In a society where many people are already financially stretched, and charitable courses are continually vying for attention to secure the limited funds available, live streaming of catastrophes and appeals, has become a necessary and vital tool for many charities.

People often respond with more emotion to something that they can see and hear, and immerse themselves in. Video has the ability to place the viewer in a particular place or circumstance, more than any other media. Also, there is a trend where enthusiasts organize specific fundraising events and streamthem in order to raise money and awareness for a specific cause.

Why is video such a good means of connecting with potential donators?

Everyone is aware of the recent catastrophic earthquakes in Nepal, and much of that awareness is due to the online video coverage that’s available. Since the terrible events unfolded, more than 110 million people have watched coverage via the major online platforms.

Much of this content has been provided by the major news networks, such as CNN and BBC, but that doesn’t meant charities have missed out. Major organizations, such as Oxfam and Unicef, have all created video appeals around the disaster, telling viewers the story, and how they can donate. This type of video campaign, by non-profit organizations, is becoming more popular. In 2014, this type of content generated over 670 million online views, and increase of over 800% on previous years.

This is a huge audience for charities to spread their message to, and secure donations from. They have the potential to:

• Take advantage of the perks offered by YouTube and Google, to not for profit organizations.
• Use relevant hashtags to link their content to specific events.
• Create their own online hub, where viewers can see all of their content in one place.
• Tell a story to people, and gain their attention.

All of this has a two-fold advantage; it raises the profile of the charity, and it directs people on how they can offer their support and make donations.

What about the benefits of donating directly from the video content?

In many cases people will watch a video that the charity has produced, and directions will appear on screen telling them how to donate. This is an effective means of providing the information, but using a resource such as our InPlayer Donations plug-in, charities can make is possible for viewers to donate while they are watching the video content.

The viewer sees a message on-screen asking if they want to donate, and all they have to do is click. It’s as simple as that, no redirection to other websites, and no unwanted distractions. Charities may be afraid that this is invasive, but that isn’t the case, one click and the message disappears, so a viewer never feels pressured to donate.

This tool can also be used if a charity wants to raise its profile; instead of donating viewers can be provided with the option of opting in to receive further information.

Whatever means charities use to attract funds and attention to their cause, it seems that video will remain at the forefront of ongoing and future campaigns. More and more, charities are recognizing the benefits of appealing to the viewers’ demand for online video content, and in some cases they are enlisting well-known faces, such as Daniel Craig and Ewan McGregor, to raise their video content profile.