Video services are one of the best investments a nonprofit can make to their marketing plan.
But…
Many nonprofits aren’t using video to their advantage. Most stick with wordy updates, static Facebook posts, and every once in a while, a photo album will surface. And sure, it works fine… for spreadsheets full of organizational updates.
Here’s the problem nonprofits aren’t seeing:
Videos don’t just tell your story, they make your audience feel it. Video produces a powerful emotional response that creates a real sense of urgency. Visitors don’t just know your cause is important — they feel it.
When it comes to donations, volunteers, and awareness… the gap between nonprofits using professional video services and the ones who don’t grows wider every year.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- Why Nonprofits Need Professional Video
- The Benefits of Professional Video Production
- How Video Can Drive Donations For Nonprofits
- Which Video Formats Every Nonprofit Should Use
- Choosing A Video Production Partner
Why Every Nonprofit Needs Professional Video
Every nonprofit does important work that deserves to be shared. The key is reaching people who will care about it enough to donate, volunteer, and help spread the word.
Quality video services are the best way to ensure they stop and listen. Nonprofits who invest in quality video production — like this — see huge returns in donor engagement, volunteer signups, and overall brand awareness across all platforms.
When potential donors watch a well-produced nonprofit video, they are 48% more likely to donate.
It all comes down to emotion. Writing can only say so much. Video shows your donors what you’re saying.
Let’s dive into a few ways professional videos help nonprofits reach their goals.
The Benefits of Professional Video Production
Professional video services are great — but why?
What can video production really do for a nonprofit? Here are some of the big ones.
Builds Trust
First impressions are everything.
When someone lands on an organization’s website and sees a high quality video welcoming them it instills trust. Bad video does the opposite.
Potential supporters subconsciously equate production value with how credible an organization is.
Professional videos tell visitors the organization means business and intends to solve its mission with real authority. Trust leads to donations.
Amplifies Your Message
Nonprofits exist to create change.
Few people, however, are inspired to act on a cause just because they read about it on Facebook.
Professional video services help a mission resonate with real people by showing it.
72% of donors say they’re “very likely” to donate after watching a video about a nonprofit’s work. That number jumps significantly for well-produced videos with a strong emotional appeal.
Gets More Eyes On Your Org
The internet is massive.
Videos have the unique ability to reach more people than any other content format. Video favors social algorithms. People like to share them. They’re consumed on smartphones during commutes, lunch breaks, waiting rooms.
Nonprofits who use video have 54% more opportunities to make an impression on potential donors, volunteers, and advocates than those who don’t.
That’s a crazy ROI for one campaign.
Professional Video Drives Donations
If you’re wondering…
“How does video marketing help gain more donors?”
There’s a secret most nonprofits don’t know about.
Professional videos aren’t just about spreading the word — they’re about getting people to take action.
Whether that’s donating, volunteering or simply offering support by sharing content. Good videos guide visitors through a journey of emotions that leave them wanting to act.
Here’s how professional videos bring in donations:
- Grab Attention. Professional quality gets viewers to click play. Poor video quality means visitors will look elsewhere.
- Establish Empathy. One of the best ways to do this is by sharing stories from beneficiaries.
- Demonstrate Impact. Donors want to see where their money goes. Let them watch the difference they can make.
- Include A Call-To-Action. Assume they want to help, and show them how.
Each step should be executed professionally if the message is to have maximum effect.
That means paying attention to details like video lighting, audio quality, editing, and video pacing. Sloppy videos may save money but they won’t get donations.
For every $1 spent on video production, nonprofits see an average return of $7. Those kinds of numbers are hard to argue with.
Types of Videos Nonprofits Should Be Using
All videos are made differently.
Uploading a nonprofit’s latest board meeting won’t perform as well as a professional video production service would.
The best videos for nonprofits:
- Tell a story.
- Educate the viewer on the mission or impact.
- Establish a human connection that reading an update on a website doesn’t.
Use videos to:
- Showcase impact. Impact stories give nonprofits the chance to show donors what their contributions have done. Whether that’s rebuilding homes after a natural disaster or bringing education to children in need.
- Encourage donations. Fundraising videos are aimed at driving donations for a specific campaign. These videos are emotional. They contain strong calls to action and instill a deep sense of urgency.
- Invite volunteers. Just as nonprofits need donors, they need volunteers. And volunteers are powerful advocates. Volunteer testimonials inspire viewers to sign up.
- Cover events. Event videos can take many forms. But they’re essential for nonprofits looking to build community, whether that’s running a gala to raise money or creating awareness for a cause.
- Explain the mission. Explainer videos break down an organization’s mission into bite-size content that’s easily shared.
When in doubt, use video to answer that question.
Choosing A Video Production Partner
Not all video productions are created equal.
A video partner should understand the nonprofit’s goals, mission statement, and audience before scrolling through a camera roll for b-roll.
A good production company will work at every step of the process to ensure the video fits the brand — from scripting, casting, locations, and editing.
Here are four things to look for in a production partner:
- Experience producing nonprofit videos
- Strong portfolio of emotionally driven nonprofit videos
- Excellent communication
- Strong project management
- Production experience across multiple platforms
The Best Partnership Will Begin Before You Press Record
Everything a video production partner does before filming begins will directly affect ROI.
A good production company has a thorough pre-production process. That includes:
- Strategy. Where are the videos going to live? Who’s the audience? What’s the goal?
- Scripting. What story is being told? What’s the takeaway?
Like any good nonprofit campaign, videos need planning before they can succeed.
Wrapping It Up
A nonprofit shouldn’t need to sell donors on its authenticity.
Video is one of the most powerful tools for building trust with an audience. Potential donors want to feel connected to the cause. Professional videos give them that opportunity.
Here’s why every nonprofit should be using professional video services:
- Videos significantly increase the chance a visitor will donate.
- Nonprofits using video acquire more leads.
- Video has one of the highest ROIs in marketing.
Nonprofits who used professional video services saw an average of 887% increase in donations.
The mission is too important to communicate poorly.
