When your job is to raise awareness, shift perceptions, and inspire action—naturally, you want to use the best tools.
Video content for social change has bloomed in recent years. A well-told story holds attention. It moves people. It makes the message stick.
Today, there’s a whole range of animated videos for charities—each tailored to a different goal. Whether you’re raising awareness through animation, building brand trust, delivering PR campaigns, or shifting public opinion, animation gives you a potent marketing asset, finely tuned for its purpose.
In this article, we’ll explore the top 5 most effective use cases for charities and non-profits.
Some issues are hiding in plain sight—they’re happening all around us, but people either don’t know what to look for or don’t realise it’s a problem at all.
Animation provides a way to grab attention, tell a compelling story, and motivate people to act.
In fact, 2D animation is exquisitely good at making even complex messages super clear. And it can be delivered in any art style to reflect tone, mood, expression, or colourway.
A great example is our campaign for the Salvation Army. The goal was to help people identify signs of modern slavery, which can be subtle or easily missed.
We used narrative and mixed media to communicate this clearly and compassionately. The video guided viewers to recognise the ripple effects of even small actions—and encouraged them to take the next step.
Explainer videos can be very effective for changing opinions and shifting perspectives. A compelling script and well-executed animation has the ability to change how people feel about an issue.
The secret ingredients are twofold:
So when you combine a good story with a well-put-together video, you have a high chance of keeping someone’s attention and shifting how they feel.
In this campaign for the Association of British Insurers, we tell the story of a father recovering after a car accident. His son curiously asks questions. And his mother casually answers them. Here we’re delivering the message through a conversation, not a direct message to the viewer.
It’s a subtle example of how a charity PR video can powerfully deliver key messages with empathy.
A big part of any non-profit’s mission is securing support—and that includes donations.
If people clearly understand the issue, the scale of the challenge, and the work being done to help—they’re more likely to want to contribute.
That’s where video comes in. It gives you a storytelling vehicle that can connect emotionally and clarify the facts. It creates understanding and builds a clear picture in a way that’s emotionally resonant—and that’s what inspires donations.
In our campaign for Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases, we used narrative storytelling and stylised visuals to humanise a vast, often unseen global issue. The result was a grounded, emotional story that made the need for funding easy to grasp—and hard to ignore.
Storytelling can also evoke urgency—the sense that action is needed now. But before crafting a message, we need to ground our thinking with a few essential questions:
This is where emotional storytelling shines. When you understand your audience—and what moves them—storytelling becomes a powerful delivery system for action.
In our campaign for CEPI & Wellcome Trust, the goal was to communicate urgency—without sounding alarmist. We told the story of how Ebola began, and how it spread.
We showed how, in a hyperconnected world, pandemics can move faster and further than ever before. The result? Over $350 million raised at Davos.
Sometimes the need is to explain something simply and succinctly. Most people tune out when things feel long-winded or overly technical. But they will engage with an easy-to-follow narrative.
Combined with engaging storytelling and visual thinking, video notches up engagement in your message.
For Fortem’s explainer, we used a blend of 3D and 2D animation to explain the energy-efficiency upgrades process. The 3D made the home interesting and engaging. The 2D overlay provided a clear platform to show key messaging.
Video can be a hugely beneficial marketing asset. The more skilled you are at shaping each aspect of production—from scripting to sound design to visual style—the more effective your final asset will be.
If you’re considering working with an explainer video agency, here are some tips on choosing the right video production partner.
You can also download our explainer video guide, which covers pricing, process, and timelines in detail.
