Oct 3, 2025
The goal of narrative strategy is to influence a community's perception of an issue to enroll support and inspire real change. To do so, your nonprofit must first understand what makes up the "narrative ecosystem" in which all of your messaging lives. In today's episode, Josh Gryniewicz returns to explain the six "units of narrativity." Learn how to shape storytelling at every level so your nonprofit’s communications and fundraising efforts connect more deeply and deliver greater impact.
Want to suggest a topic, guest, or nonprofit organization for an upcoming episode? Send an email with the subject "NPFX suggestion" to contact@ipmadvancement.com.
Additional Resources
Units of Narrativity graphic (from
Odd Duck)
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6qh09z91yqzys14b8ilb1/Odd_Duck_Narrative_Ecosystem.pdf?rlkey=lba3tkl7oq9bs6d91pgriv76k&dl=0
"Narrative Framing as Advocacy"
Resource Center [Alliance for Early Success]
https://earlysuccess.org/resource-centers/narrative-framing-as-advocacy/
[NPFX] Authentic, Ethical, and
Effective Messaging — From Theory to Practice
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/authentic-ethical-and-effective-messaging-from-theory-to-practice
[NPFX] Flipping the Script: Using
Narrative Strategy to Improve Messaging and Prevent Donor
Attrition
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/flipping-the-script-using-narrative-strategy-to-improve-messaging-and-prevent-donor-attrition
[NPFX] When Your Nonprofit's Case
for Support Just Isn't Working
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/when-your-nonprofits-case-for-support-just-isnt-working
[NPFX] How to Find Authentic Voices
That Inspire Action
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/narrative-strategy-how-to-find-authentic-voices-that-inspire-action
Josh Gryniewicz is the founder and Chief
Narrative Strategist at Odd Duck, a
storytelling-for-social-change creative consultancy focused on
impact-driven organizations. Josh is the co-author of the
award-winning national bestseller, Interrupting Violence. For over a decade, he
has worked in nonprofit communication. In 2018, he founded Odd Duck
to combine his passions for storytelling and social change. The
agency’s Navigating Misinformation for Community Health framework
has been shared with over a thousand community health
organizations. Odd Duck has worked with nearly a hundred
change-making organizations and advised hundreds more, including
the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Harvard School of
Public Health, and the White House.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgryniewicz/
https://oddduck.io/
https://www.interruptingviolence.com/
Russ Phaneuf, a
co-founder of IPM Advancement, has a background in higher education
development, with positions at the University of Hartford, Northern
Arizona University, and Thunderbird School of Global Management. As
IPM's managing director & chief strategist, Russ serves as lead
fundraising strategist, award-winning content creator, and program
analyst specializing in applied system dynamics.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russphaneuf/
Rich Frazier has
worked in the nonprofit sector for over 35 years. In his roles as
senior consultant with IPM Advancement and founder of VisionConnect LLC, Rich offers extensive
understanding and knowledge in capital campaigns, fund development,
strategic planning, and board of directors development.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richfrazier/
https://www.visionconnectllc.com/