The 2013 DoGooder Video Awards Open for Nominations

Awards season is upon us. And for the fourth year, YouTube is teaming up with See3 Communications to present the DoGooder Video Awards, a celebration of the best nonprofit videos of the year. If you’re a nonprofit who made a video in 2012, you’re eligible and encouraged to submit your video.

But wait, there’s more! For the first time ever, we’re opening up the awards for submissions from individuals who are making videos to change their communities or the world. So if you’re a YouTube creator trying to save the whales one video at a time, or if you made a video on behalf of your favorite nonprofit this year, visit YouTube.com/DoGooder to nominate your video.

There are four separate categories in this year’s DoGooder Awards: the ImpactX Award for videos that drove clear real-world impact; Best Nonprofit Video; Funny for Good, recognizing effective use of comedy; and the Change Agent Award, for individuals who’ve gotten involved and produced their own cause-focused video.

We’ll award prizes like $3,500 grants, free admission to the Nonprofit Technology Conference, and special promotion on YouTube.

 

The deadline to enter is March 22, 2013. Official rules are available here.

Jessica Mason, YouTube for Good, recently watched “YouTubers Support Matt Damon's Strike!”

Autism Speaks Premieres Inspiring Documentary on YouTube

Occasionally, we invite special guests to share their thoughts on the YouTube Blog. This guest post is from Autism Speaks about a documentary they are premiering on YouTube. The film was previously only available at small regional screenings and will now be available to viewers across the globe. 

Today we’re announcing the online premiere of "I Want to Say," a documentary short about technology and hope. It tells the story of how technology is making a difference in the lives of some people who need it most: children with autism.

This documentary is part of our Hacking Autism initiative to facilitate and accelerate technology-based ideas to help give those with autism a voice. Technology is radically remaking the world of autism. It is creating opportunities for those with autism to find their passion, develop their skills and eventually compete for jobs.

Autism Speaks is supporting the development of therapies and assistive technologies by promoting collaboration among designers, engineers, scientists, and individuals and families affected by autism.

We wanted to premiere this documentary on YouTube to show the world the power of technology for people with autism. Our hope is that you find "I Want to Say" as compelling and powerful as we do.




Alison Dyer, Social Marketing Manager at Autism Speaks, recently watched “How to BEND light !!”

YouTube Campaigns: A digital thermometer for nonprofit videos

Ever pasted together 108 sheets of paper and drawn a giant thermometer to track your nonprofit’s campaign goal? Did you go through 27 red markers and then feel faint from their scent after trying to color it in?

Well, chuck those markers and recycle that paper, because through the YouTube Nonprofit Program there is a new thermometer in town. Check out the latest tool for nonprofits: Campaigns.

This new feature allows nonprofits to create campaigns with goals like increasing views or subscribers, track their progress, and let people to contribute to their goals.

A campaign consists of one or more videos. You can find instructions on starting a campaign here. Once a campaign is created, videos in that campaign will show an overlay on them, encouraging viewers to contribute to the campaign.

Additionally, a Campaign tab will show up on your channel, with a bar showing the progress toward your goal.

With more than 18,000 organizations in the YouTube Nonprofit Program we are always looking for ways to help nonprofits turn video views into greater awareness, petitions signed, laws changed, dollars raised, and lives saved. This year we released other tools you should check out like live streaming, a playbook with of best practices when using video, and other improved features like a more prominent donate button. We hope you enjoy our latest feature.

David D, Software Engineer, recently watched "Follow the Frog."

Let us help turn your video views into action

Today, we’re happy to announce two new updates from the YouTube for Good team to help you make the most out of your channel.

First, we’re kicking off monthly online trainings for members of the YouTube Nonprofit Program. These will be ‘101 level’ trainings - perfect for nonprofits who recently joined the program or are just getting started with a YouTube channel. The trainings, which will be conducted via Google+ Hangouts on Air, will take place at 9am PT on the last Tuesday of every month.

The first training will be at 9am PT on July 31, 2012. Here’s how to join:

Directions To join in the conversation during our Hangout On Air: 

1. Make sure you have a Google Account and Google+ profile or page setup. 
2. Add YouTube Nonprofits Program page to your circles. We'll add you to our circles, then invite you to the Hangout on Air. 
3. This Hangout on Air will begin at 9am PT on July 31, 2012. Additional trainings will take place at 9am PT on the last Tuesday of every month. 
4. Log onto Google+ and you'll see an invite to join the hangout in your notifications (upper right hand corner of the page in a red box). Click through to the conversation! 
5. If the link is not available in your notifications, click the hangouts icon on the left hand side of the page and look for a hangout called "YouTube Nonprofits Introduction" among the hangouts available for you to join. 

If you'd rather just watch and listen, and don't want to be recorded: 

1. Point your browser to the YouTube Nonprofits Program Google+ page and click on the Hangouts On Air thumbnail. 
2. Navigate to the YouTube for Nonprofits YouTube Channel and click on the live feed. This is the best option if you do not have a Google account. 

Second, we recently announced that we will allow YouTube users to link to a Change.org, Donorschoose.org, RocketHub or Causes page via a YouTube annotation. An annotation is a little dialogue box that pops up in a video and allows video creators to convey a message. In the past, these annotations were only able to link to a YouTube video, channel or search result. Now they can link to the four sites above, in addition to Kickstarter and Indiegogo. We’re excited to see how you use these new features to encourage audiences to sign petitions, take action and donate. 


Ramya Raghavan, news and politics manager, recently watched "Water in Adina Faso"

Do this, do that, Do Something on YouTube!

Have a feeling you’re going to be a little bored this weekend? Why not Do Something different?

Well now you can - live - with DoSomething.org. Do Something is a nonprofit organization that works with young people to create social change through national campaigns and impactful service projects.

Today, from 9:30am - 5:30pm ET, you can tune in here on YouTube to watch Do Something’s NYC Boot Camp. Check out the schedule to see if they're are certain sessions you want to attend or watch the whole day!

Do Something Boot Camp will bring together a diverse group of young community leaders, activists and social entrepreneurs for a day of networking and training dedicated to giving each attendee the tools to grow and sustain their community action ideas, projects and organizations.

Now, with just an internet connection, young leaders and activists all over can participate in these how-to sessions on starting and managing projects, through live video on YouTube. And check out DoSomething.org’s YouTube Channel for other ways you can get involved and change your community for the better.

 

Jessica Mason, communications associate, recently watched "How to Start a Community Action Project"

An update to the YouTube Nonprofit Program goes live

Last Saturday, we joined the American Foundation on Equal Rights to live-stream 8, a star-studded play that depicts the Proposition 8 trial surrounding same-sex marriage. On World AIDS Day in December, the ONE Campaign and RED live-streamed a day-long symposium on the end of AIDs.

Today, we’re opening up the opportunity to live-stream to all members of the YouTube Nonprofit Program. Nonprofits, from small to large, will now be able to engage live audiences in charity concerts, conferences, and other special events to raise awareness about their causes and drive donations in real-time.

The YouTube Nonprofit Program is currently open to registered organizations in the U.S., U.K. Australia and Canada and offers free benefits like donate buttons/overlays, custom thumbnail selection and channel branding. To learn more and apply, please click here. For organizations who are already members of the Nonprofit Program, you can enable live-streaming in a few simple steps, outlined here.

Ramya Raghavan and Jason Toff, YouTube Nonprofit Team, recently watched “30 dolphins stranded and incredibly saved.”

And the Next Causes are...

Last month we announced YouTube Next Cause: a new program designed to help nonprofit organizations that are already changing the world better use online video to drive action.

We were honored, inspired and deeply moved by many of the applications we received.

We are proud to introduce you to some members of the first class of YouTube Next Cause: 20 organizations who’ve demonstrated passion and huge potential for using YouTube to further their causes.

The organizations come from big cities and small towns across the country from Illinois to Colorado to Texas to California and many work all over the world. They also work on variety of issues from animal abuse to homelessness to poverty alleviation to children’s health.

 Check out these great organizations:

 

Autism Speaks
Children's Hospital Boston
IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare
Sunlight Foundation
BuildOn
American Heart Association
CARE
American Foundation for Equal Rights
Malaria No More
The Humane Society of the United States
The Pablove Foundation
COTS - Committee on the Shelterless
Durango Discovery Museum
Save Mount Diablo
Art Resources in Teaching
breakthrough
Per Scholas
The Supply
Born Free USA
The Lazarex Cancer Foundation

Stay tuned to this blog for more updates from the YouTube Next Cause channels, and learn more about other programs helping partners grow at the YouTube Creator Hub.

Jessica Mason, communications associate, recently watched “The Story of Keep Calm and Carry On”

A ‘Next’ step for YouTube nonprofits

Last year we launched YouTube NextUp to accelerate the growth of the next big YouTube stars. Then in October, we announced YouTube Next Chef and YouTube Next Trainer to turbocharge up-and-coming cooking and fitness channels by great YouTube video creators. We’re excited to share the latest addition to the Next Creator family of programs: YouTube Next Cause for nonprofits.

YouTube Next Cause is designed to help organizations that are already changing the world better use online video to drive action. At a one-day summit in San Francisco on April 2, selected participants will get access to everything from training in YouTube fundamentals, to promotion and community engagement tips, to one-on-one consulting sessions to grow their YouTube presence.

We’ve always sought to make YouTube a platform for nonprofits to broadcast their messages. And we’ve seen amazing things happen when the YouTube community comes together in support of great causes. With 4 billion views a day, we want to make sure nonprofits have the tools they need to reach the global audience on YouTube and turn video views into donations, volunteerism and awareness.

Applications for YouTube Next Cause are due on February 27, 2012 at 11:59PM PT, and the selected nonprofits will be announced on March 5. This program is open to organizations that are part of the YouTube Nonprofit Program (full eligibility requirements). You can apply online at: http://goo.gl/ODbI6.

Check out what nonprofits are doing on YouTube at youtube.com/nonprofits. And tune in around March 5 to learn more about some of the great nonprofit organizations chosen and what they’re doing to change the world!

 

Hunter Walk, director of product management, recently watched “Using YouTube with a Purpose - Helping Kids in Bangladesh.”

Lights, camera, causes: The 2012 Nonprofit Video Awards

For the third year, YouTube is teaming up with See3 Communications to present the DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards, a celebration of the best non-profit videos on the site. If you’re a nonprofit who made a video in 2011, you’re eligible and encouraged to submit.

It doesn’t matter if your organization is small and scrappy, large and global, or somewhere in between. We’ll award prizes like $3,500 grants, free admission to the Nonprofit Technology Conference, and a spotlight on the YouTube homepage to small, medium and large organizations, plus a special award for “Best Video Storytelling.”

Need more details? Watch this video:



The deadline to enter is February 29, 2012 and you must be a member of the YouTube Nonprofit Program at the time of judging, to enter. Full rules are available here.

Get those cameras rolling and good luck!

Ramya Raghavan, YouTube Nonprofits, recently watched “300 Years of Fossil Fuels in 300 Seconds”.

YouTube for nonprofits, reloaded with new tutorials and features

Nonprofits are an important part of the YouTube community, and their videos have educated and inspired audiences since the early days of the site. We launched the YouTube Nonprofit Program in 2007 to help organizations take their work to the next level, and since then, more than 16,000 nonprofits have joined the program. There are hundreds of nonprofit organizations with millions of views on YouTube, and dozens with more than ten million views, like Greenpeace, Khan Academy and UNICEF.

We’ve made a couple of updates to the program that we hope will help nonprofits use video in new and compelling ways.

• The Playbook Guide: YouTube for Good. This is a how-to resource specifically targeted at nonprofit organizations, with sections on how to create content, raise funds, connect with other community members and more.
• Improved features. As part of our new Channels design, we’ve made the donate button on nonprofit channels even more prominent, making it easier than ever to support the causes you care about.

If you’re a YouTube Nonprofit Program with other ideas about how we can make the program better, tell us your suggestions in the comments below! If you’re a nonprofit in the U.S., U.K., Canada or Australia and not yet a member, visit www.youtube.com/nonprofits to learn more and apply.

Valerie Streit, YouTube Next Lab, recently watched “Martin Luther King Jr. on NBC’s Meet the Press in 1965.”

Join Our Flash Mob....FOR GOOD!

On a typical Friday afternoon at YouTube, you can expect to see most people scrambling to finish their work or getting ready for Google’s weekly TGIF meeting. This past Friday, something different occurred: the first-ever YouTube Holiday Giving Flash Mob. Flash mobs? Aren’t those mainly for hipsters dancing in shopping malls and subway stations? Yes, many are, but we thought it would be cool to channel the crowd-sourced energy of your standard flash mob and put it towards a good cause. 

Hundreds of YouTubers across various offices came together to give back to DonorsChoose.org, an organization doing wonderful work for kids across the US. One great thing about DonorsChoose is that they’re crowd-sourced giving -- public school teachers from across America post classroom project requests on the site. Requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class. You can browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires you. Once a project reaches its funding goal, they deliver the materials to the school. 

 

In total, our YouTube Flash Mob raised thousands of dollars across several different projects. Thanks to Google’s Corporate Giving Match program and DonorsChoose offering to match the first $100 of each YouTube employee’s donation, we should eventually be able to double our initial total donation. 

But it doesn’t stop there - we want to invite you to be part of our Flash Mob. DonorsChoose has generously agreed to also match all donations through Dec 31, 2011. All you need to do is enter the word “YOUTUBE” in the “I have a gift or match code” field during checkout on the site and DonorsChoose will match up to $100 of your gift*. So find a project and give what you can. While DonorsChoose is a U.S. based organization, we don’t want to limit the giving to within our borders. You can tell us what other organizations and charities hold a special place in your heart by leaving a comment on the YouTube Google+ page. In January we’ll report back on the total donation amount and other global charities you’ve brought to our attention! 

Happy Giving! 

Hunter Walk, Product Manager, who recently watched “DonorsChoose.org: The Colbert Report’s Charity of Choice” 

*DonorsChoose has agreed to match $100 of all gifts using the promotional code ‘YouTube’ up to a certain point. 

*Gift matching does not apply when one individual fully funds a project in its entirety, so feel free to spread the love across multiple projects to take advantage of the matching funds.

Project for Awesome 2011 Begins Today!

Today’s guest post comes from Hank and John Green, aka the VlogBrothers, with a reminder about how you can dramatically increase the level of awesome that exists around the world this year.

Last week, we asked you to participate in this year’s Project for Awesome. Today, December 17th at 12PM ET, is when all the awesomeness begins.

We’d love for you to join Project for Awesome by doing one of the following:

• Upload a video for your favorite charity and tag it with “p4a.”
• Share your and your friends’ videos on YouTube, your favorite social networks, and everywhere else. Also like, ‘favorite’ and comment on the videos and be sure to use #P4A.
• Donate to your favorite charities and causes.

Thanks again for being awesome!

Posted by Hank and John Green, the VlogBrothers, recently watched, "Josh Sundquist - P4A: Pimp My Disabled Ski Team Van [NSCD]."

Project for Awesome: 5 years of doing good

Today’s guest post comes from Hank and John Green, aka the VlogBrothers, with a special message about how you can dramatically increase the level of awesome that exists around the world this year.

In 2007, we asked everyone on YouTube to upload videos for their favorite causes and charities on December 17. We wanted to help raise awareness and donations for awesome causes that we all care about—big and small, from near and far. This YouTube community-driven movement became known as Project for Awesome.

This year is now the 5th anniversary of Project for Awesome, and we want you to help make it more awesome than ever. Here’s how:

Make an innovative video promoting your favorite charity and upload it on December 17 starting at Noon ET. Make it original, and most importantly, make it awesome. Use this thumbnail as your thumbnail for the video, and tag it with "p4a2011” (here’s info about using thumbnails). It’s our hope that if we all upload on the same day, all of YouTube and the Internet will be taken over by a flurry of awesomeness.

Awesome waits for no one, so here are some ideas to get started:

• Organize a campaign with your community and film it. This can be anything from a bake sale to rebuilding a village. There are many non-profits that allow you to build teams such as Charity:Water, Kiva, and Causes.com.
• Check out some of our favorite Project for Awesome videos below.
• Take one of your existing videos and spend some time using the YouTube Video Editor to make it even better.

On December 17, we hope all of you around the Internet and around the world upload videos for your favorite causes. Then, share your favorites and donate to the causes you think are awesome. Here are some past videos to get you started:



Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to be awesome.

Hank and John Green of the VlogBrothers recently watched “Pas De Deux - Sean Malone (Remix).”

Tune in tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET for World AIDS Day with President Obama, Presidents Bush and Clinton, Bono, Alicia Keys and more.

Tomorrow, at 10 a.m. EST, President Obama, past Presidents Clinton and Bush, Bono, Alicia Keys and others will speak at a special World AIDS Day event, hosted by the ONE Campaign and (RED) - and they’ll be answering the questions you submitted on YouTube.

The full event will be live-streamed on the ONE Campaign YouTube channel, giving you access to a conversation with some of the most influential leaders in the world about the beginning of the end of AIDS. Since we announced the event last week, several other distinguished guests have confirmed their participation, including:

• President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania 
• Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) 
• Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) 
• Dr. Patricia Nkansah-Asamoah (Director of PMTCT Clinic at Tema Hospital in Ghana)
• Florence Ngobeni (HIV Educator and Ambassador to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation)
• Kay Warren (Founder, HIV & AIDS Initiative, Saddleback Church)

Tune in tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET to see how global AIDS advocates are tackling this difficult subject, and how they’ll tackle the questions you asked.



Ramya Raghavan, News and Politics Manager, recently watched, “Fighting for an AIDS Free Generation by 2015”.

Join Presidents Bush, Clinton, plus Bono and Alicia Keys this World AIDS Day on YouTube

Did you know there are now 6.6 million people receiving treatment for HIV, compared to just 100,000 in 2002? Still, more than a thousand babies are born every day with HIV and there are 34 million people living with the disease.

This World AIDS Day, you can join the discussion about how to help bring about the beginning of the end of AIDS. We’re partnering with ONE and (RED) to bring you a panel of experts who will talk about the progress we’ve made, where we're falling short, and what it's going to take to end this disease for good. They’ll also answer some questions from the YouTube audience. Starting today, you can submit your questions to the panel, which includes Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton; Bono, co-founder of ONE and (RED); Alicia Keys, co-founder of Keep a Child Alive; and other leaders in the fight against AIDS, including representatives from the Tema Clinic in Ghana, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the Saddleback Church.

On December 1, World AIDS Day, these leaders will answer some of the top-voted questions live on YouTube at a special event hosted by ONE, (RED) and an impressive list of partners and influencers.

According to ONE, if we recommit to the fight against AIDS, by 2015 we could end mother-to-child transmission of HIV, provide treatment to the 15 million people who need it, and drastically reduce new infections. With the support of donors, African governments, organizations, and the private sector the beginning of the end of HIV/AIDS is within our reach.

Submit your question today and become part of the beginning of the end of AIDS. The deadline to submit is November 28.

Ramya Raghavan, News and Politics Manager, recently watched, “Unhate Campaign”.

Jeff Gordon: Driving you to end hunger

Today we welcome guest blogger Jeff Gordon, a four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion with 85 victories to his name and even more accolades across the sport of racing. Today Jeff is focusing his energy toward a different goal: ending hunger among older Americans.

Too many Americans are living on a dangerous edge—not always knowing where their next meal is coming from. Of the 51 million Americans who face the threat of hunger, nearly nine million are over the age of 50. I don’t think anyone should have to make the devastating choice between food and other basic needs.

So I’ve teamed up with AARP and AARP Foundation and YouTube in Drive to End Hunger to raise awareness and support for older Americans struggling with hunger, To educate you about this serious issue, Drive to End Hunger and I have posted videos you can see on our AARP YouTube channel. We’re using the channel as a place where you can connect with other members and supporters, make a playlist of other YouTube videos that talk about this issue and see how we’re engaging fans at-track and in their communities.

So far we’ve gotten great feedback and participation in the campaign and to videos like Check Out Line, which helped us donate more than 3.7 million meals to local hunger relief organizations. By working together, we can solve the problem of senior hunger and improve the lives of the people who took care of us for so many years. Join the conversation at youtube.com/aarp and support Drive to End Hunger today!

Thanks again for your support!

Jeff Gordon, Racecar Driver, recently watched "Drive to End Hunger: Daytona.”

Nonprofits use video to drive action on World Food Day

Today is World Food Day and we wanted to highlight some of the ways we’re seeing nonprofit organizations around the world are sharing stories of the over one billion people who are living in hunger.

Organizations like the ONE Campaign are employing famous faces like Bono, George Clooney and Jessica Alba to help raise awareness about the issue:



Others like LinkTV are using this important day to highlight the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, which has affected over 11.5 million people thus far:



A collection of videos related to World Food Day are featured on the YouTube homepage today. Watch them to learn more about the global hunger crisis and to see how you can help.

Ramya Raghavan, News and Politics Manager, recently watched “Rising Food Prices.”

9/11 Memorial & Museum is looking for your tribute videos

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum has created the 9/11 Memorial YouTube channel, and they’re requesting your videos for an archive that will be part of the 9/11 Memorial Museum scheduled to open September 2012. The Memorial and Museum is the not-for-profit corporation created to oversee the design, fundraising, programming and operations of the Memorialand Museum at the World Trade Center.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani offers background about the project and a request for you to record a "silent video tribute" to create a living memorial for the Museum.



“Through this new YouTube channel, people around the world will have an opportunity to join our mission to document the history of 9/11 by sharing their personal experiences,” 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels said. “This channel is an example of the many ways the National September 11 Memorial Museum is ensuring the history we all lived through is never forgotten.”

This project was inspired by the 9/11 tribute album "Ten Years On." The album is a collection of songs compiled by Welsh recording artist Jem in remembrance of 9/11, from artists like John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Alanis Morissette, Johnny Cash, and more. For more information on how to donate or to reserve a free visitor pass to the Memorial, go to 911memorial.org.

Ramya Raghavan, YouTube News and Politics Manager, recently watched “9/11 Memorial: Request for Silent Tributes.”

John Legend talks charter schools, Glee’s influence on education and more in YouTube World View interview

We know he has a superb voice but in our latest YouTube World View interview, John Legend shows he also has serious heart as he talks about his major passion — education for all.

In this 30-minute interview, YouTube partner Josh Sundquist asks your top-voted, and pretty difficult, questions, including those about whether charter schools really work, how to recruit college grads into teaching positions rather than corporate gigs and how to balance the importance of work and school in lower-income families. Watch the full interview here:



Legend also opens up about some lighter subjects like his greatest musical influences, what kept him up until 2 am the previous night and why he thinks Glee is having a positive impact on the state of education.

For more information about how you can get involved with John’s own “Show Me Campaign,” visit www.showmecampaign.org, and for great educational content year-round, from guitar lessons to astronomy lectures, check out YouTube EDU.

Ramya Raghavan, News and Politics Manager, recently watched “2011 Commencement Address by Denzel Washington."