A Facebook video ad drove $3,200 in donations for this non-profit.

The Goal

Driving Donations

In April 2017, when heavy rains caused landslides and flooding in Colombia and Peru, ShelterBox USA, a non-profit dedicated to disaster relief, sent teams to Colombia and Peru to assess the damage and come up with a plan to bring shelter to those affected and in need.

Just a few months prior, ShelterBox USA used Animoto to create an end-of-year video for their Facebook page. The video received over 260 reactions and nearly 200 shares. The organization’s Director of Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships, Sarah Robinson, wanted to see if she could replicate this success and drive awareness and donations for ShelterBox USA’s efforts in Colombia and Peru.

The Solution

Creating a video with assets from the field

Using Animoto, Sarah easily created a square video, compiling four photos and two video clips that were shot, on their mobile devices, by the teams on the ground in Colombia and Peru. She decided to create a square video because square gets more likes and shares on mobile, where over 90 percent of Facebook viewers are watching. The video clips and photos were paired with text, to capture the attention of people watching with the sound off, and paired with the song “One Brick” by Jennings, from the Animoto music library. The video, which included a call to action to “Donate today,” was posted to Facebook and boosted with $100 ad spend to people with an interest in similar charitable organizations.

The Results

$3,200 increase in donations

Thanks to the timely nature of the video, which was able to showcase ShelterBox USA’s work almost immediately after news of the landslides, the organization raised $3,200 more than they had during the previous year. They attribute this year over year increase to the video.

Key Takeaways

• Include a call to action
• Create timely content
• Shoot photos & video clips on mobile