Fundraising is an exercise in persuasion. To convince a funder to support your efforts, you need to be effective in demonstrating your program’s impact on its clients and the community. In this issue of Enterprising Times, we look at the indispensable role that data collection and reporting play in fundraising. But numbers alone can’t tell the whole story. It’s important to recognize that funders are living, breathing human beings who can be personally moved to action through persuasive stories about the life-changing experiences of real people.

How do you create a persuasive success story? What are its elements? And what are the technical requirements for producing stories in print? To get some answers to these questions, CAMEO interviewed Berkeley-based graphic designer Philip Krayna. Philip has worked extensively with nonprofits as well as on the editorial side of magazines, and understands how critical a compelling story can be as a fundraising tool. His studio recently redesigned CAMEO’s publications, demonstrating his knowledge and experience for us firsthand, and is currently at work on our website redesign.

CAMEO: What are the elements of a persuasive success story?
P.K.: People want to read about who your clients are, not just what they do. What prompted them to start their businesses? What were their obstacles? How have their lives changed since becoming self-employed?

CAMEO: What makes a persuasive photograph to accompany a success story?
P.K.: Action. Photographs should show your clients at work, doing what they do in the course of their day. Avoid posed photographs. Your audience is sophisticated, and knows when something doesn’t quite “ring true.” Also, make sure your photos are not too dark, and the facial features of the subjects are clear.

CAMEO: Now for the technical details. What graphics format works best in print? If I work with a designer, how do I supply the graphic?
P.K.: If you supply a digital image, a tiff file (Tagged Image File Format) is optimal, rather than a jpeg. The compression process utilized by jpeg files often results in a loss of image quality. You could email the tiff, or copy it to a zip disk or CD-ROM. Avoid floppy disks; they are easilty damaged or demagnetized in the mail. If you supply a photo, a 4 x 6 or 8 x 10 print is fine. Remember to always specify glossy paper when you make the print, since it will scan clearer. Matte paper tends to create a mottled look when scanned.

CAMEO: What are the minimum resolution and optimal size for a photo that will appear in print?
P.K. An image must be scanned at 300 dpi, at the final size it will appear in print. Since the editorial/design staff will be cropping or possibly enlarging the image, the more dpi the better. About 4 inches in width, at 300 dpi, should be sufficient.

Note: most digital cameras do not produce images with sufficient dpi for print media, and many cameras compress the file as a jpeg, thus sacrificing clarity. Use your digital camera for images on your website. Unless you’re sure you can achieve 300 dpi resolution with it (the more expensive ones are capable of higher resolution), use a traditional film camera for print images.

Over the coming months, CAMEO will initiate a system for the ongoing collection of client success stories from its member programs. Our aim is to develop a powerful “library” of success stories for use in print publications and on our website. This will help us tell the story of microenterprise development in California, and build the most persuasive case possible for funding the field.

The award-winning work of Philip Krayna Design can be viewed at www.pkdesign.net.