What do charities and videos have in common?...

​.… they can both inspire change.

A charity needs an audience to create change. And if you want to build an audience, inspire action, and establish trust all at the same time, then video is the perfect avenue for your charity. After all, research shows that video can increase a person’s understanding by as much as 74%. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but videos get those words across with authenticity, effectiveness, movement, sound, colour, and feeling. Sounds a lot better, right? So how can a charity embrace video to help boost their reach and raise awareness? By doing the following:

Demonstrating successful case studies

People want to know their actions and donations are making a difference to your charity. Show them exactly what social change they’ve helped create in the world by sharing successful case studies that help people connect with your charity. Video case studies help show the great work your charity does, while visually demonstrating the impact people can be part of. Highlighting your successes shows people that their donation really will make a difference. And when supporters understand the significance of their contribution in a visual way, they become more engaged and usually end up as longer-term (or even first time) donors. Which leads us to…

Showcasing volunteer stories

Sometimes it can be hard for charities to establish a human connection with their audience. Sharing volunteer stories is a great way to humanise your charity, show some personality, and share what it’s like to work with you to be involved in creating change. Video volunteer stories are a great chance to feature interviews with your volunteers and share an inside perspective to the charity - one that a viewer probably wouldn’t get any other way. But video stories do more than just give insight to your charity, they also motivate someone to get involved. Which means more volunteers, a bigger reach, and a bigger difference. 

Sharing campaigns
Videos are the perfect way to help share your latest charitable campaign because the people, places, and voices can all help express your mission and evoke empathy for your cause better than a letter in the mail ever would. In just three minutes, girleffect inspires people to help join in the mission to eradicate poverty for girls across 50 countries worldwide. The video has reached over 2.3 million people and is a great example of how charities can also be creative with video campaigns to help people to remember the cause they’re supporting. Plus, if they remember your charity, they’re also more likely to share the video with others.
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Video is a great medium for charities to explore because they immediately motivate people to go from bystander to active participant. They spark engagement through personal stories, inspiring campaigns, or showing the great work your charity undertakes. This helps reach a bigger audience, which means more awareness and, ultimately, more success in achieving the goals your charity has. We know that people who feel emotionally engaged want to commit their time, money, and/or energy to one specific cause. Help them commit to yours with videos that meaningfully share the change you’re creating.