Nonprofit Videos That Inform and Inspire

If you're one of the 166,000 nonprofits out there, you're likely always looking for ways to spread your message and increase donations.

While there are a lot of different strategies to achieve this, there's currently an under-utilized one: videos. Nonprofit videos can take complex ideas and make them simple for anyone to understand. However, that's only true if they're done right.

So how do you go about making nonprofit videos that both inform and inspire? Simple: by using this article! In it, we'll cover why nonprofit videos are important and how to make effective ones. Let's get started!

Why Are Videos a Great Tool for Nonprofits?

Before we learn more about how to make nonprofit videos, let's first go over why they're helpful for organizations.

Nonprofits often need to convey complicated missions to donors and supporters in a marketplace where attention is currency. Every second matters.

Luckily, videos are great at condensing complicated concepts into quick, easy-to-understand segments. For example, explainer videos can help break down the purpose and mission of your organization.

Next, there's the viral factor. If you make a quality nonprofit video, then it has the potential to be spread by your followers. In some cases, it can even go viral and reach millions of new people.

This can expose your nonprofit's mission to a whole new segment that would never be possible without the video. Lastly, good videos can inspire people to donate.

This is especially true if you use pathos to elicit an emotional reaction from your viewer. For many people, seeing is believing. If you show them the problem, they're more likely to give.

Tips for Creating Nonprofit Videos That Inspire and Inform

We've gone over some of the reasons why nonprofit videos are good for these types of organizations. However, it's important to remember that these benefits only come when the video is well-made.

Something that looks cheap and is hard to understand likely isn't going to attract viewers. So what's the solution? First, follow the tips we go over in this section to make an effective video.

We also recommend hiring a professional nonprofit video production company to help you create the video.

1. Tell a Story

There's no denying that some nonprofit work can be dry to the average person. But that doesn't make it any less valuable. So what's a good way to break through the mold?

We recommend storytelling. Imagine two different videos for the same housing nonprofit. One of them gives a bunch of boring statistics about the state of the housing market and rates of homelessness.

The other one tells the story of a single mom and her family who were forced out of their home. Which one of these videos do you think is going to elicit a stronger response from the viewer?

Of course, you can still use statistics to re-enforce points in your video. But make the video centered around one to three people's stories. Then discuss how your nonprofit helps people just like this.

2. Focus on the Impact of Your Organization

People want to give to nonprofits that they know are making a difference. So use your video marketing for nonprofits to show the impact that you're making for the people and communities that you serve.

Going back to our last example, you've just told a story about a single mother and her housing crisis. So how does your housing organization help this individual?

You may have used your resources to secure permanent housing. From there, the woman was able to get a job. One of the main reasons why donors stop donating is because they don't know where the money is going.

So fix this by showing them through a video. When people see the impact that their dollar makes, they're more incentivized to keep donating.

3. Keep Things Short and Sweet

There's a reason why TikTok currently has 150 million active users. The best nonprofit videos tend to be on the shorter side.

While your nonprofit doesn't need TikTok videos (though that's certainly not a bad idea), it's helpful to take a page from their book.

If you keep your video under one minute, you're much more likely to reach the average attention span on the internet. Long-form videos can still be effective. But you shouldn't expect them to have the same reach as short videos.

4. Don't Forget About Closed Captions

Captions on great nonprofit videos are important for two reasons. First, it's important accessibility for viewers and donors that might be deaf or hard of hearing. However, besides this, they have another function.

Many people scroll through their phones and watch videos with the sound off. Captions mean that you can grab these viewers' attention even if they're muted. Then, if they're engaged enough, they can turn on the sound.

5. Tell People How They Can Help

It doesn't matter if you have the perfect nonprofit video. If it doesn't have a call to action or a clear path on how people can help, then it won't be effective.

Make sure to include things like a link to your donation page or a phone number they can call for more information.

You can't expect your viewer to do all the work of researching your organization to find out how to support it. So if you do the work for them, they're much more likely to support you.

Need Videos for Your Nonprofit? Contact Nyhuis Creative

We hope this guide helps you learn more about how to create effective nonprofit videos. One of the most important parts of this process is finding a production company that understands your nonprofit's goals and mission.

If you live in the Tacoma, Washington, area, then look no further than Nyhuis Creative. Unlike many other production companies, we work with you from the inception of the video to its launch.

We're passionate about defining goals and then creating unique content to achieve them. If you're ready for the nonprofit videos that your organization deserves, contact us today.