it comes to telling the story of that work?

It gets tricky.

Most of the storytelling tools we’ve inherited are designed for a different kind of story:

• One hero

• One problem

• One solution

But networks don’t work that way.

They involve many actors, relational processes, and ripple effects that unfold over time.

That’s why we created the Network Storytelling Playbook over at the Fito Network (Stewarded by Beverly Ndege & Brendon Johnson)

It’s a step-by-step guide for people, who want to tell stories that do justice to the complexity and power of collective work.

What makes a network story different?

Traditional stories are built for clarity.

They follow a tidy arc:

• A clear beginning, middle, and end.

• A single protagonist.

• A resolved outcome.

But in networks:

• Many people shape the story.

• Impact builds slowly and spreads in nonlinear ways.

• Change happens through relationship and iteration.

This complexity isn’t a flaw.

It’s the source of collective power.

But if it’s not reflected in your storytelling, you risk:

• Losing momentum

• Struggling to secure funding

• Being misunderstood or dismissed

• Undervaluing the connective work that holds everything together

That’s where the network story-telling playbook comes in.

How to tell your Story: 5 Practical Doors into Your Network’s Narrative

You don’t have to start with the “perfect” narrative.

The playbook is structured around five flexible entry points — each one connected to a common challenge networks face when communicating their work.

1. Clarify your purpose

If your story feels vague or hard to focus, start here.

What’s the story for?

And who’s it for? Funders? Members? The public?

Your purpose shapes everything from tone to structure to what you leave in or out.

Try this: Write a one-sentence version of your network’s story. Then rewrite it for a different audience. Notice what shifts — and why it matters.

2. Map the characters

If your story centers a single voice when many contributed, start here.

Network stories are full of relationships:

Weavers, funders, organizers, critics, elders, newcomers.

Mapping who shows up — and how they influence each other — helps you shift from “hero” to constellation.

Try this: List the key players in your network story. Now draw lines between them. What relationships shaped the change? Who’s missing from the spotlight?

3. Find your storyline

If your story lacks energy, tension, or a sense of movement, start here.

What changed — and how?

Network stories don’t always follow clean arcs, but they do have pivots:

Moments of insight, conflict, breakthrough, or transformation.

Try this: Map your story using one of these structures:

• A ripple that spreads outward

• A knot of tension that gets slowly unwound

• A weaving of multiple actors and timelines
  What shape does your story take?

4. Surface the resources

If your story makes the work look effortless, or overlooks the behind-the-scenes effort, start here.

What allowed the work to happen?

Think beyond funding.

Consider emotional labor, trust, shared narratives, flexible infrastructure, or old relationships suddenly activated.

Try this: Choose a small moment in your network’s journey. Then list the tangible and invisible resources that made it possible. What changes if you remove just one?

5. Name the results

If your story ends in vague outcomes or tries to prove too much, start here.

Not all impact is measurable. But it is describable. It might be a shift in mindset, a new pattern of collaboration, a small change with big ripple effects.

Try this: Craft a “before and after” sentence. Pair it with a quote. Then add one data point (if you have it). Three layers of evidence go a long way.

Bonus Tip: How metaphors can help

Sometimes a great network story isn’t about the facts — it’s about the feeling.

Try out metaphors like:

• A tapestry woven from many threads.

• Mycelium spreading support underground.

• Echoes in a canyon that multiply small sounds.

• A symphony of many players with shared timing.

Which metaphor helps people “get” your work?

Make storytelling part of your culture

Telling one great story is powerful.

But making storytelling a shared practice can shape your network’s identity, learning, and strategy over time.

For example, at the Fito Network, we host monthly story huddle meetings to share key mistakes, lessons and breakthroughs.

This enables our team to celebrate, learn and remain energized.

Here are a few tips to get started:

Ready to get started?

Your network is doing powerful, often invisible work.

It deserves stories that are just as meaningful, complex, and alive.

Let’s tell them well — together.

The Network Storytelling Playbook includes:

• Practical frameworks

• Inspiring story examples

• Activities you can try with your team

• Tools to show your network’s value — without oversimplifying

More to Explore This Week

About the Systemic Shift Newsletter

This weekly newsletter is dedicated to exploring practices, mindsets, and strategies that make networks effective in driving systemic change. Each issue offers practical tools, real-world lessons, and curated opportunities to help you build impactful, collaborative networks & communities.

Stay tuned next Tuesday for more!