Video

In December 2007, then FS Associate Editor Timothy Churchill wrote about the up-and-coming video site YouTube as another potential place for nonprofits to raise money and awareness in his story, "Do You YouTube?"

If you follow social media guru Mari Smith, you have no doubt noticed the headline ”The Year of Video.” Will nonprofits follow that trend? I always look at Michael Hoffman, CEO of See3 Communications, for an answer. Michael has been front and center of video for nonprofits for years.

He says, “Video is, by far, the content that commands the most attention online. In the U.S., the average Web visitor watches nearly 250 videos per month. Regardless of mission or size, your participation will help to define the value of video in the nonprofit community”

Charities will soon have a new way for their supporters to use videos to help raise awareness and money on their behalf.

YouTube said Wednesday it is allowing video makers to link directly from videos to pages on the fundraising and petition sites DonorsChoose.org, Change.org, Causes.com and Rockethub.com.

In addition to those four sites, YouTube in April began allowing links to the sites Kickstarter.com and Indiegogo.com, which use crowd-sourcing techniques to seek donations.

The National Corporate Theatre Fund (NCTF) announced four finalists in its video competition aimed at highlighting the importance of theater education's contribution to crucial skill development needed for the 21st century workforce. More than 5,000 votes were cast on NCTF's Facebook page, which received more than 13,000 visits during the competition.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has been awarded “best video” in the DoGooder YouTube Nonprofit Video Awards for the Large Nonprofit category. The annual contest is designed to recognize the creative and effective use of video among charitable organizations.

The foundation’s video, “Adding Tomorrows,” is a portrait of three individuals who live with cystic fibrosis. It was selected as a finalist from more than 1,000 nonprofit entries, and received the most votes from the public in its category.

Last month, YouTube began accepting submissions for its annual DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards. Now that the submission period is closed and 16 finalists were selected by judges, it's time to get your votes in to help decide the winners.

Last month, YouTube announced YouTube Next Cause: a program designed to help nonprofits already changing the world better use online video to drive action.

Twenty organizations were introduced for the first class:

• Autism Speaks
• Children's Hospital Boston
• IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare
• Sunlight Foundation
• BuildOn
• American Heart Association
• CARE
• American Foundation for Equal Rights
• Malaria No More
• The Humane Society of the United States
• The Pablove Foundation
• COTS - Committee on the Shelterless
• Durango Discovery Museum
• Save Mount Diablo
• Art Resources in Teaching
• breakthrough
• Per Scholas
• The Supply
• Born Free USA
• The Lazarex Cancer Foundation

Atlanta based nonprofit Jennifer Ann’s Group announces the “5th Annual Life. Love. Game Design Challenge” with a first place prize of $5,000 for the video game that best illustrates the dangers of dating violence for teens, tweens and young adults.

In 2008 Jennifer Ann’s Group announced the first challenge to promote awareness of teen dating violence through video games. Video game entries must increase awareness about teen dating violence but cannot include violence in the video game itself.

National Corporate Theatre Fund (NCTF) announced the launch of a public service announcement video competition for NCTF’s 18 member theatres and affiliates.

No matter what your thoughts are on Invisible Children, there are some lessons to take away for fundraisers of all kinds from Kony 2012, lessons that reinforce the best practices in the sector.