Who Makes Good Fundraising Videos for Nonprofits in St. Louis? 2026 Guide

The best fundraising videos for St. Louis nonprofits come from producers who specialize in nonprofit storytelling: they build each video around one real person, film where your program happens, and plan the shoot around Give STL Day, your gala and year-end so one session produces every cut you need. Happy Productions is a documentary-style video agency that works only with nonprofits, foundations and NGOs, including organizations across St. Louis City, St. Louis County and the Metro East. Our Monthly Partnership is $995 a month with no contract, and your first session and video are free.

Key facts: fundraising video in St. Louis

• Give STL Day 2025 raised $3,500,214 from 15,178 unique donors and 25,209 gifts, an average gift of $103.13 (St. Louis Community Foundation recap).
• Give STL Day 2026 was May 7, and the event has raised more than $38 million for over one thousand local nonprofits in its history (St. Louis Community Foundation).
• A large sector. Missouri nonprofits employ 261,914 people, 11.2% of the state's workforce (2016 data, Independent Sector).
• Key date. GivingTuesday 2026 is December 1 (GivingTuesday).
• Cost. Happy Productions' Monthly Partnership is $995/month: one directed video session a month, unlimited edits, captions and every platform size, and you own every file.

What makes a good fundraising video producer in St. Louis

When your ED, development director or comms lead compares producers, look for these five things.

1. Nonprofit focus. A producer who knows the development calendar plans around Give STL Day in May, your gala and year-end.
2. Participant-first interviewing. The strongest fundraising videos let a client, family or volunteer tell their own story, with dignity and informed consent.
3. A library from every shoot. Ask what you get: a hero film, vertical clips, a donor thank-you and footage for your impact report.
4. Predictable pricing. A flat monthly rate keeps stories coming all year.
5. Proof. Ask for case studies with results.

Our 10 questions to ask before hiring a nonprofit video producer has the full checklist.

St. Louis nonprofit videos worth studying

These are real, publicly viewable videos from St. Louis organizations. Each shows a format your team can borrow.

St. Louis Arc: "The Nexus" (75th Anniversary Gala mission video)

Premiered at St. Louis Arc's 75th Anniversary Gala, it announces The Nexus, an apartment community where neurodiverse young adults build independent living skills, and links straight to a donation form. Watch on YouTube.

Why it works: it uses a milestone gala to launch a concrete new project, so guests know exactly what their gift builds.

Forest Park Forever: "The Forever Campaign"

A short film for "Forever: The Campaign for Forest Park's Future," a $130 million capital campaign (Forest Park Forever). The campaign went on to raise $139 million in gifts and pledges, $9 million more than its goal (Forest Park Forever). Watch on Vimeo.

Why it works: a capital campaign asks donors to fund something that doesn't exist yet. Film plus renderings lets them see the future park. Our capital campaign video guide covers the format.

St. Louis Children's Hospital Foundation: Playdate Gala video

Made for the foundation's Playdate Gala "to encourage donors to contribute," using footage of patients, parents and caregivers. Watch on Vimeo.

Why it works: parents and caregivers speak for children who can't make the case themselves. See more in our healthcare nonprofit video examples.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis: "What is Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis?"

An introductory mission video explaining what the organization does for families. Watch on YouTube.

Why it works: a simple "what we do" explainer is the video donors, volunteers and corporate partners see first. Every organization needs one, and it should be refreshed every few years.

For more formats, see our best fundraising video examples and nonprofit video examples.

Making video that St. Louis funders respond to

The St. Louis Community Foundation, founded in 1915 as the second community foundation in the U.S., "inspires purposeful philanthropy that connects community and donors to build and preserve a more equitable and vibrant region." Deaconess Foundation invests "in organizing, advocacy and policy change in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois." The Missouri Foundation for Health works "to eliminate underlying causes of health inequities," serving 84 counties and the City of St. Louis. The Saigh Foundation funds projects that "primarily benefit children and youth through education and health care."

1. Speak to equity and place. Several St. Louis funders name equity and the region explicitly. Show the neighborhood and the people your program serves.
2. Put the participant first. One person describing what changed beats a program summary.
3. End on the outcome. Close with the result and what the next grant makes possible. See our grant proposal video guide, our grant video production service and our directory of grants that require a video.

For capacity support, Philanthropy Missouri (founded 1970) convenes funders, and the Network for Strong Communities (founded 1996) supports Missouri and Southern Illinois nonprofits.

St. Louis giving calendar: when to have video ready

• Give STL Day, early May. It was May 7 in 2026. Have a 60-second story, a 15-second countdown teaser and a thank-you clip ready by mid-April. With an average gift around $103, short, specific asks work.
• GivingTuesday, December 1, 2026. Have your story video and teaser ready by mid-November.
• Year-end, December 1–31. Plan a launch video, a mid-month update and a "last chance" cut. Our year-end appeal video guide has the timeline.
• Galas. Film six to eight weeks ahead. Our gala video guide covers premiere films and recaps.

How a St. Louis production works with Happy Productions

• Virtual sessions. Our producer directs a recorded session live, from your office, program site or a participant's home, and our editors deliver finished video. See how virtual sessions work.
• In-person production. For galas, site visits and flagship films, we film with crews from our network of 20,000+ vetted storytellers in 130+ countries.

See everything included in our nonprofit video production services.

Proof from organizations like yours

Our work has passed 1 billion views across campaigns for organizations including Kiva, Heifer International, Lions Clubs International, Search for Common Ground and Children's Miracle Network.

• Inheritance of Hope: national conference storytelling for families facing a parent's terminal illness.
• Junior Achievement: 39 videos and 150,000+ organic reach from staff and student stories in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
• NEDA Milwaukee Walk: 195K views and $14K raised from Midwest event storytelling.

Browse all case studies, or see how we work with disability services, healthcare and environmental nonprofits.

How much does a fundraising video cost in St. Louis?

Happy Productions' Monthly Partnership is $995 a month for one directed session every month, unlimited edits, captions and every platform size, with no contract; the first session and video are free. Per-project quotes from other producers vary with crew, shoot days and editing. For market ranges, read our 2026 nonprofit video cost guide.

Frequently asked questions

Do you film across the St. Louis region?

Yes: St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles and the Metro East in Illinois. Midwest organizations can also read our Kansas City, Indianapolis and Chicago guides.

When should we start for Give STL Day?

Book in February or March so the story video and teasers are ready by mid-April.

Who owns the footage?

You do. Every file is yours to use in appeals, reports, grant applications and social.

Start with a free session

Tell us about your Give STL Day plan, gala or grant deadline and we'll map out the shoot and the cutdowns. Book a free consultation.