Explainer animations can significantly benefit your organization and elevate your messaging. Unfortunately, budget is a preventative factor for many of the organizations we most love partnering with – nonprofits.
So, how can you make room in your budget for the investment?
Why Invest in Animation?
Animations are an affordable way to effectively communicate on a broad scale, while still maintaining professionalism and branding.
Professional designers and expert scriptwriters mold your mission into a succinct, engaging work of art – and you’re left with an evergreen communication tool for your entire team to employ.
Furthermore, explainer videos can be leveraged in a seemingly endless number of ways: from fundraising videos, to training new volunteers, to answering FAQs about impact: animation can do it all. The only limit is your imagination!
Animation is also cheap to update as the years go on, and allows you to employ your new graphics to build comprehensive, branded campaigns.
For these reasons and more that we’ll cover throughout this article, an explainer video is worth far more than the sum of it’s parts.
Check out our recent project with the American Kidney Fund.
Now, let’s dive into our top 5 tips for funding your nonprofit explainer video. You can also head directly to our consultation scheduler to connect with our client advisors for a dollar-specific quote based on your idea.
1. Collaborate with Other Nonprofits
If you’re working on an issue that other groups also are tackling, you might go in together on an explainer that both organizations can use.
Start by identifying partners whose goals align with your project. You might check out this blog from Changing Tides that discusses the discovery process for finding potential partners.
Together, you can craft a unified message that resonates with both your audiences. When you split the costs, a professional animated explainer video becomes more feasible for everyone involved.
Collaboration also offers opportunities for pooling resources beyond funding. Partner nonprofits might contribute expertise, provide additional data or content, and cross-promote the video through their own channels.
This shared approach ensures the video gains wider visibility and creates value for both organizations. By working together, you not only create an impactful animated video but also foster a sense of unity within the nonprofit community—a powerful reminder that shared goals are better achieved when combined efforts come into play.
2. Corporate Sponsorship
Corporate sponsorships are another excellent avenue for funding your nonprofit’s explainer video.
Many businesses are eager to demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility and engage with causes that resonate with their values. By partnering with a sponsor, you can create a mutually beneficial arrangement where they support your project financially, and in return, you amplify their involvement through your animated video.
Over our 14 years in business we’ve seen many nonprofits have their animations sponsored by a for-profit partner, which typically includes a sponsor logo at the end. Recently, we created a series of four videos with SCO Family of Services on the sponsorship of several foundations and businesses. Check it out below – you can see the complete series here.
This series with SCO Family of Services was sponsored by the vanAmeringen Foundadtion, RAR and the Guttman Foundation. These organizations are featured in the final frame of the video.
3. Use Grant Funding
Many grant opportunities are specifically designed to support initiatives that align with an organization’s mission, whether that’s raising awareness, educating the public, or driving community engagement.
Let’s talk about how to leverage these opportunities in favor of your big animated idea:
Existing Grants
Your organization may already be the beneficiary of funding that you might align with an animated message – you just haven’t realized how.
We can help you brainstorm ways that animations, video translations, or digital graphics can help you spend your grant wisely.
For example, if the grant focuses on education, you might outline how explainer video act as effective educational resources and how this is relevant for your community.
If the grant supports innovation in outreach, you might highlight the unique advantages of animation, such as simplifying complex topics and engaging diverse audiences.
This blog is chock-full of ideas for how your organization could use animation: in email signatures, in volunteer trainings, or as the focal point during conferences and trade shows!
New Grants
While we acknowledge the time it takes to go grant-hunting, there’s always the potential to seek out new opportunities to support your investment.
For our part, we can help you scope out the cost of an animation so you can have exact dollar amounts ready for your next grant application! You can schedule a call with our client advisors to get an exact quote that can be used when you apply.
4. Find an Inspired Donor
Sometimes the perfect funding source is already in your network: are there any donors, or even board members, who might be excited to know that their donation is going to a specific asset that will help your cause?
Put together a proposal or pitch to share with potential investors for the animation, showing how it will raise awareness, tell a powerful story, or amplify your outreach efforts.
You might even personalize your pitch with specific examples of how the video can further your organization’s goals. The playlist below features some nonprofit specific examples from our studio, and you can see more for other industry verticals – such as Healthcare Organizations, Tech Companies, or Marketing – on our channel as well.
5. Plan Ahead
Securing funding for an animated explainer video can sometimes feel like a stretch for this year’s budget.
Include a video project in your next fiscal year’s strategic plan, and give your nonprofit the time and flexibility to allocate resources effectively.
If you plan to launch a new program, host a major event, or advocate for a policy change, an explainer video can play a central role in driving awareness and engagement. Include an explainer animation in your proposal for upcoming advocacy work, demonstrating foresight and a commitment to advancing your mission in dynamic ways.
Planning ahead also means more time to explore grants, approach potential sponsors, or engage your donor base with targeted asks.
By thinking long-term, you set your nonprofit up for success—enabling you to create a video that’s not just impactful today but remains a valuable resource for years to come. Consider these ways the nonprofit explainer video provides a valuable return on investment over time.
Long-term ROI of Explainers
