Member since March 2026
Chrissy Hogue Bartels is a communication strategist, speaker, and trainer who helps organizations communicate impact in ways that inspire belief and action. Drawing on a background in theatre, communication research, and fundraising, Chrissy uses story and performance as deliberate tools to drive engagement and results.
Her work has helped raise over $30,000 in two nights through live theatrical fundraising, more than $300,000 in a single evening through film‑based storytelling, and she is currently engaged in closing a $10 million ask that led to a $23 million offer and new joint venture (2026).
As a communication program director, assistant professor, actress, fundraiser, and theatre‑for‑charity practitioner, Chrissy helps leaders and fundraising teams move beyond scripted messaging and into intentional narrative design—so moments of connection lead to meaningful, measurable outcomes. She delivers keynotes and immersive trainings for organizations ready to align story, strategy, and impact.
I am passionate about using story as a deliberate tool for action - not decoration, not performance, and not persuasion for its own sake.
Throughout my work in theatre, fundraising, film, and communication strategy, I have seen the same truth repeat itself: when people can see themselves clearly inside a story, they move. They give. They invest. They commit. Story is how belief becomes behavior.
My passion for this work was forged by experience. I’ve used theatre to raise $30,000 in two nights in a community where I was told it couldn’t be done. I’ve helped raise over $300,000 in a single evening by designing a film‑based storytelling event to launch what became the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival. And today, I’m actively engaged in closing a $10 million ask that evolved into a $23 million offer and a new joint venture—once again, led by intentional narrative design.
What fuels me is helping others understand that these outcomes are not accidents. They are the result of clarity, structure, timing, and trust—all of which can be learned and applied.
Whether I’m on stage or in a training room, my passion is equipping leaders, fundraisers, and organizations to stop relying on luck and start designing moments of connection on purpose—so meaningful work is met with meaningful support.
The first time I truly understood the financial power of story was when everyone told me it wouldn’t work.
I set out to produce a theatrical fundraising event in a community where I was told “that kind of thing doesn’t happen here.” Using narrative structure, performance, and a clear emotional through‑line, we created an immersive experience that invited people into the story rather than asking them to support it abstractly.
In two nights, we raised over $30,000.
The response wasn’t surprise—it was recognition. Audiences said they felt inside the mission instead of being asked to fund it from the outside.
That success scaled.
Later, I helped launch what would become the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival by designing a fundraising event centered on a film and a live story told by an actress. Instead of pitching a festival, we told a story about why this mattered here—why this community belonged inside a global creative narrative.
In one night, we raised over $300,000.
That event didn’t just fund a festival—it created belief, momentum, and identity. Story wasn’t the accessory; it was the strategy.
My work began with story long before I ever thought of it as strategy.
I trained in theatre because I was fascinated by how narrative shapes belief—how structure, timing, and authenticity could make an audience lean in, trust, and act. On stage, I learned something fundamental: people don’t move because they’re told to. They move when they see themselves inside a story.
As I moved into communication scholarship and fundraising, I noticed a gap. Organizations were doing meaningful, urgent work, yet their messaging often fell flat. Fundraising conversations relied on pressure, explanation, or luck. Story was treated as decoration—something added at the end—not as the engine that drives engagement.
I began applying theatrical storytelling intentionally—not as performance, but as design. I used narrative to create moments where people could see themselves as part of something bigger. Those early experiments didn’t just move audiences emotionally; they moved them to give.
That realization shaped everything that followed. Story, when used deliberately, is not art for art’s sake. It is a mechanism for action.
Fundraising conversations often falter not because the mission lacks value, but because the message lacks clarity, confidence, and emotional resonance. In this keynote and accompanying workshop, Chrissy Hogue Bartels reframes fundraising communication through the lens of storytelling, performance, and donor psychology—showing how meaningful impact is communicated, not requested.
Drawing from communication theory, theatre for charity, and real‑world fundraising experience, Chrissy introduces a narrative framework that positions donors as the heroes of the story and fundraisers as trusted guides. Participants explore why scripted asks undermine trust, how stories create momentum toward action, and what it looks like to invite others into impact with authenticity and purpose.
Designed for fundraising and mission‑driven professionals, this session blends insight with application, offering practical tools for opening donor conversations, telling concise and memorable impact stories, and responding to concerns with language that builds confidence and connection.
Attendees leave with a renewed understanding of their role as communicators—and a framework they can use immediately to transform donor interactions into meaningful, action‑oriented relationships.
For decades, the Hero’s Journey shaped the most persuasive marketing and advertising campaigns. Today, as brands chase trends like UGC, short‑form content, and “authentic” voice, the underlying narrative structure is often lost—leaving content that feels busy but ineffective.
In this talk, Chrissy Hogue Bartels returns the Hero’s Journey to its practical roots, showing how it functions as a strategic framework for modern marketing, brand storytelling, UX, and creator‑driven content. Drawing from theatre, communication research, and real‑world campaigns, she demonstrates how successful advertising, user‑generated content, and branded storytelling position the audience—not the brand—as the hero.
Attendees will learn how to apply narrative structure deliberately across campaigns, platforms, and creator ecosystems—turning fragmented content into cohesive journeys that build trust, drive engagement, and move people to action.
The first time I truly understood the financial power of story was when everyone told me it wouldn’t work.
I set out to produce a theatrical fundraising event in a community where I was told “that kind of thing doesn’t happen here.” Using narrative structure, performance, and a clear emotional through‑line, we created an immersive experience that invited people into the story rather than asking them to support it abstractly.
In two nights, we raised over $30,000.
The response wasn’t surprise—it was recognition. Audiences said they felt inside the mission instead of being asked to fund it from the outside.
That success scaled.
Later, I helped launch what would become the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival by designing a fundraising event centered on a film and a live story told by an actress. Instead of pitching a festival, we told a story about why this mattered here—why this community belonged inside a global creative narrative.
In one night, we raised over $300,000.
That event didn’t just fund a festival—it created belief, momentum, and identity. Story wasn’t the accessory; it was the strategy.
My work began with story long before I ever thought of it as strategy.
I trained in theatre because I was fascinated by how narrative shapes belief—how structure, timing, and authenticity could make an audience lean in, trust, and act. On stage, I learned something fundamental: people don’t move because they’re told to. They move when they see themselves inside a story.
As I moved into communication scholarship and fundraising, I noticed a gap. Organizations were doing meaningful, urgent work, yet their messaging often fell flat. Fundraising conversations relied on pressure, explanation, or luck. Story was treated as decoration—something added at the end—not as the engine that drives engagement.
I began applying theatrical storytelling intentionally—not as performance, but as design. I used narrative to create moments where people could see themselves as part of something bigger. Those early experiments didn’t just move audiences emotionally; they moved them to give.
That realization shaped everything that followed. Story, when used deliberately, is not art for art’s sake. It is a mechanism for action.
Fundraising conversations often falter not because the mission lacks value, but because the message lacks clarity, confidence, and emotional resonance. In this keynote and accompanying workshop, Chrissy Hogue Bartels reframes fundraising communication through the lens of storytelling, performance, and donor psychology—showing how meaningful impact is communicated, not requested.
Drawing from communication theory, theatre for charity, and real‑world fundraising experience, Chrissy introduces a narrative framework that positions donors as the heroes of the story and fundraisers as trusted guides. Participants explore why scripted asks undermine trust, how stories create momentum toward action, and what it looks like to invite others into impact with authenticity and purpose.
Designed for fundraising and mission‑driven professionals, this session blends insight with application, offering practical tools for opening donor conversations, telling concise and memorable impact stories, and responding to concerns with language that builds confidence and connection.
Attendees leave with a renewed understanding of their role as communicators—and a framework they can use immediately to transform donor interactions into meaningful, action‑oriented relationships.
For decades, the Hero’s Journey shaped the most persuasive marketing and advertising campaigns. Today, as brands chase trends like UGC, short‑form content, and “authentic” voice, the underlying narrative structure is often lost—leaving content that feels busy but ineffective.
In this talk, Chrissy Hogue Bartels returns the Hero’s Journey to its practical roots, showing how it functions as a strategic framework for modern marketing, brand storytelling, UX, and creator‑driven content. Drawing from theatre, communication research, and real‑world campaigns, she demonstrates how successful advertising, user‑generated content, and branded storytelling position the audience—not the brand—as the hero.
Attendees will learn how to apply narrative structure deliberately across campaigns, platforms, and creator ecosystems—turning fragmented content into cohesive journeys that build trust, drive engagement, and move people to action.
