Do you find yourself wishing your nonprofit could benefit from an engaging video but worry that you and your staff just don’t have what it takes to put it together?
But, the fact is that professionally-produced videos are expensive and time-consuming. If you happen to have a volunteer who has interest in doing a video for you, that’s great; although you’re not guaranteed the high quality you might be looking for. Rather than trading one problem for the other (or even taking the time to really consider what the problems are), many nonprofit professionals just choose not to think about the topic at all.
There does seem to be a middle ground, however, that nonprofits can use to their advantage. There are now quite a few services/sites out there that allow you to create your own presentation without a whole lot of hassle. Generally, you are able to upload your own photos, whether from your computer or your organization’s Facebook page, and manipulate them into a great “video” or slide show right from the site. Some of these actually do allow you to use video clips, in addition to still photos. You’re able to add text, to create transitions between pictures, and even to set the entire thing to music. The sites will usually have several different looks or styles that you are able to use without having to have the expertise to design them yourself.
Once you’ve put together your masterpiece, you are able to publish it. A lot of the services will allow you to post the professional-looking videos right on your own blog or Facebook page, and some even allow for others to post them, too. That means that you can encourage your own constituents to add the videos to their sites, blogs, and pages to increase your reach.
The process of putting these videos together is pretty basic, and the sites offer good instructions and support if you should need it. Here are a few that you might want to consider checking out:
- Animoto - Ranges from $0-39 per month depending on what you want.
- Glogster - Free service with an additional private areas for educators to use in the classroom.
- Kizoa - Has a free level and also offers premium and DVD versions for up to $49.99 for a two-year subscription.
- Slideroll - Users can start for free and upgrade to the pro level for 34.50 per year if they want additional functionality.
- Stupeflix - Prices go from $5 to $59 per month, with breaks for annual subscriptions.
