When it comes to leveraging digital media platforms, organizations often focus more on their social media handles, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Yet, in terms of user count, YouTube is not far behind these social networking sites. While the estimates suggest Facebook’s monthly active users to be nearly 2.74 billion, YouTube has over 2 billion monthly active users. It even surpasses Facebook when it comes to the percentage of adult US citizen users. 74% of adults in the US use YouTube compared to Facebook’s 68% and Instagram’s 40%. Right after its parent company Google, YouTube is the world’s second-most visited website.
The question that arises now is how nonprofits can utilize YouTube to amplify their mission and impact and engage supporters. Luckily, YouTube has a program specifically designed for nonprofits.
YouTube’s Nonprofit Program: What You Need to Know
At its core, the program aims at helping nonprofits connect with their supporters, volunteers, and donors. YouTube has a dedicated URL for nonprofits under the brand name YouTube Social Impact, which helps nonprofits reach a global audience, motivate giving through video storytelling, and engage new supporters. To explain what engagement means in this context, YouTube equips a nonprofit with all the required tools and resources to attract next-gen supporters in raising money or spreading the word about the cause.
To qualify for the program:
To qualify for YouTube’s Nonprofit Program, you must be registered as a charitable organization. TechSoup or the local TechSoup partner in your area will verify you as a nonprofit. In the United States, the IRS must recognize the nonprofit as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
How Can You Use YouTube for Your Nonprofit?
The benefits of the YouTube NonProfit Program include:
Link Anywhere Cards
Link Anywhere cards are pop-ups within your video that allow users to click on a link that directs them to a new external URL. This is great for “Donate Now” links that go straight to your donation platform, or a “Learn More” that will take the user from the video to your website. Adding links to your video allows you to guide your users to a page where they can take tangible action.
Optimize Your Storytelling
As a nonprofit, you know how important storytelling is to spreading your mission and impact. With the rise in popularity of video content, YouTube has become such a valuable, easy-to-use platform that allows you to tell your story in a compelling way, and the YouTube Nonprofit Program will make sure your videos get in front of audiences and engage them.
The YouTube Creators Academy offers you customized courses meant for social impact innovators. Creating a larger impact is all about becoming skillful in managing the aspects of shareability, discoverability, consistency, community, and sustainability.
Specialized Resources
Apart from learning the above and getting an opportunity to hone your skills, the YouTube program also equips you with some hands-on tools and resources, like the YouTube Giving fundraising tools, dedicated tech support, and access to other Google nonprofit tools, such as G Suite for Nonprofits, Google Ad Grants, and more.
Why is YouTube so valuable? For one thing, it’s a free platform that allows you to reach more 18- to 34-year-olds than you can reach through a cable network. It is a truly global platform with local versions in more than 90 countries in 76 different languages.
YouTube lets nonprofits penetrate new audiences. It has high per-user watch time, and users spend an hour a day on average watching YouTube videos on their mobile devices alone. It gives more scope to a nonprofit than any other digital media platform.
It’s crucial for nonprofits to create inspiring content, and there is nothing more powerful and compelling than video content. Hosts of globally leading nonprofits are connecting with YouTube to create viral campaigns, such as Unicef, The United Nations Foundation, the Malala Fund, and more. Check out their pages and browse their videos to get an idea of what types of videos catch the attention of users and compel users to share.
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