Make Your Cause Unforgettable: Ways to Use Video Storytelling in Year-End Fundraising

When it comes to nonprofit fundraising, video plays a pivotal role in eliciting empathy, emotion, and donations. Did you know that nearly 82 percent of donors instinctively turn to your nonprofit website and social media channels for updates and insights into your organization? Seventy-five percent of donors reported that they use video to understand the potential impact of their donation. And, an astonishing 57 percent of viewers who engage with nonprofit videos feel compelled to contribute! Such behaviors emphasize the need to showcase impactful, emotive video content on your digital platforms, ready to captivate and inspire potential donors. So, as you’re planning your year-end fundraising strategies and campaigns, be sure to include video!

Unveiling the Power of Video Storytelling

Video storytelling can have a profound effect on potential donors, driving them to take meaningful action. If your nonprofit hasn't yet harnessed the power of video, or you want to take it a step further, now’s the time. Videos transport viewers to the heart of your mission, showing them firsthand the lives being transformed and the communities being uplifted.

Engaging videos not only share the mission of your nonprofit but also bring forward the faces, voices, and emotions of those benefiting from your organization’s efforts. Crafting such authentic narratives demands more than just a camera; it requires a deep understanding of the cause, an eye for moments that touch hearts, and an experienced, creative professional video production team to expertly tell the story.

Cutting Through the Digital Clutter

It’s essential to remember that your supporters are inundated with content daily. So, what makes a video stand out amidst the noise? It's the authenticity, the heartfelt testimonials, and the undeniable evidence of impact. By showcasing real stories and genuine outcomes, your nonprofit can build trust with your donors, connect with their emotions, and ensure they understand where and how their contributions make a difference.

What Types of Stories Resonate Most with Donors?

In our decade of experience producing captivating, compelling videos for nonprofits, we have seen many video formats successfully resonate with donors. No matter which format(s) you choose, always prioritize authenticity, and let the true stories of how your organization impacts and transforms lives shine.

By tapping into the emotions of viewers and presenting genuine human-centered stories, videos can significantly increase engagement and drive contributions. Below are examples that work well to tell those impact stories and help garner engagement and donations.

Client Impact Story

How and why: Find someone that your nonprofit has helped whose story is compelling, impactful, and ideally relatable. If your audience can watch it and think, “That could happen to me or someone I love,” they are more likely to be engaged and want to contribute so that your organization can help others overcome similar obstacles. It is best to stick with one person’s story or short examples of several stories. If you delve into statistics of all the people you’ve helped, it’s harder for the audience to emotionally connect. 

There are many creative ways to tell the story, too, whether it’s interviewing the individual and capturing B-roll of their life and working with your organization, a scripted voiceover, or incorporating poems and music. A professional video production team like 6162 Productions can help you figure out the best way to tell the story while respecting the individual’s privacy, confidentiality, or other relevant factors.

Where to use: In-person or virtual fundraising events/galas or an online fundraising campaign (whether it be on your website, via email, on social media, and/or a site like Colorado Gives Day). Ideally, you can also create a short teaser version or two to share on social media ahead of the event and share the full video after the event on your website and social media.

Using interviews and cinematic B-roll, this video tells Viviana’s story of homelessness and shows how Vision House in Seattle, WA helped change her life.

Honoree Video

How and why: If your fundraising event includes honorees or award recipients, a great way to both thank them and educate your audience about the incredible work that person has done for your organization is through an honoree video. Interview several important people in the honoree’s life, including a spouse, children, colleagues, fellow board members or volunteers, a leader from your organization, etc. Have fun with it and have them tell funny or insider stories about the honoree. Also include B-roll and photos of the award recipient volunteering with your organization and in the community, at events, hanging out with their family and friends, and anything else that is relevant. Edit the footage together with some emotional music and it’s sure to excite and inspire your audience…and maybe invoke a few tears.

Where to use: These videos are typically best shown at a live or virtual event before the award is presented to the honoree. Then it is great to share it after the event on social media, on your website, and in an email to the attendees or your larger mailing list. And of course, give a copy to the honoree to treasure!

This tribute video for honoree Barbara Silberman was shown at Denver Jewish Day School (DJDS)'s annual fundraising dinner in 2023.

Testimonials/Thank-you Videos 

How and why: Collect short video testimonials and thank-you messages from clients - or even paper or email thank-you notes - throughout the year and edit them into short videos. You can professionally film a lot of people one day at your office, ask clients to send you a short video or thank-you note, or capture them throughout the year at various events. Then use one or two at a time or edit many messages into a longer collage of gratitude. Donors appreciate hearing from real people whom your organization has helped and understanding that their contributions can impact more people in the community. 

Where to use: These types of short gratitude videos are great to send to donors after an event, after they’ve donated through a fundraising appeal, and to post on social media.

User-Generated Videos

How and why: If you are working with a smaller budget and/or shorter timeframe, you can ask clients, donors, staff, and volunteers to send you short video clips about their experiences with your nonprofit, how you’ve helped them, why they are grateful for your organization and more. Edit these together with some music and on-screen text and graphics as a way to show different perspectives from your community.

Where to use: These types of videos work well on social media, especially when you can tag people who are in the video and they will share on their channels and expand your reach. You can also post them on your website, send them to the board, and email them to donors and volunteers as a way to keep in touch, show your gratitude, and remind them of the important work your organization does.

This video shows how Safeco Insurance's independent agents provided financial support to local nonprofits around the country during the COVID pandemic. The local independent agents submitted user-generated footage.

If you need help strategically determining the best way to tell emotionally compelling impact stories and professionally producing or editing those videos, please reach out to 6162 Productions. We can’t wait to work with you!