World Central Kitchen Video on Ukraine for Fundraising
In a World Central Kitchen (WCK) video about Ukraine, on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion, students will see illustrations of emotional appeal, compassion, and clear themes for fundraising.
Here are a few points about the video for our students, with an eye on the communication objective of fundraising:
Starts with lessons learned. This approach is consistent with research showing better responses to LinkedIn profiles that balance the writer’s journey with outcomes. Describing learnings demonstrates humility and conveys what the study authors call “warmth,” a word used later in the WCK video. To contribute to a nonprofit organization, funders may want to be part of the journey—part of the story.
Emphasizes “long-term humanitarian aid.” From those lessons, the staff say they were able to adapt from emergency response to a longer-term solutions. They stress their commitment and the ongoing work involved, which requires funding.
Representatives speak Ukrainian. English captions don’t appear on the website, only on YouTube. Of course, the language spoken is a practical decision so staff can tell their own story, but it also conveys being “on the ground,” or as they say in the video, on “the frontline” and with “boots on the ground.”
Includes data. 40 kitchens opened illustrates reach, and 4,000+ vegetables seems like a lot, although that one is tough to comprehend without imagery or comparisons, as we teach for data communication.
Repeats the theme. A theme—”side by side”—shows how WCK staff work alongside those in need to provide not just food but emotional support. Images throughout emphasize this point—no talking heads, rather, people working together.
Showcases José Andrés. About halfway into the video, we hear from the famed chef, restaurateur, and WCK founder José Andrés: “We believe this is the future of humanitarian relief. This is the future of food relief. In the process of helping some people, don’t throw money at the problem; try to invest in the solutions.”
Stresses cultivation. Then we see people growing seeds, a greenhouse project—solutions for long-term self-sufficiency in addition to the hot meals WCK provides.
Balances imagery. We see several short videos of destruction in Ukraine, particularly bombed buildings, but we don’t see other realities of war. The prevailing message is of hope, and the focus is on people and food.
All this to say, WCK needs a lot of funding to achieve its mission. The work of being “on the ground,” working alongside people, and providing hot meals is expensive.
Students might analyze how the website images and text support these messages.