Consent for a nonprofit storytelling video means the person on camera knows exactly where the video will be shown, agrees freely without worrying that their services depend on it, can skip any question or withdraw, and gets to see how they’re portrayed before it goes public. A signed release is the minimum, not the finish line. Done well, consent doesn’t weaken the story. It makes it stronger, because people who feel safe tell the truth on camera.

This guide is part of our nonprofit video production series. It’s written for development and communications teams planning a shoot with the people their programs serve.

What does informed consent mean for a nonprofit video?

Informed consent is permission given with full knowledge of how the footage will be used and what could happen as a result. In ethical storytelling it is also ongoing (the person can withdraw before, during, or after filming) and specific (a new use means asking again).

That definition follows Global Fund for Women’s Ethical Storytelling Guidelines, which set out three consent principles: informed consent, continued or ongoing consent (participants can revoke “before, during and after” collection), and retrospective consent, meaning permission is sought again if material is repurposed beyond its original purpose. The same guidelines say the route to revoke consent should always stay open and accessible.

Why isn’t a signed media release enough?

Because a release covers what’s legal, not what’s fair. In Blue Avocado’s guide to ethical storytelling, Amy L. Piñon warns that collecting a blanket media release doesn’t make it ethical to use someone’s story in ways they didn’t agree to. A parent who agreed to appear in a thank-you video for donors may not expect to see themselves in a paid social ad two years later.

Piñon also recommends telling participants when a video will play at a fundraising event and who will be in the audience, and getting consent again before posting publicly or making a new version. That’s a small amount of work for a large amount of trust.

What should you do before, during, and after the shoot?

Use this as a checklist with your program staff and your video crew.

Before the shoot

• Explain every planned use in plain language: gala screen, website, email, social, grant applications. Name the audience.
• Make it clear that saying no changes nothing about the services the person receives. Have someone other than their case manager ask, if possible.
• Offer privacy options up front: first name only, voice only, silhouette, hands-and-detail shots, or a changed name.
• Get guardian consent for minors, and the young person’s own agreement too. Blue Avocado notes that older children and teens can give real feedback on how they’re shown.
• Decide on compensation. Piñon’s view is direct: if you can’t afford to compensate people for sharing their stories, you shouldn’t ask them. A gift card or stipend acknowledges their time.
• Share the questions in advance, so nobody is surprised on camera.

During the shoot

• Remind people they can stop, skip a question, or take a break at any point, especially when the conversation gets heavy.
• Don’t dig for the worst moment. Ask about what changed and what they hope for, not just what went wrong.
• Keep the crew small and the room calm. A trusted staff member nearby helps.
• Re-confirm at the end that the person is still comfortable with what they shared.

After the shoot

• Show them the cut before it’s public. Blue Avocado recommends that storytellers approve edits, and that internal staff aren’t the final decision-makers about how someone is represented.
• Ask again for new uses. A grant version, an ad, or a new campaign is a new request.
• Tell them how the story was used, and what it helped raise or change. Global Fund for Women commits to keeping an ongoing relationship and sharing updates with the people featured.
• Keep a simple way to withdraw, and a record of who agreed to what, so a future staff member doesn’t reuse footage outside its consent.

How do you show beneficiaries with dignity on camera?

Tell the story from strength, not pity. Global Fund for Women’s guidelines say they won’t exploit pain, suffering, or vulnerability for a compelling story. Blue Avocado warns against “saviorism,” framing the person as someone rescued by the nonprofit, and recommends a strength-based approach that shows the person’s own agency. In practice:

• Let people speak for themselves. Their words on camera, not a narrator explaining their life.
• Show them doing, not just suffering. Cooking, teaching, working, laughing with their kids.
• Frame the organization as a partner, not the hero. “She found a path, and we helped,” not “we saved her.”
• Skip the sad-music clichés. Slow-motion tears and minor-key piano tell donors how to feel, and donors notice.
• Don’t fake it. Never use AI-generated or stock people presented as your beneficiaries. Global Fund for Women states plainly that it doesn’t use AI to generate, create, or modify images.

What if someone can’t be identified?

Some of the most important stories come from people who can’t show their face: survivors, people in recovery, undocumented clients, minors in care. You can still film them well:

Option	When it works
Silhouette or backlit interview	The voice and the story carry the piece, and the face must stay hidden.
Hands, details, and environment	Close-ups of hands, objects, and places show a life without showing a person.
Voice over program footage	The person records audio only. Visuals come from consented program b-roll.
Staff or volunteer as narrator	Someone close to the work tells a composite or anonymized story, clearly labeled as such.
Changed name and blurred details	Use with care. Remove anything identifying in the background, such as street signs, school logos, or mail.

Decide on the option before the shoot day, so the crew can light and frame for it. Aktion’s nonprofit page lists silhouette and de-identified shots as standard options, with releases and guardian consent handled in the Plan phase, before anyone is filmed.

Key takeaway: A blanket release isn’t consent for every future use. Ask again whenever a story moves to a new audience, a new format, or a new campaign.

Where does this matter most?

Everywhere a story travels further than the person expected. A fund-a-need video for your gala is shown to a room full of donors, then often emailed and posted. A video for grant applications is watched by reviewers you’ll never meet. Both are good uses of a story, as long as the person knew they were coming.

Frequently asked questions

Can someone withdraw consent after the video is published?

They should be able to. Ethical storytelling guidelines such as Global Fund for Women’s keep the right to revoke open after filming. In practice, you can stop using the video, take it down from your own channels, and remove it from future campaigns, but you can’t recall copies others have shared. Be honest about that limit before the shoot.

Should we pay people to share their stories?

Many ethical storytelling advocates say yes. Blue Avocado’s guide argues that storytelling takes time and emotional labor and should be compensated like other work. Even a modest stipend or gift card tells the person their time matters. Check with your finance and program leads on how to handle it for the people you serve.

How do we film children in a nonprofit video?

Get written consent from a parent or legal guardian, and the child’s own agreement in age-appropriate language. Global Fund for Women’s guidelines call for a written agreement signed by both the child and their guardian. If there’s any risk to the child, use a privacy option instead of their face. Run your consent forms past your own counsel, since this guide isn’t legal advice.

Does ethical storytelling make videos less effective?

No. A person who trusts the process gives a more honest, more specific interview, and specific stories are what move donors. Dignified stories also protect your reputation: donors notice when a video feels exploitative, and so do the communities you serve.

Planning a story shoot?

Aktion builds consent into the Plan phase of every nonprofit shoot in Orlando and across Florida: releases, guardian consent, privacy options, and a shoot day designed around the people telling their stories. See how we work on our nonprofit video production page.

Sources

• Global Fund for Women, Ethical Storytelling Guidelines (PDF, 2024)
• Amy L. Piñon, Blue Avocado, Ethical Storytelling for Nonprofits
• Aktion Productions, Non Profit Video Production (releases, guardian consent, silhouette and de-identified options)

Related guides

• How to make a fund-a-need video for your gala
• Video for grant applications
• Capital campaign video: what to film and when
• Nonprofit video production in Orlando