Non-Profit Video

Mane In Heaven Inclusion Video

Mane In Heaven is a Barrington, IL based nonprofit organization that provides therapeutic benefits to disabled and able-bodied children and adults through animal-assisted activity and therapy visits with miniature horses leading to improved outcomes of physical, mental and emotional well-being.

We always love producing videos for Mane In Heaven because we get to hang out with cute miniature horses. Plus, we also have an opportunity to watch the incredible impact that these animals have on people.


Typically, the nonprofit organization holds in-person events where people can interact with the “minis” but when the pandemic happened, the nonprofit had to change some of their programming and expand what they did to continue its impact.

Through this video production, we were able to show how one nonprofit organization is making a difference in its hometown of Barrington Illinois and suburbs throughout the Chicago area.

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How to Exceed Your Nonprofit Event’s Fundraising Goal

The evening was over and about 75% of the guests had already left. Our team of six was packing up all of our equipment for the night. An ecstatic employee of the nonprofit walked up to me and said, “This was the most amount of money we have ever raised. Thank you!”

Nonprofits around the world spend so much time and money every year trying to figure out the holy grail to fundraising…how do we get people to donate? After producing hundreds of nonprofit videos and attending many events (too many to count), we know what works. We have our formula and we’re here to share it with you today.

This list is by no means exhaustive and doesn’t guarantee results but if you incorporate some of these tips into your next nonprofit event, you just might see some success!

Impact Film
Donors want to know the impact their money will have in furthering your nonprofit’s mission. Pictures, text, and speeches can only go so far. But when you see someone in their own words saying how a nonprofit organization impacted their lives and seeing what that impact looks like, that’s pretty powerful.

Let’s say you frequent a local coffee shop. Week after week, day after day, you go there. Everyday, you say hi to Sara who is always at the cash register. You ask how Sara’s morning is going, what she’s doing for the day…it’s usually a very cordial conversation. Sara responds to your questions, returns your change, and gives you your coffee.

But after doing this routine for three months, you realize that Sara has never thanked you for buying their coffee. In fact, Sara doesn’t even know your name. Think about that for a moment. How sad is that?

Perhaps you have identified a list of the most qualified donors; people you know who will come back year after year and donate to your cause. But have you thanked them? Have you shown them how their impact has helped your nonprofit? Have an impact film produced that shows the work your nonprofit is doing. It will make a world of difference and you may even see a few tears in the room.

Live Entertainment

Speeches and slideshows are great but donors nowadays want to be entertained. Consider providing some sort of live entertainment to wow your crowd. For this particular nonprofit event, it was called “Dancing With The Barrington Stars”, which was held at Avante Banquets in Fox River Grove, IL. Local “celebrities” were chosen to dance with well-trained dancers. The pair would practice for several weeks leading up to the event, choreographing a dance to music with the help of a local dance school.

Prior to the event, people could donate money to their favorite team. The team who raised the most money would receive the “People’s Choice Award”. During each of their dances, we displayed a live total on large projection screens that would update as people donated more money to them. The projection screens we provided also showed a live video feed of the dancers so everyone was sure to see the action up close.

On the night of the event, we provided a top-tier lighting system, which changed colors and moved to the music. Each of the dances had a color theme so we used those colors in the lighting scheme. Attendees were on their feet, clapping and dancing to the music. The night was a blast.


At the end of the night, awards were handed out to the People’s Choice Award winner, Judge’s winner, etc.

Live Donation Amounts

Throughout the night, the nonprofit organization held various appeals to increase the overall donation amount. On the projection screens we had, we displayed live totals, showing real-time donation amounts coming in. People loved to see their donation impact the overall goal and it was a fun, interactive way for everyone in attendance to collectively help the nonprofit reach (and in this case exceed) their fundraising goal.

Livestreaming

If the pandemic has proven anything, it’s that people will watch events online. We still have many clients concerned that offering a live online component to your event will impact in-person ticket sales. We are here to tell you that every event we have livestreamed, the number of people watching the event online was 2-4X the number of people in attendance.

Think of that for a moment. If you have 200-400 people in person, what kind of impact could your nonprofit make if you were able to 2-4X that audience with an online component? By offering a livestream of your nonprofit event, now people who weren’t able to be at your event at the exact date/time/location, can now tune in from all over the world. Offer digital tickets, sponsorships, and interact with your online audience.

Our nonprofit client went into the event with a $300,000 goal. They ended up raising over $354,000. It was their most successful fundraiser to date!

If you are looking to take your nonprofit event fundraising to the next level, reach out to us today to start discussing your next event!

Event Photos: Courtesy Bacoa

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PADS Lake County Fundraising Film // Craig’s Story

The video we produced for the homeless nonprofit organization starts with an introduction to Craig who is a former newspaper journalist. Craig describes how he lost everything he had, including his family business and his house, due to a series of unfortunate events. He then narrates his journey of living on the streets, struggling to find food and shelter; all while fighting depression.

Craig’s story is unfortunately not unique. Many people around Lake County face similar challenges and are unable to find a way out of their difficult situations. However, Craig’s story takes a turn when he encounters a nonprofit organization that changes his life.

While he was sleeping under a slide at a local park, a neighbor who lived next door found Craig. She was Craig’s good samaritan and told him about PADS Lake County, a nonprofit organization located in Waukegan, Illinois that helps homeless people.

The video portrays the efforts of the nonprofit organization in finding Craig on the streets and providing him with the necessary support to help him overcome his difficulties. PADS Lake County provides Craig with food and shelter, and helps him find a job that suits his skills and experience.

Through the efforts of the nonprofit organization, Craig is able to regain his confidence and self-worth. He is grateful for the support he received, and expresses his thanks to the organization for helping him turn his life around.

This homeless nonprofit video video production is a powerful reminder of the impact that organizations can have on the lives of those in need. It highlights the importance of compassion, empathy, and support in helping individuals who are struggling to get back on their feet.

Through the power of video, we were able to produce an inspiring and heartwarming story that showcases the resilience and determination of the human spirit. It reminds us of the importance of supporting those who are struggling, and the power of community in creating positive change in the world.

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