April 17, 2015 \ Emma Freter
Using a Volunteer to Produce Your Nonprofit Video, Pt.1

If someone offered you a free ice cream, you would take it, right? How about if someone volunteered to create a video for your organization, would you take that offer? Hold your horses there, partner. This can go one of two ways…

In this video, Rachel explains the rewards and risks of using a volunteer video team. While an offer like this can be tantalizing, take a step back to think and plan before jumping head first.

Rachel: On occasion we get asked by folks what we think about using volunteers to get their video done. We understand that free is tempting, but it doesn’t come without some risk. We suggest you keep in mind your organization’s branding and the level of skill and experience of the volunteer. Will the video quality match the expectations of your target audience?

And here’s another thought to keep in mind, does the volunteer have the presence you’re looking for? Recognizing that this person is going to be interacting with your staff, your clients, and your donors.

What kind of collaboration are you seeking? What I mean by this is do you come to the table with your vision mapped out and you just are looking for someone to help you execute it or are you looking to partner with someone early on who can help you map out your creative ideas and strategies.

Think about the demands you are placing on this person. As a volunteer they might be excited about your cause, but still chance are you’re not going to be priority number one for them. Are you comfortable knowing that you might have to pester them a little bit to get the job done?

The long and short of it is that we’ve heard both success stories and nightmares about working with a volunteer team. The key thing is to think in advance about the rewards and risks. In our next video we’ll share some tips on how you might be able to reduce some of those risks.