YouTube non-profit partner spotlight: A CNN for the slums

Friday, March 13, 2009 | 1:04 PM

Labels: , ,

Video Volunteers is a YouTube non-profit partner and Google Grantee who is using video in innovative ways to amplify the voices of citizens in the developing world. Put simply, the organization is creating a self-described "CNN or BBC for the one billion people living on less than two dollars a day."

But they're doing things a little differently from mainstream media outlets. Rather than creating content themselves, Video Volunteers is trying to empower people living in slums and villages around the world by giving them the tools they need to create videos. By enabling local communities to tell their own stories through the use of affordable video and editing equipment, Video Volunteers hopes to set up a "global community media network."

They're already doing amazing work in India, demonstrated by this video, in which children speak out about the need for a playground in their neighborhood:



Feeling inspired by Video Volunteers? If you're a 501c3, you can sign up for your own YouTube channel and apply to the YouTube Nonprofit Program to get great perks like increased channel branding, the option to embed a Google Checkout button on your YouTube channel and the ability to upload longer videos. You can also visit www.youtube.com/nonprofits for tips on how to leverage YouTube most effectively for your organization.