LOTR Takeaway 1: Show. Don’t tell.

This is the first part of a 3-part series we will share that ties nonprofit work and fundraising to the Lord of the Rings Movies. 

SPOILER ALERT: We will discuss content from the Lord of the Rings books, movies, and the greater LOTR universe.

Anyone who has seen the LOTR movies knows that they leave out a lot of info and background from the books.

The movies don’t tell you that the horn Gimli blows at the end of the Battle of Helm’s Deep is important by having Gandalf launch into an exposition about how it was used by King Helm Hammerhand ages ago to signal when he would go out from behind his walls and kill invading armies with his bare hands. Because that would be quite boring, and you don’t need to know that (But now you do! You’re welcome.)

Instead, the movie shows that the horn is an important symbol to our protagonists by having one of the main characters use it in all its ornate glory during the second film’s climax.

The movies also don’t bore you to death by telling you that the Balrog in the Mines of Moria is just 1 of lesser spirits who were tempted by the OG dark lord, Melkor, to become corrupted and fight epic wars with the good guys over the centuries. 

Instead, the movies show that the Balrog is an epic bad guy by having, not just the heroes but also the less epic baddies run for their lives.

Nonprofits can take a lesson from the people of Rohan and Balrogs!

Nonprofits are great, and they should toot their own horns, but I often see nonprofits' fundraising appeals use grandiose adjectives to describe their work, e.g., exceptional, critical, cutting-edge, committed, without evidence, or they launch into incredibly detailed explanations about everything they do.

These adjectives may all be accurate, but without evidence to back them up, they can seem over the top or excessive (or, as I like to call it, “eye-rolly”). This leads some nonprofits to support their claims by going into great detail about their background and everything they do, such as their founder’s story, the logic model their program is designed after, the evidence-based research surrounding their curriculum, etc.

However, including too much information can make the reader feel like they’re back in school, what with all the acronyms, facts, and details. Also, we have short attention spans, and using overly complex language can be inequitable.

What this looks like

Instead of saying, “Our program has been empowering youth to achieve their dreams through life-changing and dynamic educational experiences that propel them to unfathomable heights because (Insert a detailed description about how your founder spent a year abroad to learn the ABC method of child development, which results in a 20% increase on the SEL scale here),” try something like this.

To the data junkies: 

“Our Friendship Program lifts families out of poverty because 80% of the young adults from low-income households we serve go on to secure full-time jobs that pay a living wage by the time they turn 21 years old.”

To those looking for feel goods: 

“Jimmy’s story about how he lifted himself out of poverty by earning his programming certificate and landing a job at a national IT company started when he met his mentor, Tom, in our Friendship Program, which was only possible because of gifts from generous people like you.”

The readers of the past 2 statements learn about your program’s impact by seeing it in action instead of simply hearing about it in a detailed explanation.

You’re showing the data junkies how impactful your program is through a concrete outcome or showing the feel-good seekers how nurturing your program is by telling Jimmy’s story. In both cases, the reader walks away with hard evidence that the program is effective and making a difference. They don’t have to take your word for it. They know.

This approach works because whether you’re learning about a nonprofit’s work or catching up on LOTR lore, it’s always more fun and memorable when you get to experience something rather than feeling like you’re studying for an exam.

So, next time you write an appeal or are making a fantastic movie adaptation of a beloved fantasy series, ask yourself, “Am I showing or telling?”