Non-profit organizations often ask me if I have a sample consent form that they can use, when they are asking clients to participate in marketing or fundraising by sharing their personal stories.

Yes, I do!

This Storytelling Consent Form can be customized and adapted for your storytelling needs.

If you need the Word versions of the Consent form and Storyboard Template, just e-mail me at [email protected].

Don’t forget to:

• go through the form with your client fully – fill it out with them, not for them
• ensure that the client understands the agreement they are making (ask them to explain it back to you)
• give the client a copy of the signed form, including the contact information for the staff member in charge of the storytelling project
• make sure everyone involved with the production of the story is fully informed about the consent agreement
• ensure the client knows which people they can speak with (more than one is helpful) if they wish to withdraw consent at any point

Another helpful resource that can be used with a consent form is a Video Storyboard Template – you can use this to ensure informed consent, by working with the client to discuss exactly which details will be shared, and in what order/format (audio-only versions are also helpful).

Another benefit of storyboarding with a client is that it can be part of a therapeutic process (helping clients make further sense of the events and meanings in their lives). It is recommended that only trained helping professionals use storyboards in this way. A client who has not already done this kind of personal “narrative” work should not be asked to share their story publicly. In some agencies, counsellors or support workers will be involved in the creation of marketing and fundraising materials, in order to ensure that clients have adequate support with their involvement in the process, and are continuing to cope well after their story is produced and published.

I have heard of several cases where a client “success story” was being used publicly by a non-profit organization (or their funder or sponsor) while the client (who had been doing well at the time the story was produced) had since gone into crisis. As helping professionals, we need to take care before, during, and after a client allows their story to be used by organizations. Some organizations have expressed fear that their sharing of the story precipitated the client crisis – and this is a complex question – but the concern illustrates why we need to carefully consider the ethics of using client stories.