Video Production – Why Non-Profits & Charities Should Produce Fundraising Videos.

As the credit crunch continues to bite, charities and non-profit organisations around the world are under increasing pressure to hit their fundraising targets and to increase their marketing and outreach activities, even while their budgets are being squeezed. Video production is one of the most powerful alternative mediums for communicating the work of non-profit organisations and as more and more people have access to the internet, it's one of the most effective solutions around.

Here's 10 reasons why:

1) Nobody likes to read dry lengthy reports, packed with statistics.

2) Video can tell powerful, emotional stories that move supporters to take action.

3) The human brain processes and remembers visual images MUCH faster and for FAR longer than printed text.

4) Videos are far more authoritative than the written word. People tend believe what they can see, far more than what they read.

5) Video production is increasingly affordable and accessible. A high quality video can be made for a relatively small amount of money

6) Videos are incredibly versatile and therefore highly cost-effective, allowing any organisation to make the most out of their marketing budgets. Videos can be streamed online, duplicated onto DVDs, used in one-on-one meetings or as part of fundraising presentations and events. The right video can serve an organisation's fundraising needs for a long period of time and the footage can also be easily re-edited for use in future productions.

7) Once produced, a video can save a charity or NGO huge amounts of time, which can be used for other important fundraising and outreach activities.

8) A compelling video can help raise an organisation's profile and visibility, as well as hard cash.

9) A number of sites are emerging that specifically host fundraising videos and when used in tandem with these sites, videos can be an exceptionally powerful medium for conveying the importance of any cause.

10) Videos can be specifically tailored to appeal to hard-to-reach demographics.  

In my next blog entry, I'll be looking exactly how to produce and propagate an effective fundraising video.