If your fundraising strategy still revolves around short one‑off appeal videos or static pages you might be missing a major opportunity. Producing a long‑form video series gives your organisation the space to build depth, trust, and a sustained story that supports fundraising not just one‑time donations.
Long‑form formats allow you to go deep into mission, impact, beneficiary journeys, and the role of your supporters. They help turn passive viewers into engaged fundraisers or recurring supporters.
As noted by guides for nonprofits, video storytelling is a powerful tool for engagement and action. lightful.com+2FiftyandFifty+2
Here’s the catch: long‑form doesn’t mean slow or passive. It means structured, strategic, value‑driven. The “behind‑the‑scenes” insight into production helps you avoid pitfalls and design for fundraising growth.

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Behind the scenes: Key stages of producing a long‑form fundraising video series

Let’s break down what goes into making a long‑form series that’s built for fundraising success.

1. Concept & strategy

Start by clarifying your fundraising purpose. Are you recruiting new peer fundraisers? Launching a capital campaign? Building a recurring monthly donor base? The series must align with that goal.
Define the narrative arc: what story you are telling across episodes, who appears, and how you invite action. Scripts and production plans should centre on values, beneficiaries, fundraisers, not just “give now”.
Low‑cost video production still demands planning. One guide emphasises picking a compelling story first and matching the script to your purpose. Blue Carrot

2. Scripting & planning episodes

For each episode you’ll map the story beats: introduction, challenge, intervention, impact, and call to fundraising action (which might go beyond “donate”. It might invite “start your page”, “join our month‑long fundraiser”, or “become an advocate”).
Scripts for nonprofit videos emphasise a hook early, emotional tone, authenticity and clarity. Bloomerang+1
Also plan logistics: locations, interviewees (beneficiaries, staff, supporters), B‑roll, graphics, and format (episodic, 5‑10 minutes each perhaps).

3. Production & filming

Set up your production environment: ensure your team knows key messages, keep lighting and sound high quality, use real people rather than stock footage. Small organisations can do this in‑house or with minimal gear if well organised. nonprofit.linkedin.com+1
Because it’s a series, maintain visual and narrative consistency: opening graphics, colours, episode numbering, calls to action.
Behind the scenes footage or making‑of moments can become bonus content (helping fundraisers share “I was on set” type posts).

4. Editing & storytelling flow

In post‑production you pull together interviews, story segments, data graphics, animation or motion titles as needed.
Editing keeps tempo: even long‑form episodes should respect viewer attention. As one study notes, attention is precious. yansmedia.com+1
Ensure the fundraising ask is integrated not just at the end but referenced throughout. Also build in links to how viewers can get involved beyond donating.

5. Distribution & fundraising integration

Once your episodes are ready you distribute across platforms suited to your audience (YouTube, website, social, email).
Embed the fundraising ask: link to supporter pages, peer fundraisers, monthly donor sign‑ups. Use each episode to build momentum: Episode 1 introduces the issue, Episode 2 shows impact, Episode 3 invites action/fundraiser recruitment.
Also plan promotional clips, behind‑the‑scenes teasers, social format repurposing (short clips) to funnel viewers into the long‑form series and from there into fundraising‑oriented action.

6. Measurement & iteration

Track metrics specific to fundraising growth: views per episode, series completion rate, number of new fundraisers created after Episode 3, recurring donor sign‑ups, peer fundraising pages opened.
Analyse what episodes prompt the most action. Refine future episodes accordingly. Use A/B testing where possible.

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Real‑world examples and what you can learn

• An organisation created a three‑episode series showing “Day in the Life” of beneficiaries, followed by an episode where supporters are invited to “become the next hero in the story”.
• Smaller nonprofits use behind‑the‑scenes episodes to show supporters how the work happens. This transparency builds trust, motivating supporters to take a fundraising role themselves rather than just donate.
• They then launch a campaign where each supporter becomes an episode host for their own micro‑video, encouraging their network to fundraise. For example: “Episode 4: Your Story Starts Here”.

These formats turn viewers into fundraisers, which is more powerful for long‑term fundraising growth than one‑time donations.

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Why this series‑approach drives fundraising, not just donations

• Story continuity builds deeper connection. A long‑form series allows your audience to follow the mission, see progress, witness impact and feel part of a journey which invites fundraising participation and long‑term commitment.
• Multiple entry points, sustainable momentum. You’re not relying on a single appeal. Each episode builds on the previous one, various supporters can engage at different times and convert into fundraisers or recurring donors.
• Empowerment of supporters. When you integrate calls to action that invite “start your own fundraising page”, “join the series as host”, “share your version of Episode X”, you shift the ask from “give” to “lead”.
• Transparency and trust lead to larger asks. By showing behind‑the‑scenes you build trust. When supporters feel connected, they are more willing to invest—not just donate once but partner and fundraise.
• Scalability and repurposing. The content you create can be repurposed across channels, used for peer‑to‑peer campaigns, those who watched Episode 1 become hosts for Episode 5 etc.

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How Giveable can help you create a long‑form video series for fundraising growth

At Giveable we partner with organisations to design and produce video series that drive fundraising growth not just one‑time donations. Here’s how we help:

• Strategy & narrative mapping. We assist in defining your series purpose, episode structure, fundraising integration and supporter‑journey link.
• Production planning & management. We handle the logistics of filming, interviewing, B‑roll, visual branding, and consistent series look and feel.
• Fundraising call‑to‑action integration. We build in the fundraising mechanisms: peer fundraisers, monthly donor conversion, campaign page links, series host programs.
• Distribution & amplification. We advise on platforms, promo clips, short‑form repurposing to funnel viewers into your long‑form series and into fundraising roles.
• Measurement & optimisation. We track conversion metrics (new fundraisers, recurring donors, campaign spend ROI) and help refine future episodes for greater fundraising impact.

If you’re ready to turn video storytelling into a fundraising engine rather than a one‑off ask, Giveable is here to help you create a long‑form series that builds a movement not just donations.

Call to action:
Ready to launch a video series that empowers fundraisers and drives growth? Contact Giveable today.