So we’re talked about how using your video skills to give back is rewarding in and of itself.  But like editing weddings, if one gets caught up in a backlog of favors, what could’ve once experienced as a blessing now becomes a nightmare.

So whenever doing something for free, it’s important to clearly communicate what you will provide, what the client must provide, when they can expect the project to be finished, etc.  In short, it is still very similar to a business transaction.

When you decide to take on a non-profit (to you) project, be proactive and support a cause or organization whose mission you support.  As you grow your business, you will be approached by no shortage of organizations wanting you to do pro-bono work, so it’s helpful to be able to say, “as much as I would love to help you out, my business is already supporting The Human Fund with our services.”

As you begin a service project, communicate the following:

• how much time you can give to a project, and how much time you would expect their requests to take.  They must know that meeting with them to understand their mission better counts as the time you are giving to the project.
• what they need to provide you with before production begins.
• how many copies they will get, and where can they go to make copies themselves, or how much additional copies will cost.  If you allow them to expect unlimited copies, or getting copies from you exclusively, then they will surely take you up on it, and at the worst possible time!
• if you will be providing a web-ready version, communicate that you are not a webmaster and that it will be up to them to insert the video online.  Even if you offer to help them insert code into their blog, then chances are they won’t see the difference between that and you being able to program changes into their html.  Expect the project to snowball.

One thing for sure – if you wait until you have time to do a service project, it will never occur – it is something for which you must make time – and as long as you stay on top of the project rather and communicate clearly versus taking an “it’s free, so I’ll just work on it in my spare time” attitude, your service project should be successful and rewarding.

I’m interested in your comments about your service projects and how you’ve kept something that’s “free” from taking over your life.

Happy serving!
jones

Greetings IN[FOCUS] Reader,

With the Holidays fast approaching, Corbin and I have come to the conclusion we want to reach out to our community more. We’ve come to believe that giving back for free and expecting nothing in return will do more for us and our business in the long run. Obviously, in these economic times not everything you do can be pro bono, but every once in a while something will come a long that just feels right.

In October, we were approached by one of our favorite Wedding Planners wondering if we could do a Tribute Video for St. Philip’s School & Community Center. We would just have to weave together pre-existing video clips and photos. We spent no more than 6 hours on St. Philip’s Tribute Video, all after the regular workday was done.

The Tribute Video was presented at the school’s yearly gala, which is also one of their biggest fundraisers. The video was such a hit that our St. Phillip’s contact invited us to the school’s morning chapel service where we were honored for our time and talent.

For Corbin and I, the gratitude from the children and faculty was worth wayyyyy more than we would’ve ever charged for 6 hours of post production. We don’t know if the good buzz made its way back to our Wedding Planer, but, we’ve booked two weddings from her since she emailed us to pitch in for this worthwhile cause!

You may not feel like you have time to give to others, and the truth is, you don’t!  You have to make time.  But making time is always worth it, even when you know you’ll be receiving no compensation in return.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Dave, Corbin – Soulbox

p.s. Here’s a truncated version of the video we created from the client’s footage.  While the production value wasn’t that as if we shot it all ourselves, the client loved it, and it provided a valuable service to them.  So don’t be held back by perfectionism when there are plenty of organizations that would love to have any effort you can muster.