NONPROFIT CASE STUDIES
These results started with simple, consistent video storytelling — exactly what the Director-in-Residence program delivers.
Global Poverty Relief & Reforestation
Client: Eden Reforestation Projects
Result: Grew from under $500k/yr to $35 million
Help the small nonprofit Eden Reforestation Projects (a micro-nonprofit) grow into its potential:
- Present Eden Reforestation Projects to the world.
- Figure out what story they have to tell and then tell it faithfully.
- Pray it brings in new funds and corporate partners.
- We began with the same thing we’ve done with our other clients: tell great personal stories about the heart of their work and show their hope.
- We started with a handful of videos and eventually went on retainer to do 2 videos a month.
- The videos were so helpful that we worked with them for over a decade.
- The videos helped ERP grow to $35m/per year in donations and revenue!
- Eden grew into a vision that expanded into 8 nations and employed over 15,000 local villagers, lifting them out of poverty.
- The videos helped bring in partnerships with major businesses such as Salesforce, Cisco, Apple, and Delta, among many many more.
- They planted a billion trees and were featured in the New York Times.
Story Video Example:
Simple CEO Video Example:
Social Media Video Example:
Community First Village
Client: Mobile Loaves & Fishes (Austin, TX)
Result: Grew from $2 million/yr to over $100 million
To help a nonprofit that operated food trucks launch a story that would help them transition & grow into a huge community impact solution.
Before starting, the client had never worked with a professional to tell their story.
- Our strategy was to do media that would create fertile ground to prompt the right conversations with future business partners, major donors, city officials, and volunteers.
- We started by telling personal stories that would introduce the heart and hope to audiences.
- Then we painted a picture of the future through a series of hero videos that included the vision for the future.
- Their nonprofit budget and support has increased 4,900% since we launched the stories, now at over $120mm per year.
- They built the village!
- They’ve become known as a national model of success.
- These videos helped open doors in with businesses, celebrities, and major donors.
- Alan has become known as such an expert that he was even featured on the Joe Rogan podcast:
Story Video:
Simple CEO Video Strategy – Example:
Vision Video Example:
Stories from Skid Row
Client: Union Rescue Mission
Result: Grew from $20 million to $40 million. Volunteers grew to 40,000 per year.
- Rebrand the face of homelessness in Los Angeles so that people would get engaged.
- Help URM become recognized as a premiere rescue mission on the west coast, worthy of premium support.
- Fundraising – Help make fundraising and partnerships not only easier, but make the “yes” become obvious.
- Our strategy was to tell great stories about people at the heart of the issue.
- Each video also featured the CEO so that his visibility and expertise was elevated.
- We started with a contract for 5 videos.
- The CEO and key city leaders also leveraged the stories through personal interactions as it was an tool to re-engage or build new relationships.
- Hundreds of corporate partners brought in from the stories and inspiration (i.e. Toyota, LA Clippers, Wells Fargo, LA Dodgers, LAPD, local churches, etc)
- Thousands of volunteers brought in from the brand inspiration.
- The stories proved so powerful strategically that we were put on retainer for 10+ years to release a new story every month.
- Millions of views.
- Over $250 million raised since the series began.
Brand video:
Story Video Example:
Simple CEO Update Example:
Click for more videos I produced for URM.
Local Politics, National Impact
Clients: Texas Appleseed, Texas Catholic Conference, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (an unlikely partnership!)
Result: Over 45 Texas cities enacted their programs and ordinances to protect the poor from payday lenders.
To help inspire a movement to pass local ordinances that will protect the poor from predatory payday lenders.
The Project was funded by three groups who are very different but aligned in heart to protect the poor:
- Texas Appleseed (A community legal action group)
- Texas Catholic Conference
- Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
- A 30 minute film that followed a city going through the entire process.
- This we hoped would model to other cities and city councils how change could happen.
- Goal was to get it on Amazon.
- We figured out a way to tell a story that could include Democrat voices, Republican voices, Catholic Voices, and Baptist voices. It was truly special how “lines” were crossed for a common story.
- The film helped payday lending ordinances became a known model and opportunity for city councils everywhere.
- Over 45 Texas cities enacted similar ordinances. (Report) Other states were inspired to start their own efforts as well.
- Debt Relief was provided for millions of families living under the poverty line.
- The film elevated a narrative that ultimately prompted the United States government (CFPB) to pass new consumer protections! (Article here.)