From Script to Screen: 5 Key Tips for Crafting an Inspiring Nonprofit Mission Video

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think “nonprofit mission video”? If you grew up in the 90’s Sarah McLachlan is probably playing and pictures of sick animals are flashing by. A compelling video has the power to inspire action, engage donors, and communicate the heart of your cause, however your message no longer needs to sit solely in sadness to make a large impact at your annual fundraiser. This can be a chance to tug at heartstrings, but more importantly, showcase the amazing stories from your organization, wow your audience, and create a positive call to action that will result in numerous generous donations (well, at least that’s the goal!).

Here are five essential tips to ensure your video is as powerful as it is unforgettable:

 1. Start with the Why

Before your camera crew arrives to start filming, it is always best to start with the storyboarding process. Define the core message of your video, identify the key interviewees that can bring a human side to your message, and plan out the visual sequence in a way that will best support your narrative. Skipping this vital step could leave you with a confusing, meandering mess, or deep in the editing weeds trying to make your content make sense.

For example, if your organization is a summer camp that financially supports underprivileged children through donations, focus on a few key recipients, capture their joy, what they’ve learned at camp, and what it means for their future. Interview not just the children, but also their counselors and their parents to capture the full spectrum of emotions and impact on the entire community. Use the mission video to shepherd your donors through a journey of joy that campers experience to truly showcase how their dollars will directly impact the community.

 2. Prioritize Authenticity

Authenticity is the key ingredient when it comes to nonprofit storytelling, and there’s no way to fake it. Use real people, real stories, and real moments to create a genuine connection with viewers. Avoid scripted dialogue (unless you want your subjects to sound like robots) and instead, film organic conversations to capture natural and heartfelt responses from those sharing their experiences. Raw emotional responses, from laughter to conviction to tears, will make your story real and personal for your subjects and your audience. One of our favorite ways to end videos is with the sound of laughter and joy, and here is a perfect example from one of our long-time clients Friendship Home:

  3. Use High-Quality Audio and Lighting

Ever been on a Facetime call with a toddler? It can make even the sweetest moments feel like a rollercoaster that never ends. No matter how powerful a message is, its impact can be lost if viewers are struggling to hear or see your content clearly. We recommend investing in a professional camera crew that will be able to capture crisp audio, multiple camera angles, and incorporate natural or soft lighting to ensure your subjects look their best. A great crew will also help you design your shots to amplify your messaging instead of distracting from it, whether it’s finding the right background, creating a sense of depth of field, or proactively preparing for painless shot matching and editing once the cameras stop rolling.

  4. Keep It Concise and Impactful

Attention spans are notoriously short at fundraiser events, especially when there’s wine and hors d’oeuvres involved. We find it best to keep your video between 2-5 minutes to maximize impact before the phones come out. Determine the most compelling aspects of your story early on, focus on highlighting those key points over trying to fit everything and everyone in, and use strong visuals to enhance the words of your interview subjects instead of separating them. A well-paced video with intentional editing keeps viewers engaged as you take them through an emotional journey: from the problem, to the solution (THAT’S YOU!) to the positive outcomes. Here is a video that we created for The Second Step, an amazing organization that does some incredibly hard work filled with even harder stories, while ending the video with a hope:

 5. End with a Clear Call to Action

What do you want your donors to do after watching? Whether it’s donating, volunteering, or sharing your message with others, make sure your call to action is clear and easy to follow. The person speaking directly following the video should refer back to the key messages of the video and directly launch into the ask, whether it’s a paddle raise or guests filling out a donation form online. Take hold of this momentum to direct your guests to an immediate action.

By following these five tips, your nonprofit mission video will be on the right path to effectively capture hearts, drive engagement, and inspire meaningful action for your important cause. Need help crafting a show-stopping video for your annual gala? Revent Consulting is here to guide you through the process. Let’s make your mission unforgettable!

The Roadmap to a Flawless Hybrid Corporate Town Hall

So, you’ve been tasked with planning a hybrid corporate town hall for your company. No pressure, right? Just seamlessly connect in-person attendees with virtual participants while making sure tech doesn’t betray you and everyone actually pays attention. Easy! (Deep breaths.) Let’s break it down into four key steps that will help you keep your sanity while pulling off an event that even the CEO will be impressed by.

1. Define Your Why (Before It Defines You)

Are you rallying the troops? Sharing big company updates? Celebrating a large milestone or team accomplishment? Defining the purpose of your town hall early on will guide all your decisions—from the agenda to the technical setup. Keep it clear, concise, and most importantly, aligned with what your employees actually care about (spoiler: they really want to know their jobs are secure and free snacks always help).

2. Tech Checks: Your Best Friend

If there’s one universal truth in hybrid events, it’s that technology will either make you look like an event genius or leave you questioning your life choices. Invest in a solid AV partner, ensure your platform supports real-time interaction, and for the love of all things digital, do test runs to not only test the technology at your live and remote locations, but also for your speakers to get comfortable ahead of time. Lastly, include your AV partner in pre-event discussions and don’t hesitate to ask for advice. They have seen a few things, and can be a great assist when planning for worst case scenarios, just in case the event gods do not grace you that day.

3. Engagement: It isn’t just for fun

Virtual attendees tuning in from their home or global offices truly need a reason to stay engaged beyond checking their emails in another tab. Use live polling, hold a live Q&A, and enable interactive elements to keep them involved (flying emojis are your friends!). And for the in-person audience? Keep the energy up with engaging speakers, great visuals, video clips, and maybe a strategically timed coffee break. No one ever complained about extra caffeine.

4. Replays & Recaps: Why stop the convo?

Once the celebration of a job well down winds down (or at least the last slide clicks through), make sure to provide a recording and key takeaways as soon as possible. Not only does this help those who couldn’t attend, but it also gives your messaging a longer shelf life. Bonus points if you create a highlight reel with the best moments and reactions — yes, even that accidental mute-button fail can be turned into a positive.

Final Thought: Hybrid Town Halls Don’t Have to Be Hard

Planning a hybrid town hall is a balancing act, but with the right prep, partners, tech, and engagement tactics, you’ll pull off an event that feels seamless no matter where they’re watching from. And hey, if all else fails, just make sure the Wi-Fi is strong and the coffee is flowing. You’ve got this!

Contact us today for an initial consultation at no cost to start planning your next Town Hall!

Stuffing Success into Your Hybrid Event: Lessons from Thanksgiving Dinner

As we all start preparing for next week’s Thanksgiving feast here in the US, it got us thinking how many of the same principles that go into planning the big meal (and getting family to the right location) are applicable to hybrid events. Just like the holidays, they require careful coordination, attention to detail, and the ability to meet different needs to keep everyone happy - nobody likes dry turkey or boring content, after all. Let’s gobble up the details and dive in!

1. Know Your Guests’ Needs and Preferences

Before Thanksgiving, you check in with family and friends about food preferences, right? Uncle Joe is now vegan, the kids no longer eat anything red and Mom has gone dairy free… The same goes for a hybrid event: know your audience’s expectations and preferences. Some attendees may want interactive, live sessions, while others prefer to consume content at their own pace. Understanding this will help you craft an experience that satisfies everyone, whether it’s through feedback from previous events or even a question field for attendees to submit during the registration process.

2. Build a Balanced ‘Menu’ of Content

Thanksgiving offers a mix of savory, sweet, a parade, Football games, lying on the sofa and maybe a game of pick up basketball on the driveway.  Hybrid events are similar, balancing foundational content with fresh, engaging activities, and not everything you plan will be for everyone. Plan a mix of sessions that will appeal to both in-person and virtual attendees, along with outside the box activities that focus on networking, entertainment or gamification, making sure your audiences feels apart of the experience no matter how they’re attending and everyone has a favorite takeaway.

3. Set Up Your ‘Dining Room’ and Your ‘Online Table’

It’s often hard for the host to fit everyone at the same table for Thanksgiving, and while it maybe tempting to put some guests in a separate room, moving some furniture around so the entire family can enjoy the meal in the same space is a more inclusive solution. And just like setting a welcoming Thanksgiving table is important, your event venue and virtual platform needs to be inviting and easy to navigate. Ensure that the experience is cohesive and inviting so guests don’t feel disoriented, whether they’re attending in person or online. Clear signage, user-friendly interfaces, and helpful tech support are key to making everyone feel comfortable.

4. Get the Timing Right

Timing the Thanksgiving dinner is all about making sure the Turkey comes out with enough time to bring every dish to the table still hot and ready to eat! A hybrid event also requires careful timing to ensure both audiences experience key moments without feeling rushed or left out. Syncing in-person and virtual sessions can keep energy high and the two-way conversation smooth, but creating unique moments for live and virtual is equally important. For example, when your in-room audience is having in-room cocktails, you can create a private Q&A session with a Keynote speaker or panelist for your virtual audience, keeping everyone engaged before the main course beings.

5. Share the ‘Leftovers’ – Post-Event Follow-Up

Thanksgiving leftovers are the stuff of legends! For many, the best moment of the holiday is the day after, digging into the fridge to carefully craft that Thanksgiving sandwich. Hybrid events benefit from a similar follow-up once everyone has had time to digest. Share your recordings, summaries, or exclusive content with your attendees so they can revisit highlights or catch up on sessions they missed. And keep the platform going so conversations and connections can continue, especially for those that attended live and want to see what everyone else experienced. It’s a great way to keep people engaged for longer and gather valuable feedback for future events.

At the end of the day, planning a big event can feel similar whether it’s a large family gathering with all the fixings or a hybrid presentation for your business. Focus on creating an experience that speaks to all of your “guests” no matter how small the detail and you’ll leave them feeling thankful and satisfied! And of course, adding a knowledgeable chef to the team will always help when it comes to taking the heavy lifting off your plate and ensuring the show runs smoothly so the planners can sit back and enjoy as well. Contact us to start planning your next hybrid event today! (we can’t help with the cooking… sorry).

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Platform Check In: Accelevents

In the era where virtual and hybrid events and meetings have become essential tools for connecting with audiences and employees worldwide, Accelevents is emerging as one of Revent’s go-to consumer and enterprise platforms because of its versatile platform design that is focused on creating engagement and seamless virtual and hybrid experiences. Let’s explore the standout features that make Accelevents the ideal choice for hosting successful online and hybrid events and meetings:

 1. Robust Virtual Event Hosting

Accelevents excels in hosting fully virtual events, but we feel that their deep focus on providing all the tools necessary to create dynamic and interactive online experiences makes all the difference. Whether it’s a conference, trade show, an internal town hall or webinar, Accelevents supports high-quality video streaming, customizable virtual stages, and multi-session events. Attendees can easily navigate between sessions, visit virtual booths, and interact with speakers—all within a branded, immersive environment.

 2. Seamless Hybrid Event Management

Hybrid events, which combine in-person and virtual elements, present unique challenges. Accelevents seamlessly integrates both experiences into one cohesive event. The platform ensures that virtual attendees receive the same level of engagement and access as those on-site, with features like live streaming of physical sessions, virtual networking opportunities, and interactive Q&A. This unified approach ensures that all participants, regardless of location, have a consistent and engaging experience.

 Organizers can create branded virtual spaces that mirror the in-person experience, ensuring a consistent look and feel across all event components. The platform also allows for customized attendee journeys, with personalized schedules and content recommendations based on individual preferences.

 3. Interactive Virtual Environments

Creating a sense of connection in a virtual space is crucial, and Accelevents offers a range of features to achieve this. Organizers can design interactive virtual lobbies, expo halls, and networking lounges where attendees can engage in real-time. The platform also supports live polls, Q&A sessions, and breakout rooms, fostering active participation and collaboration among attendees. Our favorite feature is the ability for a video to auto-play when attendees first join your event that can be used to simply welcome attendees or you can provide a navigation guide to your event and it is another great opportunity to thank your sponsors.

 4. Real-Time Analytics for Virtual and Hybrid Events

Tracking the success of virtual and hybrid events requires detailed insights, and Accelevents delivers with advanced analytics. Organizers can monitor attendee engagement in real-time, track participation across both virtual and physical components, and access comprehensive reports post-event. This data is crucial for understanding audience behavior, measuring event ROI, and making informed decisions for future events.

Accelevents is a powerful platform designed to meet the demands of today’s virtual and hybrid events. With its robust hosting capabilities, seamless integration of virtual and physical experiences, interactive environments, and detailed analytics, Accelevents empowers organizers to deliver engaging and successful events. Whether you’re planning a fully virtual conference, a hybrid seminar or a humble webinar, Accelevents offers the tools and flexibility needed to create impactful experiences for all attendees.

If you are looking for a demonstration, contact the our team to schedule one today!