3 platforms for your nonprofit's visual content

One of the most important rules in fundraising is to thank your donors. It’s not only a polite gesture, but it could also inspire those who’ve given to donate a second time. Most nonprofits offer thanks by email, while others send photos or cards by mail with news of the individuals or communities benefitting from the donation. And there are those who create “thank you” videos for their donors to watch on YouTube: Most nonprofits think they need a professional to shoot and edit their video, but this route can be costly. A basic video package costs a minimum of $10,000 at See3 Communications, CEO Michael Hoffman told Devex. There are more affordable ways to take advantage of video. Here’s just a few: Facebook Live It started out mainly for celebrities, but the application has now been extended to verified pages on the social networking platform. Facebook Live acts a lot like Google Hangout or Periscope, but it’s right on the social networking app, so nonprofits need only invite people they want to engage in the video and broadcast what they want to say or show them. There doesn’t appear to be a limit on how long the video stream is, but Facebook recommends users go live for at least five minutes. The video saves on the user’s timeline, so nonprofits can edit and share it afterward with those who weren’t able to watch the livestream. The tool can also be used later to update donors on what has been achieved with their donated money. The app has a subscribe button feature that sends out notifications to subscribers when a new live video pops up on nonprofit’s feed. ThankView Designed for social events, ThankView allows users to replace the traditional handwritten thank you cards and emails following a wedding, baby shower or birthday with a video. Users can choose a theme, select photos and text they want to use, then add the email addresses of the people in their guest list. Then they can use their computers or mobile phones to record their thank you videos, which they can send to multiple recipients at the same time. The email arrives in a virtual envelope containing the video message. ThankView provides an alternative to nonprofits that want to continue using emails to reach their supporters. The minimum package for 25 people is $20, but for nonprofits that may need to send videos to a larger group of people, there’s also a package containing 400 ThankViews or more, which costs $175. Propelit See3 Communications is known for providing professional video production to nonprofit organizations and for encouraging organizations to include video in their overall content strategy. Over the past few years, however, the organization started working on a technology called Propelit, a “white label” platform — meaning a generic platform that can be replicated in different versions — that can be customized for a specific organization’s needs. The vision, Hoffman said, is that the platform transforms into an app that can be used by an organization’s staff at headquarters and in the field, or even volunteers, to record video content using their mobile or computer. This could be anything from recording an organization’s field work to gathering testimonials from beneficiaries in the field. The video content then automatically gets uploaded to a content management system that comes with the technology, but is controlled by the organization. From there, those in charge of content can approve the video and publish it through the organization’s social media channels. The app, according to Hoffman, provides users guidance on how to properly take a video, including reminding them to hold the device in landscape position rather than upright, a common mistake beginners make in taking videos. The price of the technology depends on the customizations an interested organization requests, although the app in its basic form costs around $15,000, the CEO shared. Our mission is to do more good for more people. If you think the right information can make a difference, we invite you to join us by making a small investment in Professional Membership.