Libby Rippetoe hugs lay legal advocate Vicki Gaytan in the SAMMinistries video “Libby’s Journey of Hope.”
Let your supporters meet the people behind your mission
The most compelling nonprofit stories come from the people whose lives your work has touched.
We create fundraising videos, donor stories, gala films, and organizational videos that center real people. We take the time to listen, ask the right questions and let people share their experiences in their own words.
Whether you’re connecting with longtime donors or introducing your mission to a new audience, a personal story makes your work more meaningful than numbers alone.
SAMMinistries serves people experiencing homelessness in San Antonio. Its gala is one of its biggest fundraisers each year. For three galas in a row, we’ve filmed its Journeys of Hope client stories.
Each person tells their own story, with no narrator. Something was hard, and something changed. Shorter cuts of the stories ran on SAMMinistries’ social media.
pixelreflex MEDIA continues to create content that exceeded our expectation every time! It artfully captured the stories of those whose lives have been impacted by SAMMinistries into truly remarkable narratives that warms hearts and motivates engagement.
Nikisha J. BakerCEO and Executive Director, SAMMinistriesAshley Keen smiles under a “We are so proud of you” banner in “Ashley Keen’s Journey of Hope,” a client story pixelreflex MEDIA filmed for the SAMMinistries annual gala. Watch her story
One video, four jobs
Students of Service, or SOS, engages middle and high school students in community service and travel abroad. SOS asked us for one about-us video that could do four jobs: play at its gala, support fundraising, recruit students and engage donors.
pixelreflex MEDIA’s videos have taken our organization’s profile to new heights, capturing the essence of SOS in captivating visual narratives.
Amir SamandiExecutive Director and Founder, Students of ServiceA volunteer in an SOS San Antonio shirt and blue gloves uses a heat sealer to close a bag of diapers in a frame from pixelreflex MEDIA’s “Students of Service Overview” video for Students of Service. Watch the about-us video
Let the people who said yes do the asking
San Antonio Pets Alive! saves cats and dogs from euthanasia. Over a multi-year partnership, we produced its giving day and fundraising spots and its Foster of the Year videos.
The spots run 42 to 60 seconds and build to a direct ask. Fostering is a bigger ask than a gift, so in the Foster of the Year videos, the winners make the case themselves.
Peggy Gonzalez, Dog Foster of the Year, holds a small puppy close to her face in her video for San Antonio Pets Alive! Watch her story
The work pixelreflex MEDIA has created for us throughout the years has been invaluable. Their work has resulted in over $250,000 in grants and donations for our organization, helping us save countless lives.
Rebecca MayberryFormer Executive Director, San Antonio Pets Alive!
The people in a nonprofit story are often sharing something hard. So we meet them before the camera does.
Steffi Ockenfels, our executive producer, talks with each person we plan to interview. No crew, no lights, just a conversation. Video call, phone or face to face. Whatever is easiest for them. We aim for at least a week before the shoot.
On shoot day, they talk with someone they already know, so they can relax. Our interviews are unscripted. Each person tells their own story, in their own words.
Steffi holds an MPA in nonprofit management from UTSA. She brings more than 20 years of marketing and communications experience with municipal utilities, schools and nonprofits.
A special thank you to Steffi, whose warmth and positive energy made a lasting impression. She has a unique way of making people feel comfortable and confident, especially in situations that can feel unfamiliar or intimidating.
Darius JohnsonGoogle reviewSteffi checks her notes beside the monitors as NPower alumna Krivonne Evans tells her story from a couch.
What a nonprofit video costs
Every package begins with a strategy session. It defines your audience, your message and the story worth telling before a single frame is planned. What scales with each tier is how much time, crew and craft go into capturing it.
Impact Story
501(c)(3) rate
Starting at $4,500
Professional storytelling created for small nonprofits. For qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations with annual operating budgets under $500,000. Limited availability. Project scope and production requirements must qualify.
You get
One 60 to 90 second impact story
The shoot
A concentrated 2 to 3 hour shoot with a director-cinematographer and a dedicated interviewer
Before the shoot
A discovery and narrative framing session, key messages, choosing who to interview, pre-interviews, interview preparation, location scouting and B-roll planning
After the shoot
Narrative editing, color grading, sound mixing, licensed music and 1 round of revisions
Best for
Giving campaigns, gala and fundraising videos, donor communications, volunteer recruitment and mission spotlights
All packages include the Story Strategy discovery process, professional narrative editing, color grading, sound mixing and licensed music. Prices reflect standard scope. Travel outside the San Antonio area, additional shoot days and extra revision rounds are quoted separately. Every package is custom-scoped during the discovery call. Prices are subject to change.
Have a gala or giving day date? Tell us on the first call. We talk through your goals, your audience, your timeline and the story you need to tell.
Delivery takes about one to three weeks after the shoot, depending on the package. Have a gala or giving day date? Tell us on the first call, and we plan back from it.
Do the people on camera sign a release?
Yes. Before we film, each person signs a release that says how and where the video and photos may be used. It’s often your organization’s own form.
Can people speak Spanish in the video?
Yes. We conduct interviews in Spanish, and each person chooses the language they’re most comfortable in. We also deliver Spanish subtitles on a regular basis.
Will the video have captions?
Yes. Captions come standard with our editing, in the language people speak in the video.
How do we pay?
A 50% deposit begins the project. The balance is due at final delivery, and final files are released once it’s paid.
Do you offer a nonprofit rate?
Yes. Our Impact Story rate starts at $4,500 for qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations with annual operating budgets under $500,000. It’s one 60 to 90 second video from a concentrated two to three hour shoot, with one round of revisions. Availability is limited, and project scope and production requirements must qualify.
How long should a gala video be, and how many people should be in it?
A video played in the gala room usually runs two to four minutes. We build it around one person whose story shows your mission at work, and save your numbers and your ask for the end. Plan on about one minute of screen time per person, and no more than three people for a two to three minute video.
Can the video keep working after the gala?
Yes, if every use is planned before the shoot. Students of Service uses one about-us video for its gala, fundraising, student recruiting and donors; the same shoots gave it five shorter videos. San Antonio Pets Alive! used its fundraising spots and Foster of the Year videos in grant applications to other nonprofits, such as Petco Love. Here’s how to plan one shoot for the gala screen, social media and grant applications: Gala video, social cuts and grant material.
What if a client doesn’t want to answer something, or changes their mind?
Taking part is a choice, and saying no won’t change the help anyone gets from your organization. If there’s a topic someone doesn’t want to discuss, they tell Steffi in the pre-interview, and we won’t ask about it on camera. During the interview, anyone can skip a question or take a break. People on camera can also watch the finished video before it’s shared in public.
Can you make a short spot for a giving day?
Yes. For San Antonio Pets Alive!, we produced giving day and fundraising spots that run 42 to 60 seconds and build to a direct ask. Social media videos usually run 60 seconds or less. Our Impact Story package is one 60 to 90 second video.
Before the call, see how similar projects went in our case studies, and what to budget and plan for in our guides.
Have a gala or campaign coming up?
Tell us what you’re looking for. We’ll reach out within one business day.
