Many charities are creating short videos to help garner attention and money for their organizations online. But for many groups, long-form video — anything over two or three minutes — remains an important tool.
Jewish Family & Children’s Service in Phoenix, for example, hired a production company in Los Angeles to create an eight-minute video appeal that featured the organization’s clients discussing how it had helped them.
The video was unveiled at the group’s annual spring fund-raising luncheon — an event that raised nearly $100,000, says Jessica Junis Green, Jewish Family & Children’s Service marketing and development coordinator.
The organization then featured the video on its Web site and is planning to expand its use into social networks, Ms. Green says.
What do you think of long-form videos? Are longer videos effective in telling an organization’s story? Or should groups be spending more energy creating shorter videos that are more readily shared online?
Has your organization used a video campaign to raise money and awareness? If so, send me an e-mail with the embed code and some information about the results. We’ll post the most interesting submissions in Prospecting.
3 Responses to Fund-Raising Videos That Work: a Jewish Charity Tells Its Story
wegsman - July 7, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Very well done.I think a video like this would work very well at an event dedicated to the organization. But in other circumstances, a shorter video would work better.
sdauchert - July 7, 2010 at 4:36 pm
I think this video works. Longer videos have the ability to convey deeper emotions while short videos may show only surprise, humor, or other quick response feelings. It is difficult to express care and empathy in just 60 seconds. This video accomplishes that.Here is another 9 minute video that I think works as well, created by the YMCA of Middle TN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZPQ9XVaCSs Stephen DauchertThe Redwoods Group
cupoflove - July 7, 2010 at 8:39 pm
I think the video is excellent for fund-raising. If you are able to afford it, it is also very good when sending out letters asking for money to include a video and it’s also good to take a copy when meeting face-to-face with a donor. The time did not bother me. It was good to hear the problem and then see how it was being solved and the progress each person was making. Excellent!cupoflove