How an Environmental Organization Used Video Content to Plant Seeds of Success

The best part of making a difference is seeing exactly how you’re making a difference. 

Often, donors and other partners of nonprofits aren't totally privy to the ways their donations and partnerships are being used. Granted, part of supporting an organization is the belief in their overall mission and trust in their integrity, but adding a little transparency and visibility is always a great way to build stronger relationships for nonprofits and NGOs. And thanks to cloud-based, UGC platforms like Cinebody, it’s easy for nonprofits to show all the key stakeholders the fruit of their contributions. 

The Arbor Day Foundation does an amazing job of not only advancing its mission to “inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees,” but also of illustrating what donations enable them to accomplish on an organizational and global scale. Using the powerful technology contained within a simple smartphone app, this nonprofit uses Cinebody to capture footage at various tree-planting ceremonies and other events from employees and event attendees in real-time. 

The organization initially started using the software as a content repository to document the hundreds of yearly events and create recap videos for their partners, including UPS, AT&T, and others. With employees and other attendees downloading the smartphone app and following the shot list, everything they filmed would upload automatically and be stored in the cloud for later use.

But as the raw files continued to amass, Amber Morrison, Partner Relationship Manager for the Arbor Day Foundation, recognized another benefit: the immediacy of the cloud. With Cinebody’s automated upload function, Amber and her team had instant access to the raw files captured by users in-app. We’re talking seconds after clips are filmed. Forget relying solely on weekly or monthly updates, such immediacy has since enabled the nonprofit to pull event footage on the fly and send visual updates to partners within just 24 hours of an event’s conclusion, even if it took place hundreds of miles away.

"This software made it easy for us to gather footage from all of our events across the nation in almost real-time. But the fact that we can access and download the footage right away and send clips immediately to our partners is a total game-changer,” Morrison said. “The recap videos we produce are great, but the live updates showing our partners what their teams are accomplishing within 24 hours of the event have built bonds of incredible strength.”

This real-time video offers a great, in-the-moment feel that draws people in, while the unpolished nature creates an authentic feel focused more on integrity than flair.

Powerful technology like Cinebody isn’t just reserved for the Arbor Day Foundation. This wireless wizardry can also be harnessed by any other nonprofit or company looking to give a quick view of anything going on in or around an organization. No matter what your cause or the type of donors you’re communicating with, always remember, authentic content is king, and the cloud is its castle.