NGO & CSO Management - NARRATIVE İNFRASTRUCTURE

Connect Your Funders With Your Community Using Narrative İnfrastructure

Localized Impact Data & Testimonials

Evidence-based support for your program:

Increased inter-generational engagement and appeal
Improved local history awareness
Strengthened community connections
Development of critical thinking and communication skills

Support Your Mission

Human Scale of Local Policy

Blunt opportunism and short-term thinking
Provide a legacy narrative tool to balance short-term political narratives on an ongoing basis
Orient from past to the future: helping to inform the decisions of the present
Channel the informal knowledge of the past into the formal planning of the future
Longitudinal public engagement tool to blunt opportunism and ensure the local stakeholder has a degree of agency
Provides an audience-centric frame for communicating science
Enhance participatory democracy through contextualized preservation of public input
Identify cultural boundaries as opportunity zones for peace-building

Example Nİ at Denver

Clear Communication, Strong Communities

Narratives are our shared language, and the kids can help!

Help us build

How You Can Use Mapped Stories in Your Mission:

Needs Assessment and Program Design

Mapping stories of hardship, resilience, and community needs to identify gaps in services and design programs that are truly responsive to the community's realities.

I spearheaded a project where we collected and geocoded local oral histories, creating a vibrant, interactive map. This map revealed clusters of shared experiences – isolated elderly populations struggling with transportation, immigrant families facing language barriers in accessing healthcare, and youth grappling with a lack of safe recreational spaces. By visually overlaying these narratives with existing service locations, we pinpointed critical service deserts. This data-driven, community-centered approach allowed us to design targeted programs: a volunteer-run transportation network for seniors, multilingual health navigators, and youth-led initiatives to revitalize neglected parks, ensuring our interventions were not only relevant but deeply rooted in the community's lived experiences.

Support Your Mission

Advocacy and Policy Change

Using community stories to illustrate the impact of policies on people's lives and to advocate for changes that address their needs.

We compiled decades of stories highlighting the devastating effects of a proposed industrial development on local water sources and ancestral lands. This map, a tapestry of personal narratives, was presented to policymakers, vividly demonstrating the human cost beyond cold statistics. During town hall meetings, residents pointed to specific locations on the map, sharing firsthand accounts of lost livelihoods and cultural erosion. This powerful visual and emotional tool galvanized public support, forcing the council to reconsider the development, ultimately leading to revised environmental protections and the preservation of vital community.

Support Your Mission

Community Mobilization and Organizing

Sharing stories of successful community action and organizing to inspire others and build momentum for change.

I knew our community faced deep-seated apathy. Instead of relying on dry statistics, we launched the "Whispers of the Watershed" project, mapping local oral histories of past community triumphs against environmental threats. Elders' tales, pinpointed on an interactive map, revealed forgotten victories – the successful fight against a polluting factory in the 70s, the grassroots reforestation effort after a devastating flood. We hosted neighborhood gatherings, projecting these stories onto building walls, sparking conversations and reigniting a sense of collective power. Suddenly, the fight against the new proposed pipeline wasn't just another abstract battle; it was a continuation of a legacy, a thread woven through generations, and people mobilized, armed with the knowledge that they had, and could again, make a difference.

Support Your Mission

Fundraising and Donor Engagement

Using compelling stories to connect with donors and demonstrate the impact of the organization's work.

I unveiled our "Living Landscapes" project, a digital map layered with vibrant oral histories collected from the region's oldest residents. Each pin on the map represented a unique story – a tale of resilience during drought, a memory of communal harvests, a legend tied to a specific landmark. During our annual fundraising gala, I projected the map, allowing donors to virtually explore these narratives. One story, about a grandmother's secret seed-saving technique that revived a dying local crop, resonated deeply, illustrating our work's tangible impact on preserving cultural heritage and agricultural biodiversity. This interactive experience transformed abstract data into powerful, personal connections, resulting in a record-breaking fundraising year and increased donor engagement as they saw their contributions directly safeguarding the community's living legacy.

Support Your Mission

Monitoring and Evaluation

Collecting stories about the impact of programs on participants' lives to track progress and make adjustments as needed.

"Community Voices" map, a dynamic tool where our field workers plotted locations and uploaded audio recordings of participant testimonials. Each pin represented a family's experience with our micro-loan program, their struggles and successes narrated in their own voices. During our quarterly review, we'd "travel" the map, listening to the raw, unfiltered impact. One story, about a widow who used her loan to start a bakery, revealing not only increased income but also improved social standing, highlighted an unintended but vital outcome. Conversely, another story exposed a logistical hurdle in accessing market spaces, prompting us to adjust our program's support services. This map wasn't just data; it was a living, breathing evaluation, allowing us to track nuanced progress, identify unforeseen challenges, and ensure our programs truly met the community's evolving needs.

Support Your Mission

Building Trust and Relationships

Creating a platform for community members to share their stories and feel heard, which helps build trust and strengthen relationships.

We meticulously mapped local oral histories, marking sites of significant personal and communal events. We organized community storytelling walks, using the map as our guide, inviting elders to share their memories at each location. This wasn't just about documenting history; it was about creating a shared experience. By physically tracing their narratives onto the land, we validated their experiences, fostering a sense of belonging and respect. The map became a tangible symbol of their collective memory, breaking down generational barriers and building deep, lasting trust, proving that listening, and valuing lived experience, is the most powerful tool for community building.

Support Your Mission

Raising Awareness of Social Issues

Using stories to raise awareness of social issues and challenge stereotypes.

By collecting and geolocating stories of marginalized communities, we revealed the hidden narratives of poverty, discrimination, and resilience. During community workshops, participants explored the map, listened to firsthand accounts, and witnessed the tangible impact of historical injustices on present-day lives. This immersive experience shattered preconceived notions, fostering empathy and galvanizing support for policy changes addressing systemic inequalities, ultimately turning forgotten voices into a powerful catalyst for social change.

Support Your Mission

Promoting Cultural Preservation

Mapping stories about cultural traditions, historical landmarks, and community events to preserve and celebrate local heritage.

I spearheaded a project to combat the creeping amnesia plaguing our community. We partnered with local elders, training them in digital recording and mapping techniques. Using a large, interactive map of the region, we plotted their oral histories: the location of the old mill where generations gathered for harvest festivals, the hidden grove where secret storytelling circles once met, and the path of the legendary "Spirit Walk." This visual representation, coupled with recorded narratives, transformed abstract memories into a tangible, shared heritage, revitalizing community engagement and igniting a renewed passion for preserving our unique cultural identity, especially amongst the younger generation.

Support Your Mission

Disaster Relief and Recovery

Mapping stories of disaster experiences to identify vulnerable populations and coordinate relief efforts.

This wasn't a typical geographical map; it was layered with narratives, pinpointing where elderly residents with mobility issues lived, which families relied on specific ancestral wells for water, and where community knowledge of traditional flood mitigation techniques resided. By overlaying this map with real-time flood data, we prioritized rescue operations, ensuring the most vulnerable were reached first. We then dispatched targeted aid, delivering clean water to those reliant on compromised wells and deploying community elders to advise on temporary dike construction, effectively transforming shared trauma into a powerful tool for rapid and culturally sensitive recovery.

Support Your Mission

Empowering Marginalized Communities

Providing a platform for marginalized communities to share their stories and amplify their voices, which helps them advocate for their rights and needs. We compiled map of local oral histories gathered from elder members of the long-neglected riverbank communities. This map, far more than a geographical tool, became a vibrant tapestry of their struggles and resilience, revealing forgotten land rights and overlooked environmental injustices. We organized community workshops where these stories were shared and validated, translating the anecdotal evidence into concrete demands for infrastructure improvements and legal recognition. By visually representing their collective narrative, the map empowered these marginalized groups to directly engage with local authorities, transforming their lived experiences into powerful advocacy tools, and ultimately securing tangible improvements in their living conditions.

Support Your Mission

How You Can Use Mapped Stories in Your Mission:

Needs Assessment and Program Design

Mapping stories of hardship, resilience, and community needs to identify gaps in services and design programs that are truly responsive to the community's realities.

I spearheaded a project where we collected and geocoded local oral histories, creating a vibrant, interactive map. This map revealed clusters of shared experiences – isolated elderly populations struggling with transportation, immigrant families facing language barriers in accessing healthcare, and youth grappling with a lack of safe recreational spaces. By visually overlaying these narratives with existing service locations, we pinpointed critical service deserts. This data-driven, community-centered approach allowed us to design targeted programs: a volunteer-run transportation network for seniors, multilingual health navigators, and youth-led initiatives to revitalize neglected parks, ensuring our interventions were not only relevant but deeply rooted in the community's lived experiences.

Support Your Mission

Advocacy and Policy Change

Using community stories to illustrate the impact of policies on people's lives and to advocate for changes that address their needs.

We compiled decades of stories highlighting the devastating effects of a proposed industrial development on local water sources and ancestral lands. This map, a tapestry of personal narratives, was presented to policymakers, vividly demonstrating the human cost beyond cold statistics. During town hall meetings, residents pointed to specific locations on the map, sharing firsthand accounts of lost livelihoods and cultural erosion. This powerful visual and emotional tool galvanized public support, forcing the council to reconsider the development, ultimately leading to revised environmental protections and the preservation of vital community.

Support Your Mission

Community Mobilization and Organizing

Sharing stories of successful community action and organizing to inspire others and build momentum for change.

I knew our community faced deep-seated apathy. Instead of relying on dry statistics, we launched the "Whispers of the Watershed" project, mapping local oral histories of past community triumphs against environmental threats. Elders' tales, pinpointed on an interactive map, revealed forgotten victories – the successful fight against a polluting factory in the 70s, the grassroots reforestation effort after a devastating flood. We hosted neighborhood gatherings, projecting these stories onto building walls, sparking conversations and reigniting a sense of collective power. Suddenly, the fight against the new proposed pipeline wasn't just another abstract battle; it was a continuation of a legacy, a thread woven through generations, and people mobilized, armed with the knowledge that they had, and could again, make a difference.

Support Your Mission

Fundraising and Donor Engagement

Using compelling stories to connect with donors and demonstrate the impact of the organization's work.

I unveiled our "Living Landscapes" project, a digital map layered with vibrant oral histories collected from the region's oldest residents. Each pin on the map represented a unique story – a tale of resilience during drought, a memory of communal harvests, a legend tied to a specific landmark. During our annual fundraising gala, I projected the map, allowing donors to virtually explore these narratives. One story, about a grandmother's secret seed-saving technique that revived a dying local crop, resonated deeply, illustrating our work's tangible impact on preserving cultural heritage and agricultural biodiversity. This interactive experience transformed abstract data into powerful, personal connections, resulting in a record-breaking fundraising year and increased donor engagement as they saw their contributions directly safeguarding the community's living legacy.

Support Your Mission

Monitoring and Evaluation

Collecting stories about the impact of programs on participants' lives to track progress and make adjustments as needed.

"Community Voices" map, a dynamic tool where our field workers plotted locations and uploaded audio recordings of participant testimonials. Each pin represented a family's experience with our micro-loan program, their struggles and successes narrated in their own voices. During our quarterly review, we'd "travel" the map, listening to the raw, unfiltered impact. One story, about a widow who used her loan to start a bakery, revealing not only increased income but also improved social standing, highlighted an unintended but vital outcome. Conversely, another story exposed a logistical hurdle in accessing market spaces, prompting us to adjust our program's support services. This map wasn't just data; it was a living, breathing evaluation, allowing us to track nuanced progress, identify unforeseen challenges, and ensure our programs truly met the community's evolving needs.

Support Your Mission

Building Trust and Relationships

Creating a platform for community members to share their stories and feel heard, which helps build trust and strengthen relationships.

We meticulously mapped local oral histories, marking sites of significant personal and communal events. We organized community storytelling walks, using the map as our guide, inviting elders to share their memories at each location. This wasn't just about documenting history; it was about creating a shared experience. By physically tracing their narratives onto the land, we validated their experiences, fostering a sense of belonging and respect. The map became a tangible symbol of their collective memory, breaking down generational barriers and building deep, lasting trust, proving that listening, and valuing lived experience, is the most powerful tool for community building.

Support Your Mission

Raising Awareness of Social Issues

Using stories to raise awareness of social issues and challenge stereotypes.

By collecting and geolocating stories of marginalized communities, we revealed the hidden narratives of poverty, discrimination, and resilience. During community workshops, participants explored the map, listened to firsthand accounts, and witnessed the tangible impact of historical injustices on present-day lives. This immersive experience shattered preconceived notions, fostering empathy and galvanizing support for policy changes addressing systemic inequalities, ultimately turning forgotten voices into a powerful catalyst for social change.

Support Your Mission

Promoting Cultural Preservation

Mapping stories about cultural traditions, historical landmarks, and community events to preserve and celebrate local heritage.

I spearheaded a project to combat the creeping amnesia plaguing our community. We partnered with local elders, training them in digital recording and mapping techniques. Using a large, interactive map of the region, we plotted their oral histories: the location of the old mill where generations gathered for harvest festivals, the hidden grove where secret storytelling circles once met, and the path of the legendary "Spirit Walk." This visual representation, coupled with recorded narratives, transformed abstract memories into a tangible, shared heritage, revitalizing community engagement and igniting a renewed passion for preserving our unique cultural identity, especially amongst the younger generation.

Support Your Mission

Disaster Relief and Recovery

Mapping stories of disaster experiences to identify vulnerable populations and coordinate relief efforts.

This wasn't a typical geographical map; it was layered with narratives, pinpointing where elderly residents with mobility issues lived, which families relied on specific ancestral wells for water, and where community knowledge of traditional flood mitigation techniques resided. By overlaying this map with real-time flood data, we prioritized rescue operations, ensuring the most vulnerable were reached first. We then dispatched targeted aid, delivering clean water to those reliant on compromised wells and deploying community elders to advise on temporary dike construction, effectively transforming shared trauma into a powerful tool for rapid and culturally sensitive recovery.

Support Your Mission

Empowering Marginalized Communities

Providing a platform for marginalized communities to share their stories and amplify their voices, which helps them advocate for their rights and needs. We compiled map of local oral histories gathered from elder members of the long-neglected riverbank communities. This map, far more than a geographical tool, became a vibrant tapestry of their struggles and resilience, revealing forgotten land rights and overlooked environmental injustices. We organized community workshops where these stories were shared and validated, translating the anecdotal evidence into concrete demands for infrastructure improvements and legal recognition. By visually representing their collective narrative, the map empowered these marginalized groups to directly engage with local authorities, transforming their lived experiences into powerful advocacy tools, and ultimately securing tangible improvements in their living conditions.

Support Your Mission

Narrative İnfrastructure at Denver, Colorado:

How a 13-Year-Old started Narrative İnfrastructure:

Unveiling a Living History: Interactive Archives for Learning

We are thrilled to unveil a pioneering project that transforms historical archives into a dynamic, interactive learning experience. Our team at Narrative İnfrastructure revitalized the Barry Matchett University Park Oral History Collection, a remarkable archive collected by then 13-year-old Barry in 1986.

Audio Archive at D.U.

From Scout Project to Digital Map: Revitalizing Local Narratives

We’ve transformed 15 hours of compelling interviews into a “narrative infrastructure,” mapping 383 unique stories that span six decades of Denver’s history in University Park.

Urban Study Using Stories

Empowering Students, Transforming Communities:

Imagine empowering the children of your community to explore the evolution of their community through the firsthand accounts of its residents, locating each narrative on a digital map. This project not only preserves invaluable historical data but also provides a powerful tool for urban management.

Get the Kids Involved!

Barry Matchett & Annita Andrick: click here to visit the Penrose Archives
Plat map of University Park
Oldest surviving home
Observatory of Denver University
Number 8 Train and "White" General Store
Click here to see a video of Berry's stories informing research
Click to launch Denver Narrative Infrastructure

Partner with Narrative İnfrastructure

Build Your Community’s Long-term Voice

Collaboration

Building Narrative İnfrastructure is not complicated, but we need local advocates to motivate educators to make the CHAT MAP workshop a part of their regular semester.

CHAT-MAPs is our school workshop program to build narrative infrastructure. The students collect the stories and we combine them:

1. Students collect and do basic mapping using their own devices and off the shelf software.
2. Narrative İnfrastructure compiles and creates the final, comprehensive neighborhood map (gratis for a limited number of classes per semester, apply early.)
3. Narrative İnfrastructure helps teachers involve planners, NGOs, local leaders, and neighborhood associations with the workshop to make the stories the students collect impactful now and into the future.

Nİ Benefits to You Mission

Get the GIS-ready data for helping your community: story data you can overlay with your asset analysis, or stories to ground a presentation or pitch. With robust Narrative İnfrastructure, you can:

- Pre-community engagement concept test.
- Frame your proposals as extensions of community stories.
- Identify areas of need and natural supporters.
- Identify areas inappropriate for projects.
- Re-frame technical data in presentations to the community in terms they already understand.

Flow of Story-Power

Services We Offer

- Training
- Mapping
- Project coordination
- Free continuing education
- Community Engagement Add-on service
- Outreach effort support (planning and marketing materials)

Please fill out the Interest Form: