How can NGOs use videos for presenting their stories?

Videos have always been an unparalleled method to get the viewer to experience your world. So many NGOs are focusing on ethical photography and videography in their fundraising campaigns also. It should be ethical because it needs to ensure that the confidentiality of beneficiary information and consent is of paramount importance.

For NGOs, storytelling is a way to achieve so many things at a time, like communicating your story to the world, appealing the donors to donate, telling the impact of your work, and asking people to connect and volunteer, and so on and so forth.

Here are a few tips for making a short video to tell a story and achieve all of the above: (Please note that this is one simple step-by-step guide about the storytelling by a video, though there are no limits to creativity and a video can be done in so many ways. Remember, there is no right or wrong here, all that matters is getting the message across in its true spirit.)

• The first step is to find a person or story that puts, in a nutshell, your program intent or objective.
• Conduct in-depth interviews to understand the most significant change in the life of the person who is a beneficiary.
• Ensure that the key element in the video is an emotional touch to it (via a story), plus a ‘call-to-action’.
• The video must start at a question or an eye-catching figure or fact or data; basically, something that intrigues the person watching the video and makes him/her watch further and think about the issue.