The purpose of this masters thesis is to investigate the engagementconveyed through the sharing of personal stories via social media.To achieve this the thesis examines different forms and degrees ofstorytelling in hashtags on Instagram initiated by non-profitorganizations. Through the eyes of two people from the voluntarysector it also examines the driving forces they experience behindthe posts in their hashtags and how trust and identity building canbe linked to the sharing of stories. The study shows that the posts investigated occurs in differentforms and reflects different degrees of participation. The drivingforce that can be read into the different posts is self-interest andaltruism in combination and this also influences the engagement ofthe receivers. By strategically using and encouraging the sharing ofpersonal stories, the voluntary sector can strengthen the internaldialogue, their brands and credibility.