NOTE #8

NorthStarr Media Group’s Client: Equal Justice Society (EJS)  is a national legal organization focused on restoring constitutional safeguards against discrimination.  They are in the business of fighting for the rights of people.

NorthStarr Media Group’s Role: Producer, Director, and Writer.

NorthStarr’s Notes: Fundraising Videos are used to get a particular  message across with the hope of informing and inspiring people in such a way that they are willing to financially contribute to one’s company or in the case of the Equal Justice Society, a non-profit organization.  Their goal of this project is to inform people that on August 28, 2013, it will be the 50th anniversary of the “March on Washington ” They are also seeking sponsorship for their event  Everyday People: The Unsung Heroes and Heroines Who Powered the Civil Rights Movement  that will be held at the Oakland Museum on 8/28/2013 as well as funding for future endeavors.  Another aim is  to provide some insight about EJS and encourage people to get involved as it pertains to civil rights.

One of the first important steps to take into consideration is your audience, who are you targeting? What type of information is important to let them know and finally, how will you get this video content to them?

In the case of this project the audience is a mix between people who know about EJS and  have made contributions in the past and people who might be coming across the Equal Justice Society for the first time.  There is never a guarantee that people will give you money predicated upon a video. The one thing that a brand, company, and or organization can control is the information that makes up the story.  In the case of this project, it’s important that people understand what the event is about.  The thinking behind this is people might not have funds to come in as a sponsor but have an interest and/or an affinity for civil rights and art. So perhaps they are willing to buy a ticket to come to the event.  This still helps  EJS because that money goes towards their cause and that money along with other contributions adds up.  Thus, we took what we like to call the “Costco Sample Approach” (The Costco Wholesale chains typically have samples of various foods in certain parts of their stores). Sometimes this just isn’t feasible, but in this case, it could be done. In this video we riddle it with samples of what the show will have to offer. Sometimes it’s more blatant than others.  All of the music that is a part of the fundraising video is from the performance. At times it serves as a bed of music under an interviewer other times a portion of the show is being shown.  This way people can get a taste and see if it’s something that they are willing to pay for just like the Costco food samples.

With this “sample video” so to speak, it is important to explain to people why they should donate to EJS.  There are so many causes to which people can contribute in this world, we wanted to highlight some key points as it pertains to this topic.

An important topic we must address is the ways in which EJS is using this Fundraising Video.   After all, it’s only helpful if you promote it. People can’t support a cause if they don’t know about it.  This video appears in three different sections of their website, the home page (this will introduce their video to everyone that visits the site), event section (this can be helpful because it has the ability to tap into the human emotions.  What’s truly brilliant about this placement is all of the information that is needed to participate financially is directly under it.  So, if they are moved by the video, they don’t have far to go in order to participate.  Make this process as easy as possible for people), and the civil rights at 50 section (this helps expound on their goals for the next three years.  Other online placement is YouTube, their Facebook fan pages (EJS and Civil Rights at 50), twitter and emailed news letter with the video embedded along with information about the event and what’s to be expected.

It’s every brand, company, non-profit’s expectation to make some money with their fundraising video. However, it’s a must that one structures the video with the key content that they deem is their “knock out punches”.   You don’t want to hold anything back when asking for money.  Make sure that you narrow down the important facets and present them in a way that will speak to your target audience.  In the event that you don’t make the money you’re hoping for, all is not lost.  If you find that people are watching the video and or sharing it, then that’s a win because that’s great for brand building and seed planting.  The more people are familiar with a company, they can formulate an opinion on if your organization falls in line with their beliefs.  If so, perhaps when a future event is given etc., they will remember you. This can position your organization to possibly be the recipient of their participation and/or donations.

If you have any questions leave a comment or email us at info@northstarrmedia.com.

“If there’s a story, we can tell it!”