1708 Media
02Services

You don’t need another gala video.You need a donor story system.

Most nonprofit videos stop working the day after the event. We build donor story systems that continue working long after the event.

  • One high-conviction story
  • A library of donor-ready assets
  • A written plan for how your team uses them before, during, and after the ask
Book a Story Session
02.0Three Systems

Three ways to build your donor story system.

Every engagement includes story strategy, guided interviews, professional production, and a plan for putting the stories to work. Which system fits depends on the scale of your next fundraising moment.

FOCUSED ENTRY POINT

Next Ask Donor Story

Build the right donor story for your next major ask, with the follow-up assets your team needs.

BEST FOR

Nonprofits with a clear story already identified, a specific upcoming fundraising moment, and a need for a focused engagement.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

  • Strategic planning call and story roadmap
  • One production day with up to 3 story subjects
  • One donor story film plus 2 supporting cutdowns
  • Organized delivery ready for your team

TIMELINE

6–8 weeks.

Talk to us about Next Ask Donor Story
MOST POPULAR

Donor Story System

Turn one high-conviction donor story into a library of donor-ready assets your team can use for a full fundraising cycle.

BEST FOR

Nonprofits with a gala, campaign launch, anniversary year, or major donor push coming up who want the story to keep working long after the event.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

  • Story strategy and message alignment
  • Full production day with up to 3 story subjects
  • One core donor story film
  • Up to 5 supporting donor assets from the same shoot
  • Written deployment roadmap for your team

TIMELINE

8–10 weeks, ideally starting 10+ weeks before your fundraising moment.

Talk to us about the Donor Story System
PREMIUM PARTNERSHIP

Year-Round Donor Story Partnership

For campaigns, capital initiatives, and multi-story programs that need more than one story and one shoot.

BEST FOR

Larger nonprofits, national organizations, capital campaigns, anniversary years, or teams whose story needs evolve across a full year.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

  • Ongoing story planning that evolves with your organization
  • Multiple production days across the year
  • Quarterly planning and strategy sessions
  • Additional campaign videos as needs emerge
  • Flexibility to adapt as priorities shift

TIMELINE

Ongoing partnership. Kickoff 10 weeks before your next fundraising ask.

Talk to us about the Story Partnership
02.1The Reframe

The problem isn’t your gala. It’s what happens after.

We’ve heard the same story from nonprofit leaders over and over.

Your gala goes great. The room is full. The donors are engaged. The money comes in. And then it’s on to the next initiative. But how do you keep donors engaged, showing the impact of their support? Donors who felt deeply connected to the mission during a fundraising moment fall off after the event. The challenge is building on the momentum you created.

Building donor trust is a year round process. Donors don’t stay connected to your mission simply because you hosted a great event once a year. They stay connected because they hear from you consistently, see the impact of their giving, and feel like they’re part of something that’s always moving forward.

That’s why we built our donor story systems. To make storytelling a year-round engagement practice, not an event-driven one-off. The gala or campaign becomes just one moment in a longer arc that includes stewardship, follow-up, cultivation, and the next ask. The stories carry through all of it.

02.2How We Work

How we work with nonprofits.

We’re not just producing a gala video. We’re building a donor story system your team can use for a full fundraising cycle.

  1. Choose the right story. Not every story serves your fundraising goals. We help you identify the donor-facing stories that will actually move the ask forward, before we touch a camera.

  2. Translate it into a donor-ready message. A great story isn't automatically a great fundraising asset. We define the story's fundraising job: who it's for, what it needs to accomplish, and how it fits into your donor journey.

  3. Align stakeholders before production. Board members, executive directors, program leads. Everyone with an opinion gets aligned upfront, ensuring a smooth production process.

  4. Capture the right voices, respectfully. We work with story subjects with the care nonprofit stories require. Ethical capture isn't optional; it's how we work.

  5. Produce the story credibly. Broadcast-quality production, journalist-trained storytelling. This is where our 30 years of Emmy-winning experience shows up.

  6. Turn the story into reusable donor assets. One shoot day becomes a library: the core film, teasers, cutdowns, stewardship clips, donor meeting versions, social assets, all sourced from the same footage.

  7. Show your team where and how to use them. Every engagement includes a written deployment roadmap: which asset goes where, when, and for what fundraising moment. Your team knows exactly how to use the library. No guessing, no reinventing. This is the system.

02.3Deliverables

The kinds of stories we tell.

Every donor story system is built from real production work. Here are the story types that most often live inside our engagements.

These aren’t standalone products. They’re the deliverables that live inside a Next Ask Donor Story, Donor Story System, or Story Partnership engagement.

02.4Common Questions

What nonprofit teams ask first.

What's a donor story system, and why does it matter?
It starts by looking at your full calendar and fundraising goals, picking the right stories to feature, then produces a library of donor-ready assets from a single shoot: the core film, cutdowns for social, teasers for pre-event, thank-you clips for stewardship, versions for donor meetings, and a written roadmap for how to use each asset across the year. One story. Many assets. You get a real plan.
Which system is right for my organization?
It depends on the scale of your next fundraising moment. If you have a specific event or ask coming up and a story you already want to tell, Next Ask Donor Story is a focused engagement to build that story and its supporting assets. If you have a bigger moment (gala, campaign launch, anniversary, major donor push) and want the story to work across the full fundraising cycle, the Donor Story System is the flagship. If you're running a multi-story campaign, capital initiative, or year-long program with multiple donor audiences, the Year-Round Donor Story Partnership is built for that scale. Book a Story Session and we'll help you figure out which fits.
How is this different from hiring a video production company?
A video production company hands you a finished video, not a deployment strategy to engage your donors throughout the year. We're not just a video production company. We're a strategic partner who specializes in the nonprofit space. What most nonprofits actually need isn't more video. It's a partner who helps them choose the right story, produce it credibly with Emmy-winning storytelling, and turn it into assets their team can use for a full fundraising cycle. That's what our systems do.
When should we start?
Ideally, 10+ weeks before your fundraising moment. The closer we get to the event, the fewer strategic options you have. Story choice, message alignment, subject planning, and asset planning all get compressed. Starting early means the story works for the ask, not just the event.
Do you work with nonprofits outside Austin?
Yes. We work with partners in the Austin area and nationally. Our systems include multi-location and travel-scoped production for national organizations.
How is your approach different?
Most video partners focus on a single project. We focus on your full donor journey. We look at your fundraising calendar, identify key communication moments, and build a content system that supports consistent connection with your donors all year long.
Do you only work with nonprofits?
Nonprofits and mission-driven organizations are our specialty, the majority of our work. We also partner with government organizations and brands looking to leverage our unique storytelling background. If you're unsure whether your org is a fit, reach out.
What does a typical nonprofit video cost?
Most engagements begin at $10,000 and increase based on deliverables, production requirements, and other variables. Projects with a smaller production scope and streamlined deliverables can accommodate smaller budgets. We tailor each project to what your team needs, whether that's a single mission film or a yearlong content partnership. Every project is flat-bid so there are no surprise charges.
How long does production take?
Most single-film projects run 6 to 10 weeks from kickoff to final delivery. Galas and campaigns with hard deadlines can be accelerated. We plan backward from your event date. Short documentaries and multi-location projects run 10 to 16 weeks.
What's the difference between a mission video and a fundraising video?
A mission video tells your organization's story in an evergreen way. It lives on your homepage, opens board meetings, and anchors decks. A fundraising video is purpose-built for a specific ask: a gala centerpiece, a giving-day launch, a capital-campaign kickoff. The story is shaped around the moment the room is asked to give.
What's included in a finished video?
Every project finishes with the primary deliverable and secondary assets as defined during pre-production. All videos adhere to your brand guidelines and are delivered in the specs required by your team and the intended platforms.
How involved does our team need to be?
Lighter than you'd expect. We lead strategy, scripting, casting, and location scouting. Your team weighs in at four key checkpoints: kickoff, script approval, rough cut, and final. We're built for nonprofit teams that don't have a full-time video producer on staff.
Can you work with a board that needs to approve things?
Yes. We build board and stakeholder reviews into the timeline from day one. We've produced films that needed sign-off from executive teams, legal, development committees, and external partners. We've never missed a gala.
02.5Start Here

Ready to talk about your next fundraising moment?

Book a Story Session. A 45-minute call to talk through your goals, your upcoming moments, and which system fits. No pitch, no obligation.

Book a Story Session