When my dad was in the last few months of his life, I used to sit with him and get him to tell me stories of his life.

Especially at the beginning, it took a lot to get him started. I’m not sure if he thought I was just making conversation and wasn’t really interested or whether he just couldn’t think of anything on the spot. After a while, though, he realized how important it was to me and he started to think ahead about what stories he would tell me.

It strikes me that collecting volunteer impact stories is a lot like the time I spent with my dad. The stories are there, tucked away in volunteers’ memories but they need to know you really do find them valuable and they may need a chance to think ahead.

Just like with family history, if no one takes the time to collect them, they risk being lost.

So, how do you actually collect those powerful stories from volunteers or clients? It’s one thing to know you need them. It’s another to get people to open up and share.

Start with a heads up

No one likes to feel like they’re being put on the spot. If you walk up to a volunteer and say, “Tell me about the most meaningful thing you’ve ever done here,” you’ll get a........

© Castanet