This year, a lot of our school and nonprofit clients are hitting walls with grants and donations. Fundraising and advancement are already tough, but if you’ve been watching the news lately, it feels like the sky is falling. On top of that, millennial parents—many of whom are either just now starting families or deciding not to have kids at all—have a different mindset about giving. They’ve seen multiple financial crashes, a student debt crisis, and skyrocketing living costs. I’m a millennial myself, and I get it—we’ve been burned.
Recently, I read A Pause Practice by my coach, Michael Gebben. The book explores how we react when we’re triggered—by a missed deadline, a tough email, or something that didn’t go to plan. It’s about catching ourselves in those moments and choosing a different path. I think that idea applies right now. Maybe it’s time to pause and rethink how and why we’re fundraising for our schools and organizations.
I’ve been helping schools and nonprofits raise money through video for the past nine years, and one thing that often gets overlooked is why we fundraise in the first place. It’s not just about meeting a financial goal. Fundraising is a lot like marketing: you build trust, and from that trust comes action. But fundraising has an extra advantage—your community. These are people who already know, like, and trust you.
The shift into truly tapping into your community isn’t as big as it sounds. Chances are, you’re already doing some of it. The real question is: how can you activate your community by connecting them with each other? The best way to do that is through storytelling.
The human brain is wired for stories. Millennials especially want to feel like we’re contributing to something meaningful—we want to belong to a cause. This is exactly where video can be a game-changer.
Most fundraising appeals focus on stats, data, and logistics. That has a place, but it’s not the part that sticks. What moves people to give is understanding the real-life impact of their donation. How has your school changed someone’s life? What was happening before the support came in? What changed afterward? What does the future look like now?
That’s where fundraising video content shines. It’s the emotional bridge between your mission and your donors.
There’s a reason we’re seeing more success with School Fundraising Video Production and Video Content for Education Marketing. Whether you’re a school, a nonprofit, or both, video storytelling helps people connect instantly. Especially when you involve alumni who can speak from experience. When someone who graduated 10, 15, or 20 years ago shares what the school meant to them, it hits differently than a marketing email sent to a cold audience.
If you’re in advancement, here are a few key areas where you should be using video content:
- Endowment Fund Videos – Show how long-term giving shapes the school’s future.
- Annual Fund Campaigns – Highlight consistent impact and keep your community engaged year after year.
- Capital Campaign Storytelling – Bring big initiatives to life with real faces and stories.
- Giving Day Countdown Videos – Build momentum and excitement with community-wide messages.
- Thank You Videos – Make gratitude personal and visual.
- Gala Videos – Use video at the event to inspire giving, and create a post-event recap to keep the energy going.
This isn’t just about better marketing. This is about connection. And with rising tuition costs, fewer children being born, and millennials still catching up financially (the median age for a first-time homebuyer is now 38!), schools need to prioritize long-term sustainability. That means serious attention to endowments and financial aid—and storytelling that inspires people to support them.
Whether you’re looking at Video Production for School Admissions, School Enrollment Video Production, or Student Testimonial Video Production, it’s all part of the same strategy: build trust, show impact, and invite people to be part of something bigger.
If you ever want to chat about using video to hit your advancement goals feel free to reach out at joe@monzomediapro.com
