By now you've probably at least heard of YouTube - the web site where users upload their home made videos. It's now one of the most popular sites around, with a variety of videos from serious and professionally done to silly little personal rants shot on cell phone cameras.
This week I was introduced to a new site, called DoGooder.TV that intends to become somewhat of a YouTube for the nonprofit community.
The concept behind DoGooder.TV is that organizations can post their promotional videos about their cause and attract supporters through the web site. Unlike the amateurish productions that rule YouTube, DoGooder.TV features very well produced videos and a much cleaner interface.
The production quality of postings so far is due to the fact that the web site is the creation of See3 - a media production company that only works with nonprofits. You do not have to be a See3 client to post your videos, but it looks like the initial postings are all from their client list.
So - Should your organization be posting videos on either DoGooder.TV or even on YouTube? If you have already spent the money to produce a video (maybe you show it at fundraisers, maybe it's something you've provided to the local media), then I'd have to say post away! Get the most out of your investment by having it seen in as many venues as possible.
If you have not already produced a video, the value question gets a bit more tricky. What audience are you after? Is yours an organization that can realistically attract support from outside your immediate geography? Producing a video - at least, a really good one - can be a costly and time-consuming project. But, it can also be a great presentation tool, bringing your potential funders face-to-face (face-to-screen?) with your clients.
Should you post to DoGooder.TV? Right now, the site has just launched in "Alpha" testing, and has a bit of growth and expansion ahead of it. Posting videos is not free here (as it is on the advertising supported YouTube). These factors could each play a role in evaluating the cost versus the potential revenue.
A major benefit of DoGooder.TV over YouTube is that the visitors here are looking for nonprofits and service information. They are here because they want to get involved. Every surfer on DoGooder.TV is a potential donor. As the site grows and attracts more attention, that could make it well worth the posting fees.
Should you post to YouTube? If you've got a video, why not? Surfers here are not necessarily seeking out opportunities to donate or volunteer, but a well-crafted message (that includes a way for them to contact you) could catch the attention of somebody who does want to help. Best of all, it's free, and it only takes a few minutes to register and get your first video posted.
Either way, the point here is to keep an eye on new technologies, new media, and new opportunities for you to get out your nonprofit's message. Online videos may or may not be the right answer for you, but it is certainly worth looking into.
Tags: YouTube, DoGooder.TV, nonprofit, message, video, fundraising
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Hi Ken,
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea to aggregate nonprofit videos in one spot. In a way, I'm trying to do something simiar with a new site I've developed called www.savvygiver.org. It's an offshoot of the site you probably no me better for, www.selfishgiving.com. But my goal is to aggregate the cause marketing opportunities in major cities so people can get a weekly, then daily, update of ways to do well and good in their communities. I'm hoping it will become a "Daily Candy" of the nonprofit community.
Both projects really represent nonprofit efforts to sidestep traditional media, which won't or can't cover nonprofit videos and cause marketing opps.
Keep writing great posts!
Joe
Joe - your idea shounds great.
ReplyDeleteI am curious about the DoGooder.tv concept, but I think YouTube has success people go there looking for silly, stupid laughs and may end up searching for something else. An exclusive nonprofit video site may find it hard to drive traffic.
I blogged on your post at donttellthedonor.blogspot.com
Ken,
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great post. I think the whole concept of using aggregator sites to post non-profit content is an open arena for the future of broadcast messaging. Places like Dogooder.tv, youtube, itunes, etc are a great resource for non-profits who may struggle with "getting the message out".
Thanks for the post and raising these points .. I just wrote a roundup of youtube and nonprofits.
ReplyDeletehttp://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2006/09/nonprofits_and_.html
A great aggregator for non-profit films is http://www.channelg.tv. Channel G is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation that produces and distributes compelling
ReplyDeletecontent designed to educate and inspire people about the work of non-profit organizations in the United States and around the world. Channel G focuses its cameras on environmental, social, and health-related projects designed
to implement solutions to some of the world's most challenging problems. With over 40 projects on board right now, and dozens more in production, Channel G hopes cultivate a community of people that are interested in how we affect positive change in today world.
It just makes sense to follow success. I lean toward infiltrate than separate but equal on this one. I just wrote about a YouTube spoof that would perfectly transition into a world hunger video in an article called "Your Name Here" at: http://nonprofiteye.blogspot.com/2006/09/httpwww.html
ReplyDeleteGreat article Ken!
Check out http://www.channelg.tv
ReplyDeleteThey are a nonprofit media company that not only has created a great library of films on the web, but also distribute them to festivals, schools, DirecTV, Dish Network, Comcast and lost of other outlets for people to learn more about these great projects.