“Reel” Impact: 3 Ways Your Non-Profit Can Utilize Video
Non-profit organizations are all about making the world a better place. And, with 65% of people identifying as “visual learners,” video can be a game changer for your non-profit when it comes to making a positive impact (look at our repertoire of non-profit video projects). Whether you want to educate the public about your organization, spread awareness for your cause, or add flourish to your organization-sponsored events, video is the way to go.
1. To Educate
Non-profits thrive through volunteers, donations, and plain old visibility. Whether your organization wants to educate the public about who they are, why they do what they do, or how they operate, video can step in as an exceptional method to explain all of the above. Our client Mekanic Brands was hired by CivicWell, a non-profit that supports sustainability through engaging leaders and communities, to refresh their branding for their 40th anniversary. Mekanic asked Bard Tales to create a video showcasing the new brand refresh and celebrating their 40th anniversary. Through mixture of photos, transitions, on-screen text and voiceover, Bard Tales helped tell the story of 40 years of hard work and exceptional accomplishments, and tease the exciting things the future holds.
NCMEC, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is another nonprofit organization we’ve worked with to create educational video content. When they introduced their series NetSmartz: Into the Cloud, we edited an advertisement introducing and explaining their free series. The advantage of video in this case is that parents are able to see real footage from the series interspersed throughout the video so they know exactly what their children will be watching while experts and stakeholders explain the benefits. All of this information is packaged into an engaging video that is under three minutes long, educating parents about the series significantly faster than reading about the series would take. When people can learn faster, they are much more likely to engage.
2. To Spread Awareness
Non-profit organizations always have a goal in mind, whether that be a local goal like helping the homeless in their city or a worldwide goal, like ending climate change. By utilizing video, a non-profit can paint a vivid picture of their mission while showcasing the challenges they address and the positive changes they hope to bring about. We filmed and edited two videos in virtual reality (VR) for environmental non-profit The Nature Conservancy. Both videos, Cedar’s Story and Nature’s Guardians, are immersive experiences that shine a spotlight on the conservation efforts that safeguard the world’s largest coastal temperate rainforest – The Emerald Edge. While video can easily educate about what a non-profit does, it can also create a visceral experience that brings a cause to life. Non-profits depend on volunteers and donations, and the best way to ensure your organization receives both is by cultivating genuine concern for your mission. The rainforests we filmed in were three hours west of Vancouver, Canada in extremely remote territories; Nature Conservancy was able to use our video content to transport decision makers, potential donors, and other viewers to the Emerald Edge, without the hardships of travel to such a remote location.
3. To Add Flourish to Events
People know about your non-profit, what you do, and why you do it. Now what? Celebrate your donors and supporters through an organization-sponsored event! Many non-profits are known for rallying like-minded people around their cause through events that raise funds, spread awareness, and honor those who dedicate themselves to the cause. A great way to enhance the impact of these events is through video. For two years in a row, we’ve created an event opening video for the annual Fight for Children Honors gala. These SNL-inspired videos kicked off the event in style and hyped up the crowd for a night of networking and entertainment. Sponsors, volunteers, and supporters are the lifeblood of these types of organizations, and peppering your events with exciting videos is just one way to celebrate the impact attendees have on your non-profit and its mission.
These are three great examples of the ways non-profits can benefit from video. There are countless ways to incorporate video into non-profit work to make maximum impact. To see more, check out our previous work with non-profits. It’s an honor for us to use our skills to benefit so many great causes and help these amazing organizations get their messages out. If you’re feeling inspired, please contact us – we’d love to hear from you about your non-profit organization and how we can help spread your message!
