Videos have become an integral part of any nonprofit website project. Videos help tell stories, showcase impact, and engage with supporters in a meaningful way. However, finding the right video hosting solution to integrate into your website can be a challenging task, as it can be costly and time-consuming.
Self-hosting your video content can have a significant impact on your website’s performance and user experience. Videos are typically large files. They require substantial bandwidth and server resources to deliver to viewers. When self-hosting videos, your website’s bandwidth can quickly get consumed. This can often lead to increased server requirements which can dramatically increase hosting costs.
No time to read? Watch or listen to our 2-minute highlight video below about the Top 5 Video Hosting Solutions for Nonprofit Websites:
Video Hosting Options for Your Nonprofit Website
This is where video streaming solutions come in. Below, we’ll explore our picks for the top 5 video hosting solutions for nonprofit websites.
Vimeo
Vimeo is a popular video hosting platform that offers a range of features for nonprofits. With Vimeo, you can upload and host high-quality videos, customize your player, and embed videos on your website. They also provide video analytics, allowing you to track your video’s performance and engagement. Some have utilized the domain restriction feature that limits videos from being viewed outside of a specified website. This is helpful for content behind a login or registration such as Learning Management Systems. Vimeo offers a variety of pricing plans, including a nonprofit discount of 20% off their premium plans.
Check out how we helped Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada showcase the work they do in Bible translation and language development around the world. We integrated their Vimeo-hosted video library into their website and added filtering capabilities.
YouTube
YouTube is the most widely used video hosting platform in the world, with billions of users watching videos every day. Your nonprofit organization can create a YouTube channel, upload and host videos for free, reach a vast audience, and easily embed videos on your website. However, YouTube’s ad-supported model means videos will be accompanied by ads, which may not be ideal for nonprofits that want to maintain control of ads that appear alongside their content. As a nonprofit, you can mitigate this by signing up for YouTube’s nonprofit program, providing eligible organizations with access to YouTube’s premium features for free. YouTube’s wide reach also means it is easier to integrate with many content management systems.
At CauseLabs, we use YouTube to host our video content as well as distribute our podcast Woman Owned Agency.
VideoPress
VideoPress is a video hosting solution that is an add-on to JetPack, a plugin offered by Automattic which is the company behind WordPress.com. With VideoPress, you can upload and host videos on your WordPress website, customize your player, deliver content with no ads, and analyze video performance. It’s a simple and affordable option for nonprofits that want to add videos to their WordPress website. JetPack does not offer nonprofit discounts, however, there is a free trial for VideoPress and the first year is offered at a discounted rate. Additional discounts on renewals can be gained by paying annually instead of monthly.
Wistia
Wistia is a video hosting platform that specializes in video marketing. While its focus on marketing may not seem as relevant for nonprofits, Wistia’s customizable video players, video analytics, and email capture forms can be useful for fundraising and donor engagement. Wistia does not offer a nonprofit discount. You can get a free plan with limited features. This option makes it a good option for organizations with limited budgets for video hosting.
Brightcove
Brightcove is a professional-grade video hosting platform that offers advanced features such as live streaming, monetization, custom video players, website embeds, and detailed analytics. It’s a great choice for nonprofits that want to use video to stream content and drive revenue. Brightcove’s advanced features may be more than what a typical nonprofit needs. However, the platform’s robust analytics and reporting capabilities can be useful for tracking engagement and measuring the impact of your videos. While Brightcove does not offer a nonprofit discount, you can sign up for a free trial.
Make The Right Choice With CauseLabs
The right video hosting solution depends on your specific needs, budget, and desired level of customization. Every use case is unique.
At CauseLabs, we understand the unique challenges that nonprofits face in growing their positive impact. Our team of experts can help by understanding your needs and making recommendations on how best to leverage the power of these tools so that your organization is successful now and in the future.
Start harnessing the power of video content and connect with your audience on a deeper level. To learn more about how CauseLabs can help grow your positive impact, start a conversation today.
