Climate philanthropy is on the rise, but far more is needed to solve environmental issues facing our planet. To celebrate Earth Day, we’re highlighting some of the best videos aimed at increasing support for climate-related issues.
In the past year, climate philanthropy has increased as the impacts of human-caused climate change become increasingly obvious with extreme weather events around the globe. That said, the amount of philanthropy dedicated to combating climate change is still relatively small compared with the overall philanthropic landscape and the need.
At firstname.co we believe in the power of video storytelling to advance a nonprofit’s mission. So, considering the gap in overall funding and the need for more philanthropic support of climate change mitigation and climate justice, we wanted to celebrate Earth Day with a few examples that we feel represent quality video produced by environmental organizations.
Earthjustice - Never Rest
This anthemic “about us” video is the perfect blend of succinct, while still serving the purpose of adequately telling the story of Earthjustice. In just 60 seconds, the viewer gains a solid understanding of the Earthjustice mission.
Burned in captions make this video easily accessible for anyone, regardless of the device on which they are watching (not to mention the importance of accessibility for hearing-impaired viewers). Although, captions aside, the powerful imagery in this piece almost renders copy unnecessary.
Bonus points - this video can easily be condensed as there are both 30-second and 15-second versions. Multi-duration versions of videos allow for greater flexibility in paid digital campaigns, which we know is critical for maximum viewership in the digital marketplace.
Bonus points part II - Earthjustice also publishes short documentary content, providing different content for different viewing habits, all of it quality and mission-aligned.
Trust for Public Land - The Power of Parks
Most video producers will tell you, finding the right b roll or images for a video is sometimes next to impossible. Thankfully, animation has moved to the forefront and helps fill the gaps when actual footage is not available.
In less than 60 seconds, this video helps viewers understand how the Trust for Public Land is about more than protecting large tracts of wild land, TPL also provides greenspace in urban areas. Using a video (animation, in this case) to condense a mission message into a bitesize package to attract new donors is a smart tactic when done well and TPL does it well with this “The Power of Parks” animated video.
World Wildlife Fund - A Whale's Eye View of Antarctica
At firstname.co, we often suggest nonprofits should “use video to open a window into the day-to-day impact of their work” and “show people something they can’t easily see anywhere else on the Internet.” Well, nothing says “exclusive perspective” quite like having a whale serve as your camera operator in the southern ocean! This piece from World Wildlife Fund has no narration, but still hooks a viewer with a perspective most of us never imagined we could see.
Climate Reality Project - Kids Can See It, Why Can't We?
I’ve lost count of the number of times, during fundraising planning meetings, the phrase “our mission doesn’t include kids or puppies, so what do we do to capture people’s attention?” has been uttered. The Climate Reality Project got creative with this video that features cute kids, and some humor, to highlight the very serious issue of warming and climate change.
Video is more accessible than ever before. While powerful, highly produced pieces will often steal the show, tools like Loom.com and networks like TikTok continue pushing “authentic” video to the forefront. With a little creativity and a few dedicated hours, any nonprofit can produce video that will help capture the attention of donors. Learn how firstname.co is helping nonprofits capture attention and inspire action with our full suite of video-driven digital fundraising services by clicking here to schedule a call.