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Nonprofits on YouTube: Great Videos Posted This Month

On Monday we blogged about Project 4 Awesome, an effort to spend one day each year promoting YouTube videos that spotlight changemakers and their causes. We applaud Project 4 Awesome for having inspired new videos covering topics from breast cancer to the Buy a Goat Project, but we also want to point out that you can watch and post important videos related to social change all year round.

Increasingly, nonprofits are using video to raise awareness about their programs. Comedy, tragedy and bold images illustrate organizations' missions, help them to make asks, and educate the public about current issues. And since posting a YouTube video is cheaper than trying to buy commercial ad space (read: it's free), it can be a great option for organizations to promote their work during these tough economic times.

Every month Ramya, our friend over at YouTube, highlights the best examples of nonprofits using video. My personal favorite this month is the cheeky True Luxury by ChangethePresent.org:




Here are some other notable nonprofit videos for this month:

Zimi's Story: One Laptop Per Child shows the power of their project.

This one from GOOD Magazine, Network for Good and VolunteerMatch highlights some organizations connecting people to volunteer opportunities to make their communities better.

Green Jete II: Green Alert: San Francisco Ballet is serious about recycling.

Easing the Burden: Ramya notes, "This video from the World Food Programme about the DR Congo is only 30 seconds long and doesn't have any spoken words, but uses images to deliver a very powerful message. Has received great pickup on YouTube – over 150,000 views!"


Posted by Douglas, who produced our Guide to Nonprofit Careers video.