Changemaker Narratives

Narrative infrastructure strategy for established, mission-driven cultural institutions navigating complexity, coherence, and institutional change.

Dahna Chandler | Narrative Infrastructure Strategist | Storytelling Advisor | Award-Winning Journalist

I work with established mission-driven cultural institutions seeking stronger alignment across public presence, institutional voice, audience relationships, and organizational change.

My practice focuses on narrative infrastructure: the strategic architecture that helps an institution clarify its institutional story, understand how that story holds together across audiences and stakeholders, and identify where fragmentation could be weakening trust, coherence, or institutional meaning.

When narrative structure is weak, institutions may pay for it in avoidable cost: mixed signals that erode patron confidence, internal misalignment that slows decisions, public-facing work that doesn’t convert attention into sustained support, and reputational exposure that compounds during change. Narrative infrastructure reduces that risk by aligning what an institution says with what it can demonstrate, sustain, and stand behind.

I help cultural institutions strengthen that foundation so their communications, storytelling, and public-facing work reflect a clearer and more durable narrative structure.

My work supports greater coherence and credibility with the people who matter most: audiences, patrons, members, visitors, supporters, leadership, and the broader public.

An award-winning journalist, I bring nearly three decades of experience producing editorial and research-driven work for national publications and institutional audiences to my narrative infrastructure strategy engagements.

When I write for an organization, I am not simply producing content. I am giving an existing narrative framework—often one I helped develop—a public voice.

For narrative strategy engagements, institutional storytelling partnerships, or editorial assignments, please get in touch. We can set up a complimentary, no obligation, introductory phone call or we can start the conversation by email.