On this episode of 7-Figure Fundraising, Trevor Bragdon sits down with Matt Paprocki, President and CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute, to break down one of the most important skills in fundraising: storytelling.

Matt explains why most fundraising stories fail before they even begin. Instead of creating emotional connection, many fundraisers summarize facts, report outcomes, or speak in vague language that donors quickly forget. In this conversation, Trevor and Matt unpack a practical storytelling framework built around three core ideas: situation, stakes, and shift.

Throughout the episode, Matt shares real examples from donor meetings, family life, leadership, and nonprofit work to show how stories create trust, emotional engagement, and long-term donor relationships. They also discuss how great storytellers use vivid details, dialogue, and emotion to pull listeners into a moment rather than simply describing it.

Whether you are a nonprofit founder, major gift officer, executive director, or communicator, this episode gives actionable tactics you can immediately use in donor conversations, pitches, presentations, newsletters, and public speaking.

If you want donors to remember your mission, start by giving them stories they can feel.

Follow Matt:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-paprocki-86337220b
Website: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/author/mpaprocki/

To see all the show notes visit: https://www.7figurefundraising.com/podcast/

To learn more about fundraising and our training visit: 7FigureFundraising.com