By Anna Titulaer and Tara Todras-Whitehill
Stories are powerful. They shape perceptions, spark movements, and drive giving decisions. For philanthropic and social impact organizations, storytelling can mean the difference between inspiring, sustainable engagement or being lost in the noise. But stories resonate best when they are told ethically and authentically, centering dignity and respect for the people whose lives are being represented.
At Kiva, together with partners like TW Storytelling, we are advancing a conversation about why ethical storytelling is not just a communications choice but a core driver of meaningful, lasting impact across the social impact sector.
Why ethical storytelling matters
In the social impact sector, storytelling has long been a primary way to connect stakeholders, whether donors, supporters, customers, staff, volunteers, or the general public, to impact. Yet too often, stories are told in ways that unintentionally reinforce harmful stereotypes or diminish the agency of the people at the heart of the work.
Ethical storytelling flips that script. At Kiva, we’ve built practices that prioritize consent, dignity, inclusion, and representation. We don’t just tell stories about people, we tell stories with them. This approach creates narratives that strengthens communities, builds trust with supporters, and ensures social impact work does not cause unintended harm in the process of trying to do good.
When applied across the philanthropic spectrum, from individual donors to foundations, to donor-advised funds, ethical storytelling can become one of the most effective tools for inspiring action and building credibility.
Navigating power dynamics and AI in storytelling
Every story carries with it a set of power dynamics: Who tells the story? Whose voice is amplified? Who benefits? Recognizing these dynamics is essential for ethical storytelling.
For philanthropic and social impact professionals, this means asking:
Does this story center the individual’s agency?
Are we amplifying lived experiences rather than speaking for them?
Does the story reflect partnership rather than charity?
When these questions guide practice, storytelling becomes a tool for connection rather than a performative angle to garner sympathy and increase donations.
There is another layer of complexity: the expanding prevalence of AI. With audiences increasingly questioning what is “real”, approaching storytelling with an ethical framework is critical to maintain and build trust. AI models are trained on massive datasets, many of which include biased or unethical content. If organizations rely too heavily on AI-generated images or text without transparency or diligent discernment, trust can erode quickly and harmful stereotypes or biases may go unchecked.
At the same time, AI can be used thoughtfully as a tool to expand reach, streamline processes, and spark creativity when paired with strong ethical frameworks. The key is transparency and authenticity. Audiences can tell when stories ring hollow, and even algorithms are beginning to deprioritize inauthentic content.
The benefits of authentic storytelling
Authentic stories resonate more deeply with audiences, inspiring action and loyalty. For social impact organizations of all kinds, adopting ethical storytelling practices can:
Strengthen donor and stakeholder trust and engagement
Differentiate your mission in a crowded landscape
Build long-term credibility and thought leadership
Increase internal morale and pride within your teams and organizations
Grounded in values, ethical storytelling is also among the most effective strategies for building connection and driving change.
The basics of an ethical storytelling framework
A strong ethical storytelling framework helps ensure your communications uphold dignity and build trust. Here are key practices to consider:
Consent: Obtain clear, ongoing consent to share a story, not just one-time approval. Be sure it is in a local language and the use is clear.
Agency: Center the subject’s voice and perspective, rather than speaking for them.
Representation: Portray individuals accurately and respectfully, without stereotypes or oversimplification.
Power dynamics: Be mindful of who benefits from the story and ensure it reflects partnership rather than charity.
Engage: Engage with those in the story to be sure their story and voice are represented. It should be a story they are proud to tell and share.
Asset-based approach: Highlight people’s strengths, resilience, and resources—focusing on what they do have, not just what they lack.
Photography: Treat people as human first—choose images that respect their individuality, avoid clichés, and never place text over faces or obscure their dignity.
Hero of the story: While your organization may have played a role, always recognize that the real hero and agent of change is the individual or community featured.
Authenticity: Share stories that feel genuine and true, resisting the urge to dramatize or exploit.
Respect: Protect the physical, emotional, and reputational safety of the people featured, especially in high-risk contexts.
Diversity: Actively reflect diversity in whose stories are told, and avoid tokenism by showing a wide range of voices.
AI transparency: If AI tools are used to support storytelling, be open about their role and ensure ethical application.
Living guidelines: Treat your ethical storytelling framework as a living document that evolves with community feedback and best practices.
These basics not only protect the dignity of the people represented but also strengthen donor confidence and audience trust.
Examples of ethical storytelling
Examples bring these principles to life. Ethical storytelling might look like:
A nonprofit highlighting the words of community members directly, rather than paraphrasing.
A foundation choosing images that reflect dignity and agency rather than despair.
A social impact organization centering a project participant or community leader as the hero, while the organization is simply a support or highlight.
At Kiva, ethical storytelling begins with respect for people's voices. Every story we share is developed in partnership with the entrepreneur, ensuring that consent, dignity, and authenticity guide the process. Rather than focusing on hardship alone, we highlight resilience, innovation, and community impact, showing people as changemakers shaping their own futures.
Take Aisha, a business owner in Ghana, who expanded her water distribution franchise with the help of a Kiva loan. When we shared her journey, we emphasized her independence, her role in providing safe, affordable water to her neighbors, and her vision for growth. By framing Aisha as the driver of her own success, we show her as she is and sees herself: an entrepreneur and community leader. This approach avoids reducing people to a challenge to be solved, helps audiences connect to real stories over abstract causes, and builds trust by reflecting the full humanity of the individuals Kiva serves.
TW Storytelling used a similar approach in documenting the rise of Kenya’s “Boda Girls,” women who entered the male-dominated motorcycle taxi industry to serve their communities. In telling their stories, TW Storytelling focused not on hardship alone but on the women’s strength, determination, and impact. In the article, published in The New York Times, the authors ensured readers hear directly from women like Monica Atieno, who pursued training despite her husband’s disapproval, and Lilian Rehema, who now provides for her children through her earnings. By centering their voices and experiences, we show these women as pioneers challenging gender norms, improving access to healthcare, and reshaping their communities, while the organizations supporting them are framed as allies, not saviors.
Moving the conversation forward
Ethical storytelling is not just about communications. It is about building trust, fostering dignity, and amplifying impact. It’s an opportunity to elevate and amplify a changemakers story. For social impact and philanthropic organizations, it is also a way to ensure that the good you set out to do is done in good ways.
By prioritizing consent, authenticity, and respect, donors and institutions alike can break through the noise, inspire action, and build stronger connections with both their communities and the people they serve.
Because when stories are told ethically, they don’t just describe change, they create it.
To learn more about partnering with Kiva to tell compelling stories together, ethically, fill out the form below:
