This time of year, people are more likely to open their hearts-- and wallets!-- to good causes. Non profits often make an extra push to get people to give, but with so much competition they may need to work harder to stand out among the pack. For non profits, video is an invaluable-- and often underutilized-- tool for fundraising.
It’s one thing to tell potential donors how you’re changing lives, but it’s a whole other ballgame to actually show them and introduce them to the people you help through video. Non profits inherently have all the makings for a gripping story: conflict (why there is a need for this organization), compelling characters (those who benefit from the non profit’s work) and a happy ending (hope). The key to getting donors to open their checkbooks is to hit a range of emotions in one piece. Here are some guidelines:
Throw in hard facts.
These can be statistics about the cause (1.35 million children are homeless in America) or about the non profit itself (“Helping Hands” shelters more than 1000 homeless children every year). This gives donors some background and context.
Introduce someone in need.
Tug at your audience’s heartstrings by featuring a success story. Let them tell their story in their own words as much as possible. They should start by explaining what their initial situation was and why they needed help. Then they should describe what the non profit has done for them and how their lives are improved today. Ask them: where would they be today without “Helping Hands”? A dramatic success story illustrates that the non profit is effective.
End on a hopeful note.
You’ll want your audience to feel good by the end of the video: that this cause is fixable, that they have the power to help and that you’re the organization to do the work. First, reiterate what the non profit accomplishes, and show a visual to support that. For instance, you might say “Helping Hands: giving thousands of children a place to call home” while showing smiling kids eating breakfast or playing together. Then, deliver a call to action. This could be as generic as “Please support Helping Hands” or if you have a specific goal in mind, “Help us reach our goal of $1 Million for homeless kids.”
By hitting all the right notes, a video can help non profits reach their fundraising goals and, in turn, impact lives.
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