As many development organizations scramble to make ends meet, marketing through video technology is no longer a luxury that only big name NGOs can afford. A startup venture called One World Media seeks to provide video production services that won't break the bank.
was formed by three individuals with diverse career backgrounds: Hal Rifken, a video editor; Alan Gross, a development worker; and Paul Sims, a journalist. According Gross, the team decided to "exercise the social responsibility that we have in a more efficient way."
The New York-based One World Media relies on the diverse expertise of its founders to create video pieces to capture the essence of client organizations. Gross pointed out that designing a video that concisely outlines organizational goals can provide a sense of coherence and purpose to many NGOs.
"The assistance we are providing also gives them clarity in their structure from an organizational standpoint," Gross said.
One World Media is currently working with Scientists Without Borders to develop a three-minute overview of its work on enabling information sharing among scientists around the world.
Gross has worked in 54 countries throughout the developing world on communications technology projects. He hopes to continue working with organizations in the field to develop better communications infrastructure, particularly in those areas with unreliable phone and Internet connections. According to Gross, getting wired is critical for development NGOs, even in remote regions.
"How are you going to tell a story from the field if you can't make a call?" he said.
Rifken pointed out that the financial crisis has left many small and midsize NGOs in dire straits, which underscores the need for these organizations to find innovative ways to get their message out to an increasingly tightfisted donor community.
"They need help in telling the story, convincing their funders that what they've got really does work," he said.
Rifken hopes that One World Media will earn enough revenue to be self-sufficient, even though he recognizes that nonprofit clients don't have nearly as much to spend as their corporate counterparts. To cut operating costs, One World Media founders aim to use technological resources from the other companies they are involved in so they will not have to purchase new equipment. The savings from this reduced overhead can then be passed along to the client, often resulting in prices that are at least half of those charged by video production companies that service the private sector.
Gross hopes their work will be self-funded, but pointed out that "if we were in only for the money, there are plenty of other things that we could be doing."
