Video Marketing for Nonprofits: Tools, Examples & Best Practices

If a picture’s worth a thousand words, imagine what a video marketing for nonprofits can do for your organization!

Need to rally donors? A heartfelt video testimonial does what stats alone can’t, turns data into faces and numbers into stories. Want to recruit volunteers? A behind-the-scenes video can give them a sneak peak into your mission, sparking engagement faster than new Marvel movie trailers (okay, maybe not that fast). Looking to raise awareness? A sharp, two-minute explainer can cut through the noise like a headline on breaking news.

Video content isn’t just an effective marketing tool, it engages audiences, builds trust, and inspires action. 

In this guide for video marketing for nonprofits, we’ll cover everything from best practices and types of videos to tools and real-world examples. Let’s get you ready to grow your audience and amplify your mission.

Why Video Marketing is Crucial for Nonprofits

Emotional Connections that Drive Action

57% of people who watch nonprofit videos go on to make a donation. People support causes they connect with emotionally. Video enables nonprofits to convey the human side of their mission, showing who they help, how they do it, and the transformations made possible by supporters.

For example, a nonprofit supporting education might share a video showing a student’s journey from struggling in school to thriving, thanks to donor-funded programs. The visual story allows viewers to feel and see the impact of their support.

Rising Social Media Trends

Social media algorithms prioritize video, making it one of the most effective formats for reaching audiences. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube offer opportunities to connect with younger generations, where short-form content thrives.

ROI of Video Content

As we just covered, video isn’t just about engagement, it delivers measurable ROI. Consider these stats:

• Including video on a landing page can boost conversions by 80%.
• Roughly 80% of donors worldwide believe it is “important to know the real outcomes of their charitable donations or volunteer work with nonprofit organizations. Videos can convey the impact of your nonprofit effectively.
• 37% of marketers said visual marketing was the most important form of content for their business, second only to blogging.

Pro Tip: Incorporate video at every stage of your supporter journey, from awareness campaigns to donation appeals.

Looking to boost your nonprofit’s digital presence? Our Digital Marketing Services can help you develop strategies that amplify your message.

Best Practices for Video Marketing for Nonprofits

1. Define Clear Objectives

Nonprofit video content should have a clear purpose: raise awareness, drive donations, or recruit volunteers. Align your goals with your nonprofit’s broader strategy. Map your videos to specific stages of the supporter funnel (e.g., awareness, engagement, conversion) and track their performance.

Example: A fundraising video might aim to convert 5% of viewers into donors, while an awareness video could focus on reaching 50,000 views to grow your audience.

2. Craft Emotionally Resonant Stories

The most compelling nonprofit videos don’t just tell stories, they invite donors to step into them. Instead of centering solely on your organization’s work, frame your storytelling through the classic hero’s journey, with the donor as the protagonist.

1. The Call to Action (Challenge): Introduce the urgent issue at hand. Show the real struggles of those your nonprofit serves, whether it’s families facing food insecurity, children needing access to education, or communities rebuilding after disaster. This establishes the stakes and why action is needed.
2. The Guide Appears (Your Nonprofit’s Role): Every hero needs a guide. Your nonprofit plays this role, offering expertise, resources, and a clear path forward. This is where you show how your organization empowers donors to make an impact, not just how you solve the problem alone.
3. The Hero’s Decision (Engaging the Donor): The donor is at a crossroads. Do they step in to create change, or do they look away? This is where you make the call to action clear—donating, volunteering, or spreading the message. It’s not about obligation; it’s about opportunity.
4. The Transformation (Impact in Action): Show the donor the outcome of their support. Did their gift provide meals, build schools, or fund medical treatments? Make it tangible and deeply personal. Use testimonials, before-and-after footage, or real success stories to highlight their heroic role in changing lives.

When structured this way, your nonprofit’s video isn’t just another story, it’s an invitation. It turns passive viewers into engaged heroes, compelling them to take action and make a difference.

Pro Tip: Focus on one individual’s story for maximum emotional resonance.

3. Keep It Short and Engaging

Viewers will watch the entirety of a video if it’s not too long. Attention spans are short, especially online. Hook viewers within the first 5–10 seconds, and keep videos concise:

• TikTok & Instagram: 15–30 seconds.
• YouTube: 2–3 minutes.

Pro Tip: Use strong opening visuals and music to grab attention quickly.

4. Use High-Quality, Budget-Friendly Tools

You don’t need a huge budget to create professional-looking videos. Here’s how:

• Smartphones: Today’s devices shoot in 4K.
• Lighting: Shoot during the day for natural light or use affordable ring lights.
• Editing Software: Free tools like Canva and iMovie make editing simple.

Pro Tip: Create content in batches and build your own content bank by recording multiple clips in one session.

5. Include Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

Every video should end with a clear and compelling CTA:

• Donate: “$25 feeds a family for a week. Donate now.”
• Share: “Spread the word to help us reach more supporters.”
• Join: “Sign up to volunteer at our upcoming event.”

Pro Tip: Use trackable links in your CTAs to measure performance.

6. Optimize for SEO

Videos are powerful SEO assets when optimized effectively:

• Add keywords to titles and descriptions.
• Incorporate brief, readable text on thumbnails to provide context and entice viewers.
• Use captions to improve accessibility and search visibility.
• Include end screens & cards for cross-promotion
• Host videos on your website to drive traffic and engagement.

Pro Tip: Platforms like YouTube Studio provide analytics to refine the strategy for video marketing for nonprofits.

Check out our downloadable video marketing checklist to help nonprofits stay organized while creating content.

Types of Videos Nonprofits Should Create

Expanding your nonprofit’s video content can significantly enhance engagement and effectively convey your mission. Here are several types of videos to consider, along with examples and verified sources:

1. Mission Videos

• Purpose: Introduce your organization’s purpose, mission, and vision. Ideal for your website homepage or donor outreach emails.
• Where to use it: Website homepage, social media kickoff, email announcement
• Why: It grounds your audience in your mission and why this campaign matters.
• Example: Pencils of Promise’s mission video effectively communicates their commitment to providing quality education for all children, showcasing their impact and goals.

2. Testimonial Videos

• Purpose: Showcase the impact of your work through the voices of beneficiaries, volunteers, or donors.
• Where to use it: Email drip sequences, donation pages, Instagram reels
• Why: Real voices (beneficiaries, volunteers, donors) humanize your cause and increase empathy.
• Example: ASPCA – “Blue’s Story” is an emotional video that highlights the rescue and rehabilitation of a dog, showing donors the tangible results of their support.

3. Event Videos

• Purpose: Capture the excitement of your events to attract future attendees and donors.
• Where to use it: Recap email, Instagram post-campaign, future event signups
• Why: Shows community, excitement, and impact in action. Can even be live-streamed during the campaign.
• Example: Neverthirst’s video documents their fundraising efforts to provide clean water, engaging viewers with compelling visuals and narratives.

4. Explainer Videos

• Purpose: Educate your audience about specific issues or solutions.
• Where to use it: Mid-funnel content on social, landing page, or blog
• Why: Breaks down the problem your campaign is solving and how your solution works.
• Example: The Girl Effect’s explainer video illustrates how empowering girls can lead to positive global change, using clear visuals and storytelling.

5. Behind-the-Scenes Videos

• Purpose: Showcase the heart of your organization by taking viewers behind the curtain, fostering transparency and trust.
• Where to use it: Stories, BTS email updates during the campaign
• Why: People trust what they can see. Show your team, your process, and your passion.
• Example: Global Interagency Security Forum’s behind the scenes of humanitarian action webinar offered a comprehensive look into the security risk management practices essential for safe humanitarian operations.

6. Advocacy Videos

• Purpose: Mobilize supporters around a cause, encouraging them to take specific actions like signing petitions or participating in campaigns.
• Where to use it: Campaign midpoint, press releases, partner networks
• Why: These are bold, high-emotion pieces designed to spread. They fuel urgency and movement.
• Example: Save the Children’s advocacy video places a British child in a crisis scenario to highlight the impact of war on children, urging viewers to take action.

7. Educational Webinars

• Purpose: Provide in-depth information on topics related to your mission, positioning your organization as a thought leader.
• Where to use it: Mid-campaign thought leadership series, Q&A with leadership
• Why: Helps deepen relationships with power donors or cause ambassadors.
• Example: UNICEF: Offers a variety of webinars and online courses on topics such as inclusive education, child protection, and environmental health using the Agora Learning Platform.

8. Volunteer Recruitment Videos

• Purpose: Attract new volunteers by showcasing the rewarding experiences and impact of volunteer work within your organization.
• Where to use it: Facebook groups, YouTube, “Get Involved” page
• Why: Mobilizes hands-on help and builds local momentum during the campaign.
• Example: One Girl’s video encourages viewers to participate in their “Do it in a Dress” campaign, highlighting the impact of volunteer involvement.
• Pro Tip: Diversifying your video content engages supporters at all stages of their journey, from awareness to active participation.

9. Crowdfunding Campaign Videos

• Purpose: Inspire donations by telling a compelling, emotionally resonant story tied to a specific fundraising goal.
• Where to use it: Crowdfunding landing pages, peer-to-peer fundraising toolkits, social media ads.
• Why: These videos are your campaign centerpiece. They combine a clear “ask” with emotional storytelling and proof of impact—essential for engaging viewers and motivating them to give.
• Example: charity: water’s “September Campaign” featured powerful stories and visuals of people without access to clean water. The campaign raised over $11 million across eight years and helped more than 500,000 people. Their consistent use of emotionally driven video helped fuel viral sharing and donor trust.

10. Personalized Donor Thank-You Videos

• Purpose: Show appreciation to donors and reinforce their connection to your cause, encouraging repeat giving.
• Where to use it: Email follow-ups post-donation, donor anniversaries, or milestone celebrations.
• Why: Personalized thank-you videos make supporters feel seen and valued, building loyalty and increasing the likelihood of future donations. They also humanize your nonprofit in a way that mass messages can’t.
• Example: The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research sends short, personalized thank-you videos to first-time donors, resulting in increased donor retention and stronger long-term relationships.

For a deeper dive into nonprofit marketing strategies, visit our guide on Nonprofit Marketing Plan.

Measuring Video ROI: Key Metrics for Nonprofits

Measuring the return on investment (ROI) of your nonprofit’s video marketing efforts is essential to understand their effectiveness and to optimize future campaigns. Here are the metrics that matter:

1. Views: Indicate the reach of your video content.
   • Purpose: Assess how many individuals have watched your video, providing insight into its initial attraction and the effectiveness of your distribution strategy.
2. Engagement: Includes likes, comments, shares, and reactions.
   • Purpose: Measure how well your content resonates with the audience. High engagement suggests that viewers find your content valuable and are motivated to interact with it.
3. Completion Rates: The percentage of viewers who watch your video from start to finish.
   • Purpose: A high completion rate indicates that your content is compelling and maintains viewer interest throughout its duration.
4. Conversions: The number of viewers who take a desired action after watching your video, such as donating, signing up for a newsletter, or volunteering.
   • Purpose: Directly measure the effectiveness of your video’s call-to-action (CTA) in driving tangible outcomes that support your nonprofit’s goals.

Understanding what to track is one part of the equation, knowing how to track these metrics is what brings the insights to life. Here are tools your nonprofit can use to monitor and measure video performance across platforms:

• YouTube Studio: Ideal for tracking views, audience retention, click-through rates, and average view duration. Use it to monitor how long people watch your content and where they drop off.
• Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Set up event tracking to measure conversions like donations or sign-ups that happen after someone watches a video embedded on your site. GA4 also helps attribute traffic and engagement to specific campaigns.
• Meta Insights (Facebook & Instagram): See detailed data on reach, engagement, video watch time, reactions, and shares. It’s particularly useful for understanding what kind of content performs best on social platforms.
• Vimeo, Wistia, or Vidyard: These platforms provide advanced analytics like heatmaps, viewer-level tracking, and CTA interactions—great for measuring viewer behavior on campaign videos or thank-you messages.
• Email Marketing Tools (e.g., Mailchimp, HubSpot): Track video-related click-throughs and engagement from emails. Even using a video thumbnail linked to a landing page can show meaningful performance data.

Strategies to Optimize Video Performance

A/B Testing: A method of comparing two versions of a video or its components to determine which performs better in achieving your desired outcomes.

• Application:
  • CTAs: Experiment with different wording, placement, and design of your calls-to-action to identify which version yields higher conversion rates.
  • Visuals: Test various thumbnails, video lengths, or opening scenes to see which elements capture and retain viewer attention more effectively.
• Benefits:
  • Data-Driven Decisions: A/B testing provides empirical evidence on what works best for your audience, allowing for informed adjustments to your video content.
  • Enhanced Engagement: By identifying and implementing the most effective elements, you can increase viewer engagement and the overall success of your campaigns.
• Example: A nonprofit organization tested two different CTAs in their video: “Donate Now to Support Our Cause” versus “Join Us in Making a Difference.” The A/B test revealed that the first CTA led to a 15% higher conversion rate, informing the organization to use more direct language in future videos.
• Pro Tip: Regularly monitor these metrics and employ A/B testing to refine your video content. Optimizing elements like CTAs and visuals based on data-driven insights can significantly enhance viewer engagement and drive desired actions, ultimately increasing the ROI of your video marketing efforts.

Looking to maximize your nonprofit’s reach with the right digital marketing strategy? Learn more about our Digital Marketing Services for Nonprofits.

Examples of Successful Nonprofit Video Campaigns

1. Save the Children UK – “Most Shocking Second a Day”

Save the Children UK released a compelling video titled “Most Shocking Second a Day,” which portrays a young British girl’s life unraveling over a year, imagining if London were experiencing a conflict similar to the Syrian Civil War. The video aimed to bring the realities of war closer to home for viewers in the UK, thereby raising awareness and empathy for children affected by conflicts worldwide.

Campaign Impact:

• YouTube Views: The video garnered over 46 million views on YouTube within a year of its release, with a standout completion rate of 91%.
  
• Social Shares: It was shared by celebrities such as Stephen Fry, leading to more than 1.4 million shares across social media platforms.
  
• Subscriber Growth: The campaign led to an 89% increase in subscribers to the Save the Children YouTube channel, expanding their digital reach significantly.
  
• Fundraising Impact: During the campaign, there was a 93% uplift in fundraising, demonstrating the video’s effectiveness in driving donations. 

The video’s success can be attributed to its emotional storytelling and innovative approach, making distant conflicts relatable to the audience by setting the narrative in a familiar environment.

2. Ad Council – “Love Has No Labels”

Ad Council’s “Love Has No Labels” campaign aimed to promote diversity and inclusion by challenging implicit biases. The campaign featured a video showcasing an X-ray screen with skeletons embracing, dancing, and interacting. When individuals stepped out from behind the screen, they revealed diverse pairings, different races, religions, genders, and sexual orientations, challenging viewers to examine their implicit biases.

Campaign Impact:

• Video Views: The initial PSA has been viewed more than 430 million times across various platforms, making it one of the most-watched social activism videos.
  
• Website Engagement: The campaign drove over 33 million web visits to lovehasnolabels.com, where individuals could find resources to promote inclusion.
  
• Awards: The campaign won numerous accolades, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial, highlighting its creative excellence and societal impact.
  
• Behavioral Change: Surveys indicated a significant increase in inclusive behaviors among viewers, demonstrating the campaign’s effectiveness in promoting social change. 

The “Love Has No Labels” campaign effectively utilized emotional storytelling and innovative visuals to address and reduce implicit biases, fostering a more inclusive society.

3. Water.org – “Matt Damon Goes on Strike”

Matt Damon launched a humorous yet impactful video campaign to raise awareness about the global water crisis. In the video, Damon announces a “toilet strike,” vowing not to use the bathroom until everyone worldwide has access to clean water and sanitation. The satirical nature of the campaign effectively highlighted the serious issue of water scarcity and inadequate sanitation.

Campaign Impact:

• Funds Raised: The campaign contributed to Water.org raising $8.3 million, demonstrating the effectiveness of combining celebrity influence with humor to engage audiences.
  LEON! ANIMATIONS 
• Public Engagement: The video garnered significant media attention and was widely shared across social media platforms, increasing public awareness about the global water crisis.
• Website Traffic: Following the video’s release, Water.org experienced a substantial increase in website visits, indicating heightened interest and engagement from the public.

This campaign exemplifies how leveraging celebrity partnerships and humor can effectively engage audiences and drive action toward critical global issues.

Check out our downloadable video marketing checklist to help nonprofits stay organized while creating content.

Recommended Video Marketing Tools for Nonprofits

Tool	Category	Key Features	Pricing
Canva	Free Tool	Easy templates for video creation.	Free (with paid premium plans).
Animoto	Free Tool	Drag-and-drop video creation.	Free for basic; discounts for nonprofits.
YouTube Studio	Free Tool	Built-in analytics and editing tools.	Free.
Wistia	Paid Tool	Audience engagement tracking.	Paid plans starting at $19/month.
Vimeo	Paid Tool	High-quality hosting and collaboration tools.	Paid plans starting at $7/month.
DaVinci Resolve	Paid Tool	Advanced editing and color correction.	Free version available; premium at $295.

Free Tools

1. Canva: Offers a user-friendly interface with a wide range of templates for creating engaging video content. Nonprofits can access premium features at no cost.
2. Animoto: Provides a drag-and-drop video creation platform, enabling users to produce professional videos efficiently. Offers discounted plans for nonprofits.
3. YouTube Studio: Includes built-in analytics, editing tools, and audience engagement metrics, facilitating effective video management.
4. FlexClip: An online video maker with customizable templates, ideal for creating compelling nonprofit videos. Offers free and paid plans.
5. OpenShot Video Editor: A free, open-source video editing software with a user-friendly interface, suitable for creating and editing videos without watermarks.

Paid Tools

1. Wistia: Specializes in video hosting with advanced audience engagement tracking, customizable players, and integration capabilities. Offers plans tailored for businesses and nonprofits.
2. Vimeo: Provides high-quality video hosting, customizable players, and collaboration tools, supporting nonprofits with discounted plans.
3. DaVinci Resolve: An advanced video editing software offering a comprehensive suite of tools for color correction, audio post-production, and visual effects. A free version is available, with a paid Studio version for additional features.
4. WeVideo: A cloud-based video editing platform with collaborative features, stock media, and easy sharing options. Offers discounted plans for educational and nonprofit organizations.
5. Promo.com: An online video creation platform offering a vast library of templates and stock footage, suitable for creating promotional content. Provides special pricing for nonprofits.

Pro Tip: Selecting tools that align with your nonprofit’s specific needs and objectives is crucial. Consider starting with free options to gain experience and assess requirements. As your organization grows, investing in paid tools with advanced features can further enhance your video marketing efforts.

Conclusion

In 2025, where attention spans are fleeting and competition for visibility is high, video content offers a powerful medium to stand out and inspire action. By leveraging accessible tools, embracing data-driven insights, and refining your approach through A/B testing, your organization can not only engage audiences but also drive measurable outcomes.

But remember, the true power of video marketing for nonprofits lies in its ability to humanize your mission. People don’t just give to organizations, they give to the stories that move them. Every frame, every word, and every moment in your videos should reflect the heart of your nonprofit: the real lives you’re changing, the passion that fuels your work, and the future you’re striving to create.

Ready to amplify your mission?

Reach out to our team to discuss how we can help you create marketing campaigns that not only tell your story, but also inspire others to become part of it.