Learn how crowdfunding videos can engage your donors and help you raise more money.

Crowdfunding Videos: 5 Tips to Engage Donors and Raise More Money

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Did you know that crowdfunding campaigns with videos raise 4 times more than those without videos? Videos are your most powerful fundraising tool. Not only can they connect people emotionally to your cause, but they can also be shared across many platforms.

With the potential to go viral, a video can help you reach—or even exceed—your fundraising goal.

If you want to create a video for your campaign, you’ll need to: 

  1. Prepare before you film.
  2. Cover all the main points.
  3. Create a video saying thank you.
  4. Optimize your video during the editing process.
  5. Share your video with everyone!

Keep reading to learn how these 5 tips can help you create a video to boost your campaign’s chances of success.

Prepare before you film your crowdfunding videos

1. Prepare before you film.

One of the reasons why many campaign creators don’t create videos is because they feel like they need to be an expert or have expensive equipment. That’s far from the case!

Of course, it helps if you have advanced equipment or know someone that has experience making videos, but all you really need to get started is a camera and a plan.

If this is your first time filming, you should create a plan to help you stay organized.

Your plan should cover:

  • What equipment you’ll need. Using your smart phone or personal camera to record your video will work fine! Just use a tripod or another method to stabilize your device while you film.
  • Where you plan to film. You should record your video in a well-lit room or outside. While natural lighting is the best source, you want to avoid filming with direct sunlight on the subject(s) as this can wash out their faces.
  • What you want to say. Before you film, you should prepare a script of what you want to cover. It’s up to you how detailed you want to be. For instance, you can write your script word for word, but you run the risk of sounding unnatural. Creating a list of key points that you want to cover will help you stick to the main points, but you’ll have to be more conscious of what you say.

When you have a plan in place, don’t forget to practice. If it’s your first time in front of the camera, it’s natural to feel uncomfortable or awkward. However, those aren’t feelings you want to convey to your donors, so get accustomed to speaking in front of a camera.

The more prepared you are, the more natural you’ll appear, and you won’t have to spend as much time filming.

Pro Tip: When you’re ready to film, record a sample shot to make sure every element—like lighting and audio—is the way you want.

2. Cover all the main points.

Ultimately, the goal of your crowdfunding video is to compel donors to act (aka donate to your campaign). To do that, you’ll need cover all the essential aspects of your cause.

Here’s what your video should include:  

  • An introduction. You should introduce yourself and let donors understand your connection to the organization, cause, or project you’re raising funds for. Let donors see your passion and excitement for your cause so that they can get enthusiastic with you.
  • A description of your cause or project. Explain to donors why you’re raising funds. You don’t have to go into too much depth, but your description should be memorable and help donors connect emotionally to your campaign.
  • A direct ask for support. Your video shouldn’t beat around the bush. Make sure to ask donors to make a contribution, and you can get even more specific by asking for an exact amount.
  • Connect your donors to the cause. How does your mission affect the community or the things that your donors are passionate about?

Of course, this is a lot to pack into one video, but it is possible if you convey these main points in the form of a story. Storytelling is an effective way to grab your donors’ attention and cover everything you need to say.

Pro Tip: Bring in volunteers and other outside supporters to help you convey your message. Their stories will have a strong impact on your donors because they are ones directly affected by donors’ contributions.

Create a crowdfunding videos to say thank you to your supporters.

3. Create a video saying thank you.

Creating a video is a great way to show your appreciation. As we mentioned earlier, videos have the potential to go viral, making them the perfect platform to publicly thank your donors and raise awareness.

Of course, you don’t have to wait to create your video after the campaign ends. In fact, showing your gratitude after significant milestones—for instance, after you reach the halfway point—can excite your donors and boost your campaign’s chances of success. 

If you want to create a video acknowledging your donors, use the following tips to help you:

  • Record your staff and the people you serve (if possible). When the acknowledgement comes from the people that are affected by generous donations, your donors can gain a true understanding of the impact that their gifts had.
  • Keep your video donor-focused. While this applies to any video you create, it’s especially true for acknowledgments. Your thank-you video will likely include the project the money will go toward. Just make sure that instead of focusing on your accomplishments, you highlight how these projects are possible because of your donors’ support.
  • Say thank you multiple times. You should open your video by acknowledging your donors, but that shouldn’t be the only time you show your gratitude. Say thank you throughout the video to show donors that you care.

The campaign Empower the Next 1,000 Women has a great example of a thank-you video:

Pro Tip: Get creative and record a video that shows your appreciation in a unique, engaging way. That’s the trick to going viral!

Optimize your crowdfunding videos during the editing process.

4. Optimize your video during the editing process.

After you’ve recorded your video, it’s time to edit! Editing helps fix any minor mistakes and ties every essential clip into a cohesive narrative. 

Depending on your video, you may have many short clips you have to pull together or a long continuous video that you need to cut down. Either way, you’ll need video editing software to polish your video to its final form.

As with the recording of your video, you don’t need expensive software. If you have a computer, you probably have free software (iMovie or Windows Movie Maker) that you can use.

Follow these best practices for editing your crowdfunding video:

  • Keep it short. You should edit your video down to about 3 minutes. If it’s any longer, you risk losing your donors’ attention.
  • Brand your video. Donors won’t always encounter your video directly on your crowdfunding page. Therefore, it’s important to include your organization’s logo or, at the very least, place your campaign name (and URL) in the video so donors know where to find you.
  • Add music when appropriate. Music helps convey a particular mood, which can connect donors emotionally to your cause. Use music that doesn’t hinder donors from hearing your message and follows any copyright rules.

If this is your first time editing a video (or even if you’re an expert!), you should seek help when you need it. Hire a professional if you have the resources, take a class, or research editing tips online.

Pro Tip: Editing is a critical part in the video-making process. Take your time and get it right so that you have a quality video to share.

5. Share your video with everyone!

Now that your video is finished, you can share it with the world! Before you can post your video on a crowdfunding website (like Fundly!), you’ll need to upload your content to an online video platform like YouTube or Vimeo

When you upload your video, include a description that explains what it’s about and a few relevant keywords to make it easy to find. Additionally, pick a name that will hook your donors and let them know you’re asking for donations.

Along with adding your video to your crowdfunding campaign, you should also share your video:

  • Via social media.
  • With emails.
  • On your website (if you have one).
  • Through text messages.

Whenever you share your video, include a link to your crowdfunding page so that donors know where to give. The more you share your video, the more people will see your cause and potentially donate.

Pro Tip: As you promote your video, don’t forget to ask your supporters to share it with their networks so that even more people can see it.


Creating a video is a great way to generate excitement, show your gratitude, and encourage people to give. Use these tips to help you improve your crowdfunding campaign so that you can reach your goal!

Here are a few additional resources for more ways to boost your campaign’s chances of success:

  1. Crowdfunding Photo Tips. Just like videos, photos can help donors visualize your cause and motivate them to give. Learn how to incorporate photos into your crowdfunding campaign.
  2. 127 Fundraising Ideas. Many organizations use fundraising events to raise awareness for their crowdfunding campaign and engage with supporters. Use this list of ideas to help you find the perfect fundraiser to pair with your campaign.
  3. Donation Request Letters. Your solicitation letters are the perfect place to promote your crowdfunding video. Learn how to ask for donations with our donation request templates.
  4. Crowdfunding Websites. Before you film your compelling video, it’s imperative that you choose a crowdfunding platform that lets you upload videos. Check out our list of top crowdfunding websites.
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