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Why Storytelling Just Became a #2 Budget Priority

Benevity's State of Corporate Purpose 2026 report just put hard numbers behind something we've been telling nonprofit clients for years: communications and storytelling jumped from the #9 funding priority in 2024 to #2 for 2026.

August 4, 20264 min readBy 1708 Media

A contact recently shared Benevity's report with us and after reviewing it, it got us thinking how this applies to what we are seeing at 1708 Media. Every year we watch nonprofit leaders wrestle with the same quiet question: is our money better spent somewhere other than video? It's a fair question. Budgets are tight and every dollar has to work. But Benevity's new report just put hard numbers behind something we've been telling clients for years and if you're on the fence about investing in storytelling this year, we think this is the part worth reading.

Benevity surveyed more than 400 corporate impact leaders and 165 nonprofits for its State of Corporate Purpose 2026 report. Buried in the findings is a signal that should change how nonprofit leaders think about their content budget: communications and storytelling jumped from the #9 funding priority in 2024 to #2 for 2026. At the same time, 91% of companies named reputation and trust as the top reason they invest in purpose at all.

That really stood out to us. The funders you're trying to reach have decided that trust is the whole game…and that storytelling is how they build it.

That tracks with everything we see. Donors don't remember your annual report. They remember the story. Genuine video content is what actually resonates. We believe it's what people carry with them and what moves them to give. The data now agrees: people are more likely to watch video, platforms are prioritizing it in their algorithms, and it remains the single most effective way to tell your story. Because it's real. You can't fake someone's story.

But here's the catch

There's one thing in the report worth focusing on. Funders want more impact data to back the stories they tell and that demand is landing on nonprofits as unpaid reporting work, custom metrics, and staff overtime. The report's own recommendation is pointed: companies should “shine a light on the changemakers” they fund, not tell self-centered stories about themselves.

We couldn't agree more. Nobody cares about the funder. They care about the mission and the people impacted by it. In a media climate where audiences struggle to know what's real, authenticity is everything. If you share genuine, human impact stories, people will gravitate toward them, remember them, and be inspired to act.

That's also exactly why this shouldn't be a burden on your team. Our whole system is built to carry the weight for you. It starts with a discovery call where we learn your stories and your key fundraising moments across the year. Then we map content to each of those moments, plan the productions, run the shoots, and deliver throughout the year on a donor roadmap built around your calendar. You get proof-backed stories that land without your staff absorbing the load.

What this means for you

If you're a nonprofit leader weighing whether to invest in a storytelling system this year, the environment just answered for you. The funders are moving their budgets toward storytelling and trust. The audiences are already there. And the most effective, most authentic way to tell your story hasn't changed.

The moment to double down isn't next year. It's now.

Want to talk through what a year-round storytelling system could look like for your organization? Let's start with a Story Session.

Book a Story Session

WRITTEN BY 1708 MEDIA

1708 Media is an Emmy-winning video production company built for nonprofits. We produce mission films, fundraising videos, social content, and yearlong video partnerships for organizations across the country.

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