Camber Foundation Announces Second Cohort of Storytelling Program for Eastern North Carolina Nonprofits

Building on the success of its inaugural storytelling initiative last year, Camber Foundation is excited to announce the second cohort of its Storytelling program.

This year’s initiative kicked off in January, with six Camber grantees from across Eastern North Carolina selected to participate in a six-month, capacity-building experience designed to help nonprofits develop their narrative voice and put it to work for their communities.

The program equips participating organizations with the tools and training to use storytelling as a strategic communications asset, culminating in a professionally produced video that each nonprofit can deploy with donors, stakeholders, and the communities they serve.

“The response to our first cohort affirmed what we knew was true: nonprofit leaders in Eastern North Carolina have extraordinary stories to tell,” said Leslie Ann Jackson, president and CEO of Camber Foundation. “This second cohort holds that same promise, and we cannot wait to see how these organizations bring their work to life.”

Built on Proven Results

In 2025, organizations in the Storytelling Program emerged with professional-grade video narratives and a sharpened ability to communicate their missions beyond annual reports and social media updates. For organizations like Kinston Teens, the program produced not only a compelling story but a tangible fundraising tool.

“At Kinston Teens, we emphasize the message ‘Empowering Youth, Transforming Communities,” said Kinston Teens founder and Chief Executive Officer, Chris Suggs. “By participating in Camber Foundation’s Storytelling Program, we showed how we are doing just that in a powerful, compelling fashion. It was an invaluable experience.”

The 2026 Cohort

In response to the initiative’s first year success, Camber opened the Storytelling Program to a second class of grantees in 2026. The six organizations represent the breadth of Camber’s grantmaking priorities across health and wellness, education, and economic development.

• Columbus County DREAM Center, Inc. (Columbus County)
• Healthnet Albemarle (Pasquotank County)
• Koinonia Community Solutions (Pitt County)
• Miller’s Crew (Cumberland County)
• North Carolina Farmworkers’ Project (Harnett County)
• Robeson County Church and Community (Robeson County)

“We are most grateful for this opportunity to tell our story,” said Kim Molnar, Executive Director, Miller’s Crew. “We are confident that our Storytelling video will allow our communities and local partners to truly understand our mission beyond the daily operations of our coffee shop. We believe that more and more people will benefit greatly, and human growth will most definitely occur with purpose!

What the Program Includes

Participants are progressing through a structured curriculum that includes three virtual training sessions, an in-person story development session, individual coaching, and a professional video production process. The program is designed to be both rigorous and practical, leaving organizations not only with a finished product but with the skills and confidence to continue telling their stories long after the program ends.

A showcase featuring the final videos is planned for this summer at the program’s end, where the participants’ hard work will be celebrated.

The Storytelling Program Team

The Camber Foundation Storytelling Program is created and managed by Nation Hahn, Mark Dessauer, and Robert Kinlaw. 

Hahn brings more than 15 years of experience in storytelling, media, education, and philanthropy in North Carolina, including a decade co-founding and building EdNC.

Dessauer has spent more than 25 years in strategic communications, with experience at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, and Spitfire Strategies. He currently serves as Chief Communications Officer for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Kinlaw is the founder of Wonder Storytelling, LLC, an award-winning documentary filmmaker with more than a decade of video production experience, and an Eastern NC native.

Together, the team brings a depth of experience and a genuine connection to the region that shapes every element of the program.

“Every organization we work with is already doing something worth knowing about,” shared Hahn. “Our job is to help them share it in a way that resonates with donors, partners, and the people they serve.”

Looking Ahead

Camber Foundation remains committed to building the long-term capacity of its grantee partners to sustain their missions far into the future. The Storytelling Program is one expression of that commitment.