How to Measure the Success of Your Nonprofit Video 📈

Charities have powerful messages to share, and videos are one of the best ways to deliver them. At Leon! Animation Studio, we've helped hundreds of nonprofits create videos that make an impact. But once your charity video is out in the wild, how do you know if it's actually doing its job?

Our explainer video agency has developed this straightforward guide to help you measure your video's success without needing a PhD in analytics. We'll ensure your important message isn't just being heard—but making a genuine difference.

Three questions worth asking:

• What specific goals should your charity video achieve?

• How can you gather meaningful feedback on your nonprofit video?

• Does your video genuinely support your organisation's wider mission?

Charity Video Goals: What Should Your Animation Achieve?

Your explainer video isn't just pretty animation—it's a tool with a job to do. It might need to recruit enthusiastic volunteers, explain your innovative approach, or transform complex research into something anyone can understand.

But how do you know if it's nailing the brief?

The answer is intelligent goal-setting. It's refreshingly simple: if you want volunteers, count who signs up. If you're explaining complicated concepts, test whether viewers actually understand them afterwards.

Consider the NHS's approach—they've got this sorted.

They don't just track views or likes for their NHS animations. Instead, they measure how clearly their message lands with representative test groups. No vanity metrics—just clarity.

This often means collecting feedback from patients, staff and caregivers both during production and after release. It's about measuring what matters, not what flatters.

The S.C.R.E.A.M. Method for Nonprofit Video Success

HHere's a handy formula our animation company developed called S.C.R.E.A.M. It will help you determine whether your nonprofit explainer videos are performing as they should—without getting lost in meaningless metrics.

Each letter represents a distinct measurement approach:

Surveys: Ask your audience direct questions about what worked (and what didn't).

Conversions (or CTR): Track how many viewers take a specific action after watching.

Reach: Understand not just how many people watch, but who they are.

Engagement: Monitor discussions, shares, and meaningful interaction.

Analytics: Use platform tools to understand viewing patterns and behaviour.

Media: Track if journalists, influencers or other organisations pick up your video.

Let's dig into each one...

Surveys: What Audiences Think of Your Charity Videos

Surveys give you something precious—direct feedback from the people you're trying to reach. They're surprisingly underused by charities, but they're worth their weight in gold.

• Pre-Campaign Surveys: Before finalising your animation, ask your target audience what they hope to see. This helps ensure your production process stays on target rather than veering off into creative tangents that miss the mark.

• Post-Campaign Surveys: After release, check whether your video achieved its purpose. Did it clarify complicated concepts? Was your call to action clear? Would they share it with others? These answers tell you whether your charity video succeeded where it counts.

By comparing before-and-after responses, you'll get a clear picture of whether your nonprofit video hit its mark or needs a rethink for next time.

Conversions: Turning Nonprofit Video Viewers into Doers

Conversions measure something concrete—how many people take action after watching your nonprofit explainer video.

This isn't about fuzzy feelings; it's about counting specific actions that support your mission.

What's Click-Through Rate (CTR)? It's simply the percentage of viewers who click on your call-to-action link or button. It measures how effectively your video turns passive viewers into active participants.

For example, when our 2D animation studio created a campaign for a Westminster think-tank, we didn't just count views. We tracked how many viewers signed up for their newsletter afterwards. "Conversion" is a horrible word—it makes people sound like religious recruits—but this hard data showed exactly how well the video performed.

Reach: Finding the Right Audience for Your Animation

Reach tells us who watches your charity video. And here's the thing—big numbers can be misleading if they're not the right numbers.

Understanding Meaningful Reach: Yes, count your viewers—but also examine where they're based, their demographics, and whether they match your target audience. This helps you understand if you're connecting with people who can actually support your cause.

Quality Over Quantity: A video about UK homelessness that gets 100,000 views but mostly from overseas viewers might miss its mark. But 1,000 views from local policymakers, potential volunteers and donors? That's golden.

Boosting your reach on social media? Check out our blog series on the Best Nonprofit Social Media Accounts on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. 

The right reach ensures your charity's message finds fertile ground, not just any ground.

Analytics: Understanding How People Watch Charity Videos

YouTube Studio is a brilliant analytics tool that helps nonprofits understand exactly how their videos perform.

Here's how to use it to improve your charity videos:

• View Timeline: Discover when your video gains traction. Some explainer videos are slow burners, gaining views months after release. This helps you plan when to promote them most effectively.

• Subscriber Changes: Track whether people subscribe after watching. This indicates they're not just interested in one video, but in your organisation's wider work.

• Traffic Sources: Learn how viewers discover your video. Search terms? Social media? External websites? This reveals which promotional channels work best for your charity.

• Retention Patterns: See exactly when viewers drop off. If people leave before your call to action, you might need to restructure your next explainer animation.

Media Coverage: When Your Nonprofit Animation Goes Viral

When journalists, bloggers or influencers feature your video, it's like winning the nonprofit lottery. Suddenly your message reaches audiences you couldn't access otherwise.

Document these wins carefully—they're gold for persuading stakeholders of your video's success. Whether it's a retweet from an influencer with a million followers or your charity animation being embedded on The Guardian's website, these mentions multiply your reach exponentially.

Alignment: How Your Video Supports Your Charity's Mission

This often means collecting feedback from patients, staff and caregivers both during production and after release. It's about measuring what matters, not what flatters.

Ask yourself: Does this explainer animation reinforce our key messages? Does it reflect our values? Do the visuals complement our other materials? Is the language consistent with our usual voice?

This alignment is crucial for maintaining a coherent brand that supporters recognise and trust.

Finally, compare your video against others in your sector. There's no point measuring your explainer video against a viral cat compilation or the latest Hollywood trailer. Instead, look at how other charities with similar resources are performing. Healthcare charities should benchmark against healthcare videos; environmental nonprofits against conservation content. This gives you realistic targets rather than unattainable fantasies.

(Interested in exploring different types of charity videos? Dive into our guide: Types of Charity Videos.)

How Our Animation Studio Helps Charities Succeed

Getting your nonprofit video right isn't always straightforward. Our animated explainer video studio has helped hundreds of charities distil complex messages into animations that genuinely connect with audiences—and deliver measurable results.

Our 2D animation company specialises in taking tangled ideas and turning them into clear, compelling charity explainer videos that make people think, feel, and act.

Want to make sure your next charity video doesn't just look good but actually works? At Leon! Animation Studio, we'd love to help. After all, measuring success starts with creating something worth measuring.