Chicago Video Production

How to Exceed Your Nonprofit Event’s Fundraising Goal

Posted at h in Non-Profit Video

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

Posted at h in Non-Profit Video

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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Board Meeting Video and Livestreaming Rentals, Services, and Consulting

Posted at h in Livestreaming


Video conference technology has become a crucial aspect of modern-day business operations, allowing people from different locations to connect in real-time without the need for travel. However, not every business has access to the required technology or trained staff to pull it off correctly. This is where our Chicago video conference equipment rental and livestreaming services can come in handy.

Recently, Thompson Chicago Hotel had the opportunity to host a Board of Directors meeting for Knox College. The College knew they needed top-of-the-line video conference equipment and support staff to ensure that the meeting would be a success. They reached out Delack Media Group knowing that we provide video conference equipment rental and livestreaming services in Chicago.

The College was going to have four simultaneous meetings at different rooms in the venue. And in each room, they needed livestreaming technology where 51 Board members could interact seamlessly with remote ZOOM participants and the ZOOM participants felt like they were actually part of the meeting.

With Board meetings nowadays, so many people are used to seeing an unmanned camera with a wide shot used for scenarios like this. We have developed a system, which eliminates the boring wide shots. When each Board member presses their microphone, our camera automatically swings to them and zooms in on the person speaking.

By using one operator per room, with our state-of-the-art system, we are able to provide live audio at the venue, livestream the meeting to remote participants, provide screens for PowerPoint presentations and pre-recorded videos, and do all of that in four simultaneous rooms. We also provided technical support to ensure that everything ran smoothly throughout the two days of meetings.

The main Board meetinge were held in a large conference room that was set up with our video conference equipment in the middle of the “U-shaped” Boardroom tables. Each Board member was able to see and hear each other clearly, even though they were not all in the same location.

One of the unique features of this setup was the ability to livestream the meeting with seamless integration with in-person and remote Board members participating. We worked with the Chicago hotel setup a secure livestream that allowed remote viewers to tune in and follow the meeting in real-time. This was particularly useful for Board members who were unable to attend in person due to travel restrictions or other reasons. Additionally, a remote guest presenter was able to give their entire presentation remotely.

Overall, the combination of video conference equipment rental and livestreaming services provided by Delack Media Group made the Board of directors meeting a great success. The College was able to provide a professional and efficient video conferencing experience for all attendees, regardless of their location. The ability to livestream the meeting also allowed for wider participation, making it a more inclusive and transparent process. As businesses continue to rely on video conferencing for remote collaboration, it’s important to have access to high-quality equipment and support to ensure that meetings run smoothly.

If you’d like to get a quote for our video conferencing system at your next Board meeting, drop us a line!

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