2012 Nonprofit PR Awards: Video and or Podcast Program

Winner: Counterpart International — Multimedia Package: Guatemala

As a nonprofit working in 23 countries to empower communities and institutions to drive and sustain their own development, sometimes Counterpart International’s staff is absorbed in their own particular projects, geography or program, and they aren’t tuned into successes in other areas. To bring together global staff and educate them on the work being done in Guatemala, the team looked to video. In late April 2011, two Counterpart communications staffers and a freelance videographer traveled to Guatemala for four days: touring Guatemala City, flying to Petén in northern Guatemala, visiting three main tourism sites, meeting the mayor of the Chisec region, traversing a cave, visiting Mayan ruins and interviewing 11 people.

The last week of June, a Web site portal was launched featuring a four-minute video, a slideshow, an eight-page magazine editorial spread and a 1,750 word feature. The video and feature story were picked up by several blogs, including TripFilms and Adventures with Cloud People, and sparked a movement among Counterpart staff—suddenly everyone wanted to communicate the work they do around the world with their peers. —BM

Honorable Mentions:

American Academy of Opthalmology – Want Scary Eyes? The Dangers of Non-Prescription Decorative Contact Lenses: The AAO crafted social media press releases that included high-res images and video PSAs, including two “this is your brain on drugs”-style videos. The goal—to warn teens and their parents of the health dangers associated with non-prescription contacts.

Greater Rochester Enterprise and Dixon Schwabl– Eyes on the Future Radio Show: Podcasts created for GRE’s weekly upscale, business-oriented radio audience were designed with convenience in mind—users could share segments via their social networks. The podcasts have driven a 25% increase in the number of monthly visitors to GRE’s Web site.