Video Storytelling at the Heart of Fundraising
Images grab us. Stories connect us—to the tragedy and triumph of the human experience.
Mission-driven organizations pour their hearts into their ideals, but to thrive, raising funds is essential. How do you attract your donors' attention, get them to engage with the message, and take action to donate?
Over the years, I (and now Illume Films) have had the privilege to work with dozens of inspiring non-profits to strategically craft and implement videos in marketing & development efforts.
And we've found that what works is authentic connection via the stories of your mission—which in turn fuels passion. How to create this connection?
- A multi-channel donor engagement strategy that includes video through multiple touch-points in your development cycle.
- Crafting an authentic impact narrative that will connect donors to the emotional heart of your message, and inspire the desire to participate in your mission.
Through the power of video storytelling, Naomi and Illume Films has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Testimonial: "We nearly tripled our dollars raised at our annual event thanks to the stories Naomi's team authentically captured in the video."
—Kat Enad, Development & Marketing Manager, Lincoln.
Donor Engagement Strategy
It's all about communication and connection. Only 15% of the work in fundraising is "the ask". Be creative on how you educate and cultivate prospects; build strong, ongoing relationships with your donors; find ways to engage them more deeply in your work (via volunteer and advisory roles), and ensure there is strong emotional investment. And above all, be truly appreciative. Thank and thank again. Fundraising experts say that if you do this consistently and intentionally, you will raise the money you need.
One amazing example of the power of cultivating relationships is the Global Lives Project, a non-profit I've been involved with for over 8 years, as strategic advisor to filmmaker. Global Lives has recruited over 1,000 volunteers to create 20 films and bring these films to inspire global empathy—resulting in 75,000 website visitors from 182 countries and 30,000 physical visitors to our immersive exhibits and events. We have also cultivated partnerships with the Smithsonian, NEA, Google, Adobe, Creative Commons, United Nations University among many other partners.
Video is a powerful and meaningful way to communicate your message, and it's important to outline an engagement strategy that includes video through multiple touch-points in your development cycle: sharing and engagement via social media, increasing conversion rates via an impact video on your landing page, and inspiring donations at a fundraising event.
But – With the explosion of communication platforms – Email, Youtube, social media, blogs, and news, people feel inundated with noise. It's no longer enough to simply grab attention. You now need to hold attention.
Video Strategy—Holding Attention with the Story
Humans are wired for interpersonal connections. We internalize stories much better than we do facts. And so at the core of each of our mission-driven videos is the story. One person's story can become the emotional transport for your message. One person's story can bring light to the entire mission. It cultivates connection, it cultivates empathy, and it cultivates the desire to participate—to be a part of your mission and to help effect change. A common narrative can inspire a shared mission in which everybody looks beyond themselves to work towards a common goal.
Screened at a successful Girls Inc fundraising gala, this video we produced for Girls Inc, is mean to grab attention in the first 10 seconds with the unique sparkle and boldness of 3 girls speaking directly to the camera. The message is all about empowering their future, and we tell this through the story of Monica who overcomes the hurdle of being an immigrant, to follow her dreams of college and beyond.
Video Strategy—Sharing It
Events & galas
We've found a few elements to be most effective for engagement when screening your video at events.
- Try to keep the video short—3–5 minutes in length.
- Keep in mind that the video is the emotional transport for your message and not the message itself.
- Show the video right before 'the ask.'
Social video
Invest in video for social media networks. Create short (30 sec–1 min) videos, captioned with text, and with a strong emotional element.
Social media video has become integral to mission-driven engagement strategy, with Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat integral to many viewer's online experience.
100M hours of Facebook video consumed every day
Facebook—8 billion views per day / Snapchat 10 billion views per day.
85% of Facebook is watched without sound
Most successful social videos are short, captioned with strong emotional element.
Success metric is # of shares, likes, & comments.
Thanks
Thank, appreciate and recognize those who give. It's all about authenticity.
Contact Illume Films for a consult
Our micro documentaries are the emotional transport for your message. We can help shape your message into a micro documentary that celebrates your mission, and inspires your viewers!
Testimonials
"Nailed it. LOVE. Pure joy… rare for a video that handles such tough human issues." —Kirsten Melton, Chief Development and Marketing Officer, GIRLS INC.
"When the video appeared, the audience hushed. I turned around and they were almost in tears!" —Sherry Simmons, Director of Development, NCCLF
“We nearly tripled our dollars raised at our annual event thanks to the stories Naomi’s team was able to authentically capture in the vide.” —Kat Enad, Marketing Manager, LINCOLN FAMILIES