LET IT SHINE ACADEMY (LISA): Storytelling as Social Proof
Cinematic Storytelling: Transforming Conviction into Collective Impact
Let It Shine Academy (LISA) had operated successfully as a free day school for five years, serving children in their community with quality education. The founder came to us with an ambitious next chapter: to raise ₦300 million and transform LISA into a fully boarding school. The challenge extended beyond securing funds—it required building trust and emotional connection through storytelling that could motivate donations and transform this vision into a collective movement with widespread support.
We began with a clear understanding: fundraising for social impact is about social proof and shared belief. The most powerful asset was the verifiable, living proof of LISA's five-year track record and its impact on students, parents, and the community.
We approached this as a Fundraising Narrative Strategy, using storytelling to build trust through multiple perspectives. Rather than centering one voice, we created a content library that told the story through the lens of the children whose lives had been transformed, the parents who had witnessed the change, the teachers delivering the education, the existing sponsors who had already invested, and finally, the founder. This multifaceted approach allowed potential donors to see the mission from every angle, building credibility through authentic testimonies rather than abstract promises.
We directed and produced documentary-style video content that captured these stories with cinematic quality but remained grounded in real experiences. Each narrative served a specific purpose: the children demonstrated impact, the parents provided emotional weight, the teachers showed dedication, the sponsors validated credibility, and the founder articulated vision. We also built a community engagement framework for organic sharing and amplification, designing the content to be easily distributed across networks.
The storytelling campaign generated over 200,000 views across platforms within weeks of launch and raised over ₦70 million in three months toward the ₦300 million target. The work transformed LISA's expansion from an isolated project into a movement with widespread participation.
LISA Boarding successfully opened in September 2025 with over 250 students. The multi-perspective content library continues to serve as an evergreen asset for ongoing fundraising and community building. The documentary-style videos established LISA as a credible, transparent organization, attracting not just donations but active participants who saw themselves as part of building something meaningful.
This project engaged Foundation and Connection pathways: Foundation work clarified the fundraising narrative and strategic positioning, while Connection work built the community engagement strategy and content production. We provided strategic storytelling, campaign development, video production, and community amplification architecture.
