Designing a Workshop to Strengthen Storytelling at United Way Bengaluru
The Challenge
The team at United Way Bengaluru (UWBe) was doing meaningful work across communities—but struggled to communicate their impact in a way that truly connected with audiences. They wanted to move beyond reports and project updates, and instead tell stories that inspire action, reflect the voices of their beneficiaries, and resonate across diverse stakeholder groups—from donors and government officials to school children and frontline workers.
That’s when they brought us in—to build their team’s storytelling muscle in a simple, engaging, and practical way.
The Objective
The goal was to equip UWBe’s core team with:
A strong grasp of how to craft meaningful, audience-focused stories
Tools and techniques to balance data with emotion
Confidence to create compelling narratives in both English and local languages
Practical skills in using platforms like Canva to visually enhance stories
A renewed focus on bringing the voices of their communities to the forefront
The Solution
We designed and facilitated a hands-on workshop titled ‘Crafting Stories of Transformation’ for UWBe’s core members. It was interactive, reflective, and designed to be applied immediately.
Key components included:
Role-play exercises to identify story-worthy moments
A structured deep dive into emotion + data frameworks
Live collaborative work using Canva to build visual narratives
Tools and templates to support story collection, structuring, and delivery
Breakouts and reflection to personalise learning for each participant
The Impact
The session landed with clarity and enthusiasm:
58% of participants said they had a strong understanding of storytelling after the workshop
75% felt they had improved their skills in structuring and writing engaging stories
66% said they learned how to effectively balance emotion and data in their narratives
Feedback Highlights
“The power of emotional connection—stories are most impactful when they evoke emotion.”
“I found the frameworks shared helpful and will be using Data/Emotion/Design going forward.”
“I now understand how to construct a story that resonates with our audience.”
