The ultimate learning toolkit for nonprofits to tell their stories through video.
Are you ready to change the way you tell your story and engage your audience through video?
Fresh from Reliant Studios, Nonprofit Film School was created and crafted by a team that has years of expertise producing videos for nonprofit organizations. Our creative team deeply understands your industry’s specific needs as well as the power of video storytelling, and we’ve curated our industry expertise into a fun, online course.
Nonprofit Film School is a clear and comprehensive path to boosting your internal video skills, and it comes with handy printables—so you can walk away with skills and tangible resources to tackle everything from scouting locations to purchasing equipment to making wardrobe choices.
We are Reliant and we are storytellers.
The Courses
Storytelling
Learn how to tell your story in an engaging and compelling way — one that moves your audience to compassion and action.
Pre-Production
We cover everything you need to do to set your shoot up for success (including some key industry insights that you may have overlooked).
Production
Conquer that intimidation of technical components once and for all as you become familiar with production basics.
CAMERAS & EQUIPMENT
Arm yourself with the right gear for the job and get a comprehensive understanding of what’s what (and why it matters).
Post-Production
Master the art of finishing what you started. This module covers everything you need to know to turn your video into a cohesive, compelling final product that you can be proud of.
Some of our Happy Students
“Nonprofit Film School covered so much more than I thought I would be getting! I assumed just a few general “how to” videos with ideas that would be outside of our probable logistics. I was so wrong.”
What Your Peers are Saying
Improving your video skills can benefit organizations of every size, audience, skill level or financial situation. See what some of our Nonprofit Film School students have to say!
What You'll Gain
Confidence
We don’t expect that you know everything about storytelling, equipment or editing videos just yet — and that’s okay! We have created our Modules to be short, easy-to-understand and setting you up to apply what you’ve learned. Refer to our Bonus Resources to keep your video-making adventure moving forward.
Compelling Stories
Did you know that there are techniques used to tell stories well? Movies use them, comic strips use them and now you can use them too. We share our two favorite story structures with you, as well as our tips for interviewing, so you’re equipped to draw out stories on camera.
Everything in One Place
We compiled everything into Nonprofit Film School so it’s all in one place for you: everything you need to make convicting and beautiful videos for your organization. With a few hours of time, a mindset of dedication and the heart of a confident storyteller, you’ll see a return on investment after you complete the first Course.
Filmmaking Best Practices
“You have to know the rules before you can break them.” But what are the rules? Understanding filmmaking best practices — about lighting, composition and editing — will help make your video stand out, grab the attention of your audience and share your story in a way that’s clear of distractions and full of heart.
Equipment Explained
For any novice (and let’s be honest, intermediate) filmmaker, understanding equipment can be a hurdle. We break that down for you, sharing our go-to equipment, as well as recommendations for how to use your current camera to serve you best right now.
Easy-to-Follow & Easy-to-Apply Techniques
Each Course comes with a manual that you can print off and use to follow along with the videos. We included “Put it to Practice” sections and “Pro Tips” in each, giving you real life examples of applying what you’ve learned. We don’t leave you hanging on a few nice thoughts — you get to take what you’ve learned and apply it to the work you’re doing.
Our Expertise Simplified
The Reliant Studios team has a resume full of nonprofit organizations who have trusted us with their stories — local organizations, state departments and national brands. We toiled over the content for Nonprofit Film School for two years before launching, set on making sure we included the most important tips, tricks and best practices we think you need. It’s our joy sharing this content with you!
CFRE CONTINUING EDUCATION
Earn continuing education points for completing Nonprofit Film School!
Full participation in Nonprofit Film School is applicable for 3 points in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
Participation in Nonprofit Film School may assist you in learning or reviewing concepts covered on the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) examination as detailed on the Test Content Outline provided by CFRE International. CFRE International does not sponsor or endorse any educational programs and Nonprofit Film School was not developed in conjunction with CFRE International.
Ready? See which enrollment plan best suits your organization's needs.
Bonus Resources
You'll receive tons of handy printables (checklists, guides and forms!) that make each step of producing a video as streamlined as possible.