Project Defending Life

story-driven fundraising video

The Backstory

Project Defending Life is a pro-life nonprofit in New Mexico, dedicated to fostering a culture of life and affirming the dignity of every person. With a vision to increase their donor base and secure essential funding, Project Defending Life needed compelling, mission-centered storytelling to reach hearts and inspire action. As part of their strategy, they aimed to create an emotional impact at their annual gala, giving donors a tangible view of the lives they were helping to save and support.

The Challenge

Project Defending Life struggled to showcase the real-life impact of their work, often making it difficult for donors to see their direct influence on individuals.
They needed a powerful, story-driven film to engage gala attendees emotionally and inspire giving on a deeper level.
The post-Roe era has fueled “abortion tourism” from surrounding states like Texas, making it more challenging and costly to reach both clients and donors.
With an ambitious 2024 fundraising goal of $1 million, they sought impactful storytelling to help bridge the gap, having raised $450,000 before the gala.

The Strategy

GALA TESTIMONIAL FILM

We created a testimonial-style video designed to captivate and inspire the gala audience, highlighting a personal story that embodied Project Defending Life’s mission and impact.

Featured the story of a local mother who was helped by Project Defending Life during her pregnancy, showcasing the organization’s life-saving support.
The film’s narrative was crafted to emotionally resonate with viewers, connecting their support with a life-affirming outcome.
We used close-up shots during emotional moments to capture the mother’s expressions, inviting viewers into her story and creating an intimate connection with her journey.
To enhance authenticity, we relied on natural lighting, giving the scenes a warm, relatable feel that resonated with the real-life impact of Project Defending Life’s work.
The use of voice-overs allowed key players to share their story directly, making their words a focal point and guiding viewers through the journey in the mother’s and executive director’s own voices.
Our storytelling approach aimed to encourage one-time and recurring donations, prompting donors to act and become part of the solution.

Watch the Video

Why It Works

By highlighting the story of a mother’s journey with Project Defending Life, the gala video offered attendees a heartfelt and relatable view of the organization’s impact. The personal narrative provided a face and voice to the cause, allowing donors to see the tangible results of their support. This approach helped reinforce Project Defending Life as a powerful force in their community, encouraging attendees to contribute generously.

The Results

The film emotionally moved many in the audience, prompting a number of attendees to donate for the first time.

Attendees shared that the video deepened their connection to Project Defending Life’s mission, leaving a lasting impact that encouraged ongoing support.

Before: $450,000 raised, with an ultimate goal of $1M in 2024

After: A record-setting year: PDL raised $1.1M in 2024, surpassing their goal by $100,000!