We’ve curated a list of 7 of the best nonprofit video campaigns you should be watching and taking note of.

Good video campaigns can work wonders for nonprofits and we’ll show you exactly why that is and give you some ideas if you are wanting to create your own nonprofit video campaign.

So let’s get to it, here are 7 of the best video campaigns and why they work.

Why Do Nonprofit Video Campaigns Work So Well?

For nonprofit organizations, there’s no better way to bring people together than a good campaign video.

And why is that?

It’s predicted that online videos are going to make up 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2022, that's 15x that of 2017. Also, 92% of mobile video viewers usually share videos they've watched with others! That’s a lot of people watching.

Not only is video the preferred medium for consumers, but it also gives you the perfect platform to get your message across in a fun, engaging, and persuasive way.

Video is the perfect platform to help you get your message across and share the problem you are trying to fix.

There are lots of good causes in the world worth fighting for, worth changing for the better, worth contributing to. It may be climate change, mental health awareness, animal and wildlife preservation… the list goes on.

It can be hard to convey emotion, and video is the best way to emotionally connect with people to get them involved with your nonprofit.

What Kind Of Videos Will Get Your Message Across?

Well, there are several ways to go about it, but your first priority should be to tell your story, to touch people.

Still unsure? No need to rack your brain too much - that's why we're here! We’ve curated a list of 7 of the best campaign videos we've seen to help you choose or get inspiration from.

We're not just gonna list them, we’re also going to tell you why we love them too. So, sit tight, grab some popcorn, and let's do this!

PS: There’s a nice surprise for you at the end.

Best Nonprofit Video Campaigns You Should Absolutely Take Note Of

1. THE GIRL EFFECT: THE CLOCK IS TICKING

The Girl Effect uses animated text and brilliant graphics to pass down their message in this awareness video. The whole thing flows seamlessly into a story about why you need to act and what impact it'd make.

Also, we give them props on the score/music which adds to the urgency of the whole thing with the way it reminds us of a clock keeping time.

The video prompts you to do something… now.

2. SAVE THE CHILDREN: #SAVESYRIASCHILDREN

Now if you're talking about immersion into a story, we think this is a good way to go. This campaign video by Save The Children brings the Syrian situation close to home.

You're drawn into the life of the girl and see her personal struggles – the shaky cam parts are genius too. There's no need to explain what's happening when you are “living” it with her.

The video ends with a deep line at the end to drive the powerful message across.

3. WATER. ORG: MATT DAMON GOES ON STRIKE

This campaign is staged like a press conference with Matt Damon creating awareness about World Toilet Day… yes, it exists.

Also, protesting the fact that a lot of people don’t have access to proper sanitary facilities or potable water. Hence, he declares that he won’t use the toilet until everyone in the world has access to these.

There’s a lot of humor alongside the message and you can spot some actors amongst the reporters too.

It did a really good job… the humor, because we found ourselves sucked – willingly – into a rabbit hole of hilarious videos of celebrities pledging their support.

We even found a Matt Damon Water.org Christmas special that made us go ho ho ho.

See? A bit of humor doesn’t hurt. You can skip the celebrities part if you want though.

4. SAVE THE CHILDREN: WHAT HAS AID EVER DONE FOR ANYONE?

Yep, Save the Children made a double feature on our list.

What? They’re that good (shrugs). This video also makes use of humor and pop culture references to discuss important world issues, specifically the importance of aid.

It starts with a group of people in a bus going to protest aid.

At first, anyone watching is like… ‘What? Are they saying aid doesn’t help?’ and then plot twist! The video ends up talking about what aid has done for the world.

It brings all the statistics to life and at the same time, embeds a riff of Edwin Starr’s ‘War’ in our memories forever.

We love this video because it used references familiar to most people to drive home the impact of aid. It was relatable.

5. SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGE: “WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR JACKET TO JOHANNES?”

Taking the call to give help to a whole new level, SOS Children’s Village made a real-life hidden cam video on how people reacted when they saw a freezing boy (he was in on it) by himself at a bus stop.

It tugs on the heartstrings of viewers and puts the question on them too. And yes, it went viral.

6. CHARITY: WATER

Charity: Water shows you the faces behind the organization. Not only is the video well made, but it also gives a narrative account of how the organization started, what impact they’ve made and what’s next.

The takeaway here is the detailed explanation of what they need and how much it’ll cost.

It is a goal-oriented video. You know where your donation is going to and can track it.

The fact that they also highlight all the effort donors have made and all their personal sacrifice while also including us is a huge plus.

7. ROBIN HOOD RELIEF FUND: HURRICANE SANDY

Instead of saying what you’ve done, why don’t you let your actions speak for itself? The Robin Hood Relief Fund did exactly this in this testimonial video.

They picked one beneficiary of the fund and let her tell us her story. We follow her life before the disaster, the hardship, and feel her joy when she gets her new home.

Testimonial videos are relatable because they actually put a face to all the statistics we usually hear.

BONUS VIDEO! CITY OF HOPE: OURHOPE EXPLAINER VIDEO

This step by step guide on how to use the ourHope fundraising tool is great for sharing via social media. It's colorful, and eye catching.

So if you don't want to actually film but need content that will grab attention, then you could do something like this.

Conclusion

Alrighty then! We're done with our list of the best nonprofit video campaigns that you need to take a note of. We hoped we've helped you make a choice!

If you have favorite videos, tips, or questions you'd like to share, feel free to reach out.

Need help making the perfect video for your organization? We're just a call away.