A fundraising-event video has a specific job: prepare the room for the ask that follows. It is not a general mission reel, a year-in-review, or a substitute for the speaker who will invite gifts. When the video, spoken appeal, and giving method all point to the same action, attendees have a clearer reason and path to respond.
Start planning with the fundraising outcome, not with footage ideas. Before anyone drafts a script, the team should be able to finish one sentence: after this video, we want attendees to do this. That action might be making an unrestricted gift, funding a defined need, making a pledge, or using a designated giving option.
Write a brief that aligns the room
A one-page planning brief can prevent a video from trying to carry too many messages. Share it with development, communications, program staff, the event lead, and the person who will make the live ask. Identify the audience, the fund or purpose of the appeal, the featured story, the one or two ideas guests should remember, the exact call to action, and the way people will give.
The brief should also state where the video sits in the run of show. What have guests already heard before it begins? Who speaks the moment it ends? Will pledge cards be at tables, or will a giving link be displayed? These decisions are event-design choices, not universal rules, but resolving them early helps the video serve the program instead of interrupting it.
Choose one central story. Guidance from the Association of Fundraising Professionals supports centering people affected by the work, explaining the challenge, and connecting that challenge to the organization’s response. A focused arc can show a person or community’s situation, the relevant barrier, the organization’s role, and what added support can help make possible.
Connect the story directly to the fund
Every factual claim should support the appeal that follows. Development and program staff should check that the fund named on screen, the spoken ask, and any description of how gifts will be used all match. If the appeal supports a broad purpose, the video should not imply that every contribution will fund one narrowly defined activity. If a story illustrates one participant’s experience, present it as that person’s experience rather than as a guarantee of outcomes for everyone.
This is both a practical and ethical discipline. AFP’s ethical fundraising principles emphasize truthful communications, transparency in the management and use of gifts, and respect for donor wishes. The story should also preserve the featured person’s dignity and agency. Avoid a rescue narrative that casts the individual as powerless or donors as saviors. Present the organization and supporters as partners in work that matters to the person or community.
Story participation deserves the same care. Explain the fundraising context and the intended channels where the video may appear. Use the organization’s approved, documented consent process, and avoid pressure on people who receive services. AFP’s storytelling guidance recommends specific documented consent and cautions against storytelling that weakens a subject’s dignity or agency. A general release may not resolve every issue involving privacy, publicity rights, contracts, guardianship, or state law. Seek qualified advice for unusual circumstances, minors, sensitive populations, or disputed permissions.
Design the handoff, not just the ending
The final moments of the video should make the next step unmistakable. Display a short action phrase, the fund name, and one primary giving path. AFP identifies concise calls to action and on-screen next steps, including a QR code, as practical options. A QR code should be a convenience, not the entire plan. Offer another route, such as a short URL, pledge card, or staff assistance, because guests may not have a usable device or may prefer another method.
Then rehearse the transition. The host, auctioneer, or fundraising leader should begin the live appeal immediately after the screen goes dark and use language that continues the video’s central message. The room should not have to guess whether the story was an emotional interlude or an invitation to give.
If the video or giving screen includes tax language, have fundraising and finance staff review it. The IRS states that quid pro quo contributions over $75 generally require a written disclosure describing deductibility limits and a good-faith estimate of goods or services received, subject to exceptions. That issue concerns the event transaction, not the video itself, but it is worth checking before an on-screen claim is approved.
Plan access and rights from the script stage
Accessibility works best when it is built into the plan. For prerecorded video with meaningful audio, plan accurate captions and a transcript for online reuse. Make sure essential visual information is spoken or otherwise available. If the event includes live video or a livestream, consider the need for live captions. The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative distinguishes planning needs for prerecorded and live media and recommends incorporating captions, descriptions, and transcripts early in the workflow. These are sound inclusive practices; legal or contractual obligations can vary by organization, venue, funding, jurisdiction, and delivery channel.
Also clear the rights to every element before it enters the edit: music, archival video, photographs, graphics, logos, and other third-party material. The U.S. Copyright Office explains that when no copyright limitation applies, using protected work requires permission or a license from the rights holder. Nonprofit status alone should not be treated as permission.
Health-related organizations should take particular care with filming. HIPAA does not automatically apply to every health-related nonprofit; it applies to covered entities and business associates. For covered health care providers filming where patient protected health information may be accessible, HHS indicates that prior written authorization is generally required, and blurring identities later is not enough. Confirm the organization’s status and approved process before filming in care settings.
A successful event video leaves the audience with a truthful, human reason to act and a simple way to do it. Keep the story focused, make the fund clear, and let the live ask complete the invitation.
Sources / References
Association of Fundraising Professionals, Engaging Donors With Video: 5 Tips for Getting Started
AFP Career Center, Storytelling for Donors: A Practical Guide for Fundraising
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, Planning Audio and Video Media
U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 16A: How to Obtain Permission
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Covered Entities and Business Associates
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Film and Media Access to Protected Health Information
Internal Revenue Service, Substantiating Charitable Contributions