How to get the most out of a nonprofit fundraising video
You are a Development Director, Executive Director, or maybe you work on the Communications team. You have worked on your fundraising pitch, sent out appeals, planned events, and you are still not reaching your bottom line. You are worried that you might have to cut programming if you can’t find a way to bring in new donors.
Someone on your team decides that having a video pitch might help boost fundraising; but you are not convinced. So many of your past fundraising videos have fallen flat. Considering that video is the most effective tool to connect with people emotionally, another option is to plan your production carefully to avoid the pitfalls that lead to dull or disengaging videos.
A powerful fundraising video can take your nonprofit to the next level.
Here are some tips to help you plan a video that reaches your audience authentically, and increases your bottom line.
STEP 1
Who are the donors you want to reach? Be as specific as possible.
How old are they?
What is their budget for giving?
Where do they socialize?
Where do they work?
What do they do in their free time?
What do they care about besides your organization?
What do they worry about?
Etcetera
Why is your work meaningful to these donors?
What about your work is meaningful to them?
Have they personally experienced the need for your services? If not, what is it that draws them in emotionally to your work?
What do they get out of giving to your organization?
STEP 2
Considering this profile of your donor base, what is the story you want to tell your donors?
* Remember, in a story something has to happen.
Example of a story: 2,000 children show up to school well nourished and ready to learn, and their engagement in the classroom notably improves.
Example of a statistic (not a story!): we fed 2,000 children breakfast.
As you begin to develop a production plan, keep in mind that it always engages to keep the end open. You want your audience to wonder, what will happen next?
Example: If we stick to the well-nourished student, who ate breakfast, maybe the tease is about what they might accomplish in the world. Will they invent the next cutting edge treatment for cancer? Or maybe become a beloved educator leading the next generation?
Who in your organization is best equipped to tell this story?
*Remember, the most compelling video is not the history or the mission of your work. You want to talk about how you are transforming the world.
Focusing on people is more powerful than statistics and lofty missions. Often the clients you serve are the best messengers, but they should be empowered to collaborate with you about how they want to tell their stories. An ethical approach is to include them in the process.
STEP 3
Find a production company that understands your work and can deliver a video that resonates with your audience.
When you engage with a production company, make sure you watch some samples of their work, and have a chance to understand their approach to scripting and storytelling.
How would they approach telling your story?
Do they understand the emotional journey you want your viewers to experience?
How will they take them on that journey visually?
How will they keep them wanting more?
Do they understand how and where you reach your audience?
A good production company can work with you on all of the above. They will help you figure out the most engaging story about your work, and how to tell it. If you don’t sense they have those skills, move on to another company. Good storytelling can engage your donors and boost your fundraising to the next level; but mediocre videos will only be another expense in the budget. Make sure you have a good story!
I hope these steps help you plan video engagement for your next fundraising gala or capital campaign. If you want to plan a discovery call to see if we might be a good fit, use this link.