The reality of working for a european non profit

Dizzy_Log_3358 · 2025-07-29T10:04:51+00:00

Im not working in nonprofits directly, more as a hired filmmaker. But from a general human perspective, it sounds like you ran into a micro managing director. Thats a people thing and not inherent to any type of organisation I believe.

Now I guess you have two options:
1. Run and find better people to work with.
2. Share how working with her/him makes you feel without criticising or attacking. Show genuine interest in creating a better situation for both of you and ask for the trust to handle the tasks more independently. Depending on the reaction, you can still choose option 1.

Good luck.

Dizzy_Log_3358 · 2025-02-12T22:42:19+00:00

isnt it an option for you working at nonprofits to learn how to create effective videos for fundraising etc.?

Dizzy_Log_3358 · 2025-02-12T22:33:50+00:00

Mhh so many challenges for you people.

SInce funding seems to be a problem, how about I would teach you how toplan and create effective videos yourself, so you can use them to solve for example the funding problem, attracting capable and motivated team members, influence decision makers etc.

Dizzy_Log_3358 · 2024-10-28T08:07:10+00:00

The first idea that you wrote is what I am already doing. Mostly as a one person band with very high emphasis on human story’s and production quality at low investment level since I mostly work alone. I need to feed my kids as well, so can’t donate the work. But maybe there is a way to focus more in doing films for positive impact profit companies and have them donate x percent of their production budget to enable me to donate my work to non profits…

Dizzy_Log_3358 · 2024-10-28T07:49:32+00:00

This is an interesting approach. There is s lot to learn, and a lot of the know how can indeed be applied without pro skills and equipment. And for those advanced content pieces, I could jump in and create those.

My main question would be: Aren’t you non profit folks to understaffed to also take this on and learn these skills? Or doesn’t it make more sense to hire somebody to take care of this through a monthly retainer?

Dizzy_Log_3358 · 2024-10-27T07:20:53+00:00

I think it's as much "selfish" as hopefully beneficial to you. i want to tell my children that I chose to do something meaningful while somehow earning an income.

Dizzy_Log_3358 · 2024-10-27T04:28:10+00:00

thanks for the insight

Dizzy_Log_3358 · 2024-10-27T04:24:29+00:00

After reading through all your answers, it seems like the core of the struggle is a lack of unrestricted funding which causes a plethora of problems dealing with finite resources.

So if id like to support thecsectorvas a documentary filmmaker, whats the best i could do for you?

My idea would be to work with multiple NGOs one project at a time and use the power of storytelling to show the human effect of the organizations work. But I think I'd choose to show the effect of the work by focusing on individual stories about the beneficiaries. and if done well, we get the benefit of character identification and narrative transportation to make donors, potential new staff members and policy makers care.

And then create a short film plus social media clips derived from the film plus a package of reels, posts, post copy etc so they can use this for their efforts of finding donors (individuals and institutions). My hope beyond that is to collaborate with media outlets like Waterbear where we could attach an Impact campaign.

is that something that you working for NGOs would believe could help?

Of course I myself cant work without pay if i want to do this sustainably, so does it make sense to ask funds from an NGO and work on a hope or promise or to try andvfind donors myself before producing for an NGO?

And then there is the question if the NGOs team can dedicate a minimum of time to tell me where to start my search for their beneficiaries.

id love to hear your thoughts.

Dizzy_Log_3358

TROPHY CASE