Domestic Violence Prevention Organization Uses Storytelling to Build Support
Close to Home’s mission is to foster community-wide responsibility to prevent and reduce the impact of domestic violence. We are building and supporting networks of community residents and organizations in local neighborhoods that want to take action and address the problem of domestic violence together. Close to Home believes that domestic violence is a critical community issue and that all community members—youth, residents, families, friends, neighbors, civic leaders, and organizational partners—are essential to designing and implementing the solutions to the problem.
The Executive Director of Close to Home came to us with her plan to grow the organization: increase the number of people served and open multiple sites throughout the state. She knew she needed to attract considerable support in order to achieve those goals.
The Ariel Solution
Ariel Outreach worked with both the Executive Director and her staff. We provided coaching to the ED to enable her to use her own inspiring stories to move people to action. Ariel coaching enabled her to speak about the issue of domestic and sexual violence and tell the stories of victims of violence in a compelling way. What’s more, she was able to move people to unlock their own generosity in supporting Close To Home’s mission. Our work with the staff, a Leading with Presence program, helped them work more cohesively as a team, and helped each individual feel more comfortable sharing the story of Close To Home.
Results
“Ariel work gave me tools to use when I need to communicate for the most impact, ways to use stories that vividly convey the substance of our work. I want those stories to burn an impression in the hearts and minds of key people – donors, policy makers, community members – to keep them engaged in this critical issue of domestic and sexual violence prevention. I think my increased confidence in speaking on behalf of Close to Home, and effectively telling our story, has been instrumental in our growth."
