Best Nonprofit Videos of the Year 2015

Last week Kivi and I were on hand to see the winners of the 2015 DoGooder Awards during the Nonprofit Technology Conference in Austin, TX.

Hosted by See3, YouTube and the Nonprofit Technology Network, the DooGooder Awards highlight nonprofits, do-gooders and creators who use video to change the world.

Over 150 videos were submitted from around the world with over 20,000 votes cast.

Here are the four finalists in each of the 4 categories.

Funny for Good Award

The Funny for Good Award went to Unbound with Between Two Furnaces.

If you have never seen the Zach Galifianakis video series Between Two Ferns, you may not get the pop culture appeal of this video. But even if you have never seen the Galifianakis videos, you can probably still relate to this hilariously frustrating conversation.

Also notice how you can make a great video with very little resources or money – the toupee may have been the most expensive thing on the set.

DoGooder YouTube Creator for Good Award

This category honors the social impact driven by a YouTube “celebrity” through their videos. This award went to Tyler Oakley for his work with the Trevor Project. Tyler has raised over $500,000 for the charity through various YouTube campaigns.

Who doesn’t love a red carpet? Well probably lots of people, but what about Anna Kendrick? Katy Perry? NPH? They are all there!

A lot of people complain about YouTube “celebrities” but this award shows when these big personalities are put toward social good, great things can happen!

Impact X Award

This award is a juried prize based on the real world impact driven by a video. In addition to the video, the organization has to send in a short essay which explains how the video drove impact and changed the status quo for the issue it addressed.

The winner was the Fund for Modern Courts

This video shows real world consequences for not supporting this cause and highlights the urgent need for action.

Read the full entry.

Best Nonprofit Video Award

The Best Nonprofit Video went to The Cystic Fibrosis Trust for their video The Breath Before.

Yeah. I seem to have something in my eye, excuse me a moment…

This video begins with your standard “boy meets girl and they fall in love” story highlighting those big breaths you take before an important moment in life. But then you are subjected to the realities of having a child with CF. It’s heartwrenching to say the least and very compelling storytelling.

The makers of this video could have ended the story there with what faces those affected by CF and it would have been enough to get people to act, but they chose to show an alternative future – one where with an end to CF and its complications. They showed the future they want to create – their vision – and asked the viewer to join them.

While very different approaches these videos all really do the same two things:

• Feature a need or problem
• Share how to fix it

Whether it’s eradicating a horrible disease, helping kids around the world, stopping bullies, fixing the judicial system, or whatever your cause does, you must draw attention to that need and how you can fix it.

Learn more about the DoGooder Awards and see the runner ups.

Have you seen a great nonprofit video? Share it with us below.