Periscope for Nonprofits

Have you heard about Periscope? The new app for X allows users to stream live video to anyone and everyone. Aside from a chance at streaming your own reality show, Periscope holds a huge amount of promise for nonprofits.

Tours
Show people around your organization and give them some information, like Operation Hope did. Their recent Periscope broadcast included a tour of one of their HOPE Inside locations, which provides credit and mortgage services at no charge. In the information-packed session, their host sat down to chat with a money management counselor about how people can improve their credit scores in preparation for buying a home. It was a great way to get the word out about what their organization does!

Events
Some of your supporters might not be able to attend one of your events, so why not live-stream it for them? Stand at the finish line of a 5K so viewers can see victorious runners, stream footage of a celebrity supporter dropping by, or even have a participant stream as they’re taking part in an event. Imagine the hilarity of a participant’s first-person view of Cupid’s Undie Run, during which participants run in their skivvies to raise money for the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

Your Work
Showcase the great things you do every day! You could show people receiving and eating meals your organization put together and sent to another country! Supporters could watch live video of a dog that’s had a donor-funded surgery walk for the first time after an operation! If you work for a disaster relief organization, staff or volunteers could stream video of an area in need of support. You won’t have to lug clunky camera equipment into a potentially dangerous area – you’ll just need your smartphone.

Q&A Sessions
Want to host a live Q&A session for your supporters? Done! While you’re streaming, viewers can send questions and comments for you to answer in real time. This would be a great way to host a fundraising training session before a campaign or event!

You can also flip the Q&A and ask your supporters for answers! Operation Hope provides another great example – they streamed a live quiz to test the financial knowledge of their followers for financial literacy month. What a fun way to simultaneously engage and inform supporters!

Does your organization plan on using Periscope? Let me know so I can tune in!