If a picture is worth a thousand words, then videos are priceless. Video imagery helps people relate with others and gets them emotionally invested in your cause. And because we know how powerful videos can be, Mightycause gives you multiple ways to incorporate a video thank you into your fundraising efforts.
By creating a compelling video thank you message for your supporters to view after they donate, they’ll feel how much you appreciate your donation, and they’ll get to feel the joy of giving when they see the impact their gift made. What are you waiting for? Go make a video!
WAIT! We should give you a couple of pointers first:
- Find your format — There’s a time and a place for more polished videos, as well as quick hand-held work. Figure out what will best capture the main theme of your fundraiser. If you’re running a marathon to raise money for your favorite charity, a friend’s smartphone video of you crossing the finish line and thanking your supporters works beautifully. If you did a fundraiser to save a saltwater marsh, you may want to get a tripod, compose scenic shots, and wait for good lighting to get beautiful shots of the landscape and its inhabitants.
- Use what you’ve got: If there’s anything platforms like YouTube and TikTok have taught us, it’s that engaging video content doesn’t require a film degree and a fancy camera. All you need is an iPhone and a dream! So, if you don’t have a state-of-the-art video camera or editing chops, use the tools you have at your disposal. YouTube allows you to edit videos for free, and you can find countless video editing apps that cost exactly zero dollars.
- Create a script and storyboard : This is the “measure twice and cut once” of video production. Don’t just shoot a bunch of stuff and then try to pick the best take or piece it together later — you’ll waste everyone’s time. Take a moment before you begin and give each shot a quick sketch on its own piece of paper and put the words you want to go with it along the bottom. Then, flip through it like a little picture book, see how long it takes to read aloud, and see if it makes sense. Oftentimes, you’ll discover you’ve left out a piece of information or that something doesn’t visually make sense. This way, you’ll ensure your video is cohesive and makes sense to viewers.
- Keep it short and sweet : Commercial breaks are only two or three minutes, and you know how long those feel. Say what you need to say, make people feel good and then let them get on with their day.
- Don’t say “Thank You” : Well, don’t only say thank you. People want to know what impact their gift had, so try your best to tell them. Even better, show them. If your fundraiser gives school supplies to kids in low income neighborhoods, show a class opening the box to their new computer. If you give out solar lamps in disaster areas, have local mothers explain how this will help keep her family safe. This is your opportunity to pull on some heartstrings and make your supporters feel the joy of giving, so go for it.
Camera Shy?
Are you a technophobe? Did you mock members of the AV club in High School? Good news! Those guys forgive you and went on to make zillions of dollars creating inexpensive and easy-to-use video editing software. If you’re reading this, you likely have easy access to either Microsoft Movie Maker or Apple iMovie, they’re great for simple videos. And if, after all of these dos and don’ts, you’re still intimidated by video, check out Animoto. This service allows you to turn your photos and little bits of existing video into a wide variety of polished-looking slideshows.
Sharing Your Video Thank You on Mightycause
Adding a video to your Mightycause page is easy and convenient. Nonprofits and fundraisers can embed their video right into their stories, using our easy inline text editor. Here’s how you can integrate your video thank you into your Mightycause page!
Upload to a Video Platform First
Mightycause is an online fundraising platform, not a video-sharing platform. So, you’ll just need to upload your video thank you to either YouTube or Vimeo first. Both platforms offer free accounts, so all you need to do is sign up and upload!
Make sure your video thank you is public. If your public is private or locked in any way, you won’t be able to embed it on our site.
Add a Cover Video
If you’re running a fundraiser, you can make your video thank you front-and-center by adding a cover video. When you set your video as your fundraiser page’s cover content, it’ll be the first thing people see when they visit your page.
Embed Your Video on a Thank You Page
On Mightycause, nonprofits can create a Thank You Page that displays to donors right after they complete their gifts. This ensures that nonprofit organizations are able to deliver a swift, meaningful Thank You to their donors. And, of course, you can embed your thank you video on this page.
Share on Social Media for Maximum Engagement
Get the most mileage out of your video thank you by sharing it on social media! Social media platforms like Facebook love video content (and reward it with extra reach), so share your video with your followers — or create a special video thank you or campaign wrap-up video just for your social media audience.
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