The Smart Communications Podcast — Episode 203:
How to Bridge Belonging in Your Narratives?
Date: January 21, 2026
Host: Farrah Trampeter (Big Duck)
Guest: Sade Dozon (Vice President of Advancement, Borealis Philanthropy)
Episode Overview
This episode explores how nonprofit leaders can cultivate belonging within their organizational narratives, not only through impactful stories but by building thoughtful narrative infrastructure. Farrah Trampeter welcomes Sade Dozon, a leader in philanthropy and movement-building, to examine the distinctions between stories and narratives, the power of plain language, concrete strategies for fostering belonging, and real-world examples of nonprofit organizations doing this work effectively.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Distinguishing Narratives from Stories
(01:27–03:14)
- Stories are individual moments or memories; they make issues feel human and real.
- Narratives are the overarching frameworks, the "containers" connecting stories and providing collective meaning.
- Quote (Sade Dozon, 01:45):
"Stories are what makes something real and feel human. Narratives are the greater ecosystem, almost like the container that those stories live within. So narratives are the collective meaning that we assign to all those individual stories."
- Quote (Sade Dozon, 01:45):
- The sector tends to use "storytelling" as an output, but real narrative work is strategic:
deciding what belongs, whose voices lead, and what truths get centered.
2. The Case for Plain Language in Nonprofit Communications
(03:14–07:49)
- Many nonprofits replicate grantmaker-oriented jargon in public communications, limiting accessibility.
- Quote (Sade Dozon, 04:36):
"Language can either build a bridge or a barrier." - Proximity (not performatively, but genuinely) leads to plain, direct, and human language.
- Complexity doesn't equate to credibility. Gatekeeping language can exclude.
- Quote (Sade Dozon, 06:29):
"Plain language is actually quite radical... to make an idea accessible to everyone is beautiful and is actually quite hard." - Test messaging for understanding across audiences (e.g., "If your grandma, your 10 year old, your funder can all understand your mission in the same sentence, then you're doing it right").
- Approach editing with connection in mind—edit for meaning, not sophistication.
3. Centering Belonging in Narrative Strategy
(07:55–10:33)
- Belonging means people don't have to "shrink or translate" to be understood.
- True belonging is more than sharing pain or trauma; it's about revealing connection and co-creation.
- Quote (Sade Dozon, 09:37):
"Inclusion is being invited into a room that's already been built. But belonging is when you help to build the room." - Embedding belonging means community is part of every step, from campaign conception to editorial choices.
- Belonging should be part of an organization's infrastructure: language, storytelling, visuals, authorship, and decision-making.
4. Examples of Bridging Belonging in Practice
(11:20–14:34)
- Belonging is built through narrative infrastructure: systems, networks, practices, and messengers.
- Documented: A newsroom producing multilingual, for-community, by-community content that empowers others to start similar hubs.
- Bold Futures (New Mexico): Uses Spanish-language public billboards to affirm and celebrate community members’ choices.
- Quote (Sade Dozon, 12:33):
"That's a narrative affirmation where people can actually see themselves reflected in a public space." - Translash Media & Cary Gray Group: Bridge narratives across trans safety, disability justice, and economic equity.
- Frameworks Institute: Roots messaging in cognitive research for broader collective impact.
- The Commons' Narrative Change Hub: Shares international resources and tools for movement-building.
- Investing in these infrastructure hubs strengthens the collective scaffolding for all stories.
5. Practical Tips for Nonprofits
(15:19–18:34)
- Conduct a Language Audit:
- Review your communications: Who is it written for? Who might be left out?
- Rewrite content for different core audiences.
- Accept Iteration:
- "Belonging is iterative." Don’t wait for perfection—communicate growth honestly to foster trust.
- Expand the 'We':
- Invite more people into your narrative as you build understanding and connection.
- Quote (Sade Dozon, 16:31):
"Who is the we? ...You build trust, you build this sort of like access to insight, and then you kind of gently pull them towards a deeper horizon of understanding while staying focused, rooted in care and the truth." - Audit Images Too:
- Check your visuals for representation, consent, and dignity. Ask if images reinforce stereotypes.
- Consider authorship and purpose behind each visual.
6. Memorable Closing Thoughts
(18:55–19:55)
- Sade models belonging by practicing what she preaches:
- Quote (Sade Dozon, 19:16):
"I live the talk. Like, I say things plainly, and if people don't understand, I say it in four different ways because it's on me to make sure that I'm effectively communicating so that people feel brought into the greater we that I'm building."
- Quote (Sade Dozon, 19:16):
- Encourages shared conversations and integrating belonging even in personal circles.
- Sade invites listeners to connect and continue the dialogue.
Notable Quotes
-
On narratives vs. stories:
"Narratives are the greater ecosystem, almost like the container that those stories live within." — Sade Dozon (01:45) -
On jargon and belonging:
"Complexity doesn't equal credibility... plain language is actually quite radical." — Sade Dozon (06:29) -
On belonging:
"Belonging isn't about proving pain. It's about revealing connection." — Sade Dozon (09:05) -
On the difference between inclusion and belonging:
"Inclusion is being invited into a room that's already been built. But belonging is when you help to build the room." — Sade Dozon (09:37) -
On narrative infrastructure:
"Those are the narrative infrastructure hubs that need to be resourced far more robustly than they are because they're the scaffolding that helps all of our stories hold." — Sade Dozon (14:20) -
On iterative narrative work:
"Belonging is iterative... when you communicate honestly about what you're learning, people then feel permission to grow with you." — Sade Dozon (15:56)
Timestamps of Key Segments
- 01:27 — Sade defines and distinguishes "narratives" and "stories."
- 03:14 — Discussion on shifting away from jargon and adopting plain language.
- 07:55 — Delving into the meaning and architecture of belonging.
- 11:20 — Real-life organizational examples of effective belonging in narratives.
- 15:19 — Practical tips and first steps for nonprofit communicators.
- 17:19 — Consideration of imagery and representation in communications.
- 18:55 — Sade’s personal commitment and invitation to ongoing dialogue.
Tone and Language
The episode’s tone is warm, inclusive, and conversational, with both speakers modeling the principles of plain language and radical empathy that they advocate. Sade’s insights are candid and practical, encouraging nonprofit leaders to be both self-aware and bold in reimagining communications.
For more resources and links to the organizations mentioned, visit:
bigduck.com/insights
Connect with Sade Dozon: