The Story Discovery Workshop

Once, I tried to raise donations for hygiene kits by highlighting the various ways they help homeless people experience cleanliness. Years later, I realized what made the kits valuable—and moved donors and volunteers to tears—was the human dignity they represented.

I’ve made a point never to forget this a-ha moment.

For over 20 years, I’ve helped mission-driven organizations craft language that defines and highlights their unique identity, strength, and beauty. I’ve found that the most valuable stories are often hidden in plain sight:

• In the quiet dedication of a volunteer,

• A brief interaction with a visitor,

• The thoughtful touches you and your team put into the garden, gallery, waiting room, or mailing packet.

The Story Discovery Workshop is designed to reveal these tangible, relatable, and memorable stories you didn’t know you weren’t telling.

When you complete the workshop, you’ll take away tools, knowledge, confidence, and—most importantly—heartfelt excitement to communicate why your work matters.

When you share them, people will want to visit, become members, enroll, purchase, and donate because they align with your mission and values. They will become your champions.

And your staff, stakeholders, and collaborators will know that there’s a clear, united purpose, binding them together.

Who is this for?

• Arts organizations, botanical gardens, museums, and nonprofits seeking to deepen donor and member engagement through authentic and beautiful storytelling.

• Advancement teams that want to move beyond transactional appeals and cultivate real, lasting relationships with their supporters.

• Independent artists, educators, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who value stories, justice, heart, and profit.

What happens in the Story Discovery Workshop?

In this half-day, hands-on, customized workshop, you and your team will:

• Uncover Hidden Stories: Through guided exercises, discover the moments and voices within your organization that spark connection and generosity.

• Shape Stories for Impact: Learn how to craft narratives that move beyond facts and figures—stories that invite empathy, action, and lasting support.

• Build a Storybank: Leave with a collection of compelling, mission-aligned stories ready for your next campaign, newsletter, or grant application.

• Empower Your Team: Gain confidence and practical tools to continue discovering and sharing stories long after the workshop ends.

What makes this workshop different?

This isn’t a generic storytelling seminar. It’s a guided, interactive experience rooted in mindful attunement—helping your team tune in to the voices, details, and moments that truly set your organization apart.

• Attuned Listening: I draw out authentic, emotionally resonant narratives by listening deeply—to your people, your place, your purpose.

• Mission-Driven Focus: Every story we uncover is rooted in your unique mission and values, poised to inspire donors, members, and your broader community.

• Practical, Lasting Tools: You’ll leave with a storybank of ready-to-share narratives and a repeatable process for ongoing story discovery.

Your work matters.

Let’s find, shape, and share the stories that don’t just get you known, but deeply trusted.

♥️

Sample Workshop Schedule

9:00 AM — Welcome & Intention Setting
Get grounded with introductions, a brief mindfulness exercise, and an overview of our goals for the day.

9:20 AM — The Power of Story
Discover why emotionally attuned stories inspire action, with real-world nonprofit examples.

9:40 AM — Story Discovery in Practice
Engage in guided prompts and small-group conversations to surface the stories that make your organization unique.

10:40 AM — Break

10:55 AM — Shaping Stories for Impact
Learn the key elements of a compelling narrative and practice crafting your own, with supportive peer feedback.

11:45 AM — Building Your Storybank
Capture and organize your new stories using a practical template, and brainstorm future story sources as a team.

12:15 PM — Reflection & Next Steps
Share insights, set intentions for ongoing storytelling, and leave with tools you can use right away.

12:30 PM — Workshop Close

Why Work With Me?

I’m Rumi Tsuchihashi. I’m the author of three essay collections, an editor, and a coach. I’ve worked on staff and as a consultant to numerous nonprofit and arts organizations for over 20 years, and I understand how easy it is to become too close to your work to discuss it effectively, let alone tell a compelling story about it! My approach is gentle, collaborative, and rooted in the belief that every organization holds a wellspring of narrative potential, waiting to be discovered and brought to life.