by Matt Pearl, Pearl Impact Media
Uncertain funding sources. A chaotic previous year. Increased need of your services.
This moment in history demands that nonprofits own their story.
And this moment in the calendar – mid- to late January – is the perfect time to determine how.
If you work with or lead a nonprofit, you’re probably either figuring out and embarking on your strategic game plans for the year ahead. I’m here to say two things:
- That plan should absolutely include video.
- This article can help decide how you use it.
Especially now, nonprofits are uniquely positioned to benefit from consistent, authentic video. You do amazing work, and most of your stakeholders rarely see it. They rarely get to come inside your walls and witness your services in action. They know about you through email newsletters, fundraising appeals, and whatever content you choose to share.
Video moves the needle. It doesn’t just tell people what you do. It shows them – when it’s done right.
How can you do it right? Here’s a framework for your nonprofit’s nonprofit video game plan for 2026:
- Determine your larger strategy
- Determine what to DIY and when, if at all, to hire an outside storyteller
- Determine the steps you can take to start NOW
Let’s start with Step 1:
Determine your larger strategy.
It’s a deceptively simple task, led by a similarly deceptively simple question:
What are you trying to accomplish through storytelling?
For many, it’s fundraising. It’s what keeps our lights on. It’s what enables us to provide our services – and, when possible, expand them. For others, it’s awareness, among either the people they serve or their broader community.
As you figure out the priority for your organization, you can – and should – get granular. Maybe your fundraising plan leans on grant proposals, or e-blasts, or direct pitches to major gift donors. A great exercise is to brainstorm all the different ways where you plan to tell your story in 2026: Instagram reels. TikToks. Podcast appearances. Direct donor appeals. Your annual gala. Once you do this, you can decide how to approach them.
That leads to Step 2:
Determine what to DIY vs. when to hire an outside storyteller.
This is where strategy leads to action – and why strategy matters so much.
No matter how you approach storytelling, you’ll need to ask of people. You’ll ask your staff for their time and stories. You’ll ask those you serve for their involvement. If you’re hiring a video storyteller like me, you’ll ask them for their skills and to craft a product that fits your goals, AND you’ll likely ask your board and fellow leaders for the green light to spend money. You want to convey to all that you’re not wasting their time.
When does DIY make the most sense? Here’s your litmus test:
- When it’s about quantity and consistency: For our goals where they’re essential – like social media presence, for example, to build broader awareness – you don’t need the most polished products. Here is where a phone and a decent microphone (often the iPhone’s mic) can be all you need.
- When you seek day-to-day moments: Quantity shouldn’t mean lack of quality, at least in the emotions you want others to feel. Unlike outside vendors who aren’t going to be at everything you do, this approach uses the strengths of your team, who feel this work as much as anyone and can capture great moments as they happen.
- When your content is more personal and less formal: In these cases (thank-you emails, short selfie testimonials), DIY video is not only acceptable; it probably makes the most sense.
Other times, an outside storyteller is the clear choice:
- When you need a signature video to use and share almost anywhere: This is the 2- to 3-minute video for the front of your web site. It’s the video you share with potential donors to show their money will be well spent – or to show current donors their money IS being well spent. You can use this video for several years, in so many situations. That’s return on investment.
- When you’re hosting a major event: Let’s say it’s your annual gala. When you have an attentive audience of people ready to support you, that’s exactly when you want a video with a defined narrative message, high production value, and the real, authentic moments that connect with a crowd. It shows potential donors you hold everything you do – even your video – to a standard of excellence.
- When you want to change the conversation: This is specific to larger nonprofits. A longform project – think 15-20 minutes – can show your approach to the issue you cover with a depth that simply can’t be achieved any other way. I’ve been doing these kinds of projects for years, first as a journalist, now in the nonprofit space. They linger in people’s minds for a long time.
Your final step to kick-starting your nonprofit’s storytelling strategy?
Determine the steps you can take RIGHT NOW.
If you’re going the DIY route, here are the three questions to get you started:
- What are the low-stakes video opportunities within your organization? I’m talking about the moments happening every day that you can capture without much trouble or disruption. Who are the voices that can share their stories? This is where you start taking inventory of what content could look like.
- What are your resources – and limitations? Our limitations help us be realistic about our goals – and not become demoralized when trying to achieve them. In short, don’t seek the viral social media post. Know what your team – including you – can reasonably take on, and give everyone involved the grace to learn, fail, and grow.
- How do you personally take the leap? If I’m a nonprofit executive director, hesitant or nervous about getting into video or putting myself out there, here’s what I’m doing. I’m recording a 30-second cell phone selfie video. The content isn’t even that important: just something you could post online. Record it a few times. Experiment. Critique it. And DON’T post it. This is just about getting in the habit, before you move towards a strategy.
And if you’re thinking of hiring a video storyteller? Here are the questions:
- Do I have an identifiable need? Does it fit into the one of the buckets listed above? Those are typically the best use cases for high-production video, whether you pay for it or not.
- Can I explain to an outside storyteller my goals and my audience? Any videographer worth hiring will want to learn both before determining your story. Is it intended to raise funds? Is it intended to raise awareness? Who’s likely to watch it? The storyteller will help craft the video, but they should do it within your direction.
- How does this project fit into your larger strategy? Ideally, you’re hiring a video storyteller to complement the work of your team, not be your only source of video content. The whole point of a signature video is it can stand on its own, but it’s so much more effective when you’ve already built a storytelling culture – where you’ve already found your audience and developed those relationships.
This is a start. But, of course, there’s more. I invite you to continue the conversation in one of three ways:
Sign up for my digital course: I’m launching an eight-week, one-hour-a-week, cohort-style course called Story to Strategy: Building a Nonprofit Video Storytelling Culture that Lasts. It’s specifically aimed at smaller and mid-size nonprofits where resources are limited but the need is high.
Set up a consultation: Have the occasion and budget to hire a video storyteller? I’d love to chat. Here’s my online calendar. Let’s talk through your organization’s goals, concerns, and opportunities to tell your story.
Subscribe to my newsletter: Want to stay thoughtful about storytelling? I share insights and updates every week. It’s a jolt of motivation and inspiration for your inbox. Use the form below to sign up.
Matt Pearl is the founder of Pearl Impact Media, where he specializes in nonprofit video storytelling and production. A nationally award-winning journalist with 20+ years of video storytelling experience, he now helps organizations turn their stories into signature assets used across fundraising campaigns, donor communications, and major events and galas.
