Brett Davidson
Brett is a narrative strategist with deep experience in health equity, with a particular interest in the role of storytelling, popular culture, and arts activism in bringing about social change. Through his company Wingseed, he works with foundations and nonprofits interested in using the power of narrative and creativity for social justice. Brett is also the Narrative Lead at International Resource for Impact and Storytelling (IRIS), a donor collaborative for philanthropy focused on strengthening civil society through narrative strategies and creative moving image storytelling for impact.
Naming the cause of the problem
‘Poverty rates are rising,’ ‘democracy is under threat’, ‘women are still being paid less than men’’: we in the nonprofit world love to use the passive voice. Perhaps it’s because we think it sounds more academic, and so more authoritative, perhap...
Highlighting strengths: how to transform your nonprofit messaging
In my previous post on accentuating the positive, I referenced an approach called Asset Framing, developed by Trabian Shorters. I wanted to say a bit more about that approach. Shorters noticed that many nonprofits and foundations focus on tal...
Research Insights: Crafting positive nonprofit messages
In the realm of communications and advocacy, the power of positive messaging cannot be overstated. In this insightful piece, Brett Davidson delves into the compelling research and expert advice that underscores the importance of focusing on aspira...
The importance of plain speaking and writing for nonprofits
Many years ago I worked on a daily radio current affairs show. One of my pet hates was interviewing people from NGOs, because I could never understand what they were talking about. Many organisations were doing amazing work on important issues lik...
The neglected art of listening (Part 2)
I wrote previously about the importance of listening if nonprofits want to do a better job of reaching and moving their audiences. However, listening is not only a crucial step in crafting effective messaging. Genuine listening can be hugely persu...
The neglected art of listening (Part 1)
Too often those of us in the nonprofit world sit in our offices and boardrooms, hashing out messages with our colleagues and allies - people who share our values and think like we do. We argue amongst ourselves for hours over exactly which words a...
Connecting ethical storytelling and narrative change
If storytelling is to be a truly powerful tool for social justice activism, it is important to pay as much attention to the process of storytelling as to its outcome. Unless it is approached thoughtfully and with great care, impact-driven storytel...
Narrative Emergency Kit: How should we prepare for the next crisis?
Watching tragedy unfold in Ukraine, I have been thinking about the powerful, rapid, and often unexpected impact that major, shocking events can have on narratives that underpin our understanding of the world. While narrative and culture change...
What do we mean by effective storytelling? Letting go of magic bullets
How do we tell more effective stories? This is a central question for us at IRIS, a new collaborative hub that brings together funders, storytellers and activists. It’s something I have been interested in since the early days of my career, in ...