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Meet our winners!
Bronze
Gold
Platinum
15 August
29 August
Twitter chat: #Storymakers2017
Topic: Nonprofit storytelling tools and methods
28 September
Contest opens
5 September
14 September
5 October
Twitter chat: #Storymakers2017
Topic: Go "Around the World" With Us
12 October
20 November
Winners announced
31 October
Contest closes
30 November
There are many ways to participate in Storymakers 2017 and a wealth of free resources and trainings that are available during our contest. If you need production resources, visit our helpful short course or get our resource and event guides. If your question is about the campaign, let's see if this FAQ can help.
Storymakers is a storytelling campaign that is focused on digital media. Its purpose is to build the skills of media makers and enthusiasts in the nonprofit sector. TechSoup has run this campaign for seven years. Our goal is to educate and inspire nonprofits to create powerful stories about the social benefits of their important work. During the campaign, we offer education, training, online and in-person workshop events, and a contest (the "Contest") to help you get started.
When is the Storymakers campaign?
Submissions will open September 5 at 12:01 a.m. PDT and close October 31, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. Expert and community voting will happen during the first three weeks of November, and prizes will be awarded by November 29.
Who is eligible to participate?
The Contest is open to new and seasoned nonprofit storytellers around the globe. Any nonprofit, library, or charity that is a 501(c)(3) organization (or its equivalent outside the United States) is allowed to enter. Feel free to enter with a YouTube video or an Instagram photo that uses your native language. Good storytelling should overcome language barriers.
Please refer to the terms and conditions for eligibility criteria. The Contest is void in some US states and the Canadian province of Québec. The Contest is void in any and all jurisdictions where advertising promotions for skill contests are prohibited or restricted by law. This Contest is also void in the U.S. Embargo Countries and Sanctioned Countries.
OK, I'm a TechSoup member nonprofit, library, or charitable organization. How can I participate?
After you submit your photos or video, we will communicate regularly via email about Storymakers 2017 activities. We encourage you to participate in these ways.
What are the submission categories?
Please refer to the terms and conditions about required and prohibited content.
What are the prizes?
We will have a total of US$10,000 in cash prizes to award to organizations in five categories (see above) for $2,000 per category.
How will voting and prizes work?
After our submission period closes on October 31, 2017, expert and community voting will happen during the first three weeks of November. The community voting will occur from November 1, 2017, to November 20, 2017. Prizes will be announced by November 29, 2017.
You can vote once per 24-hour period in the People's Choice category during the voting period. The People's Choice Award will go to the submission with the highest number of votes in that category. A select group of judges will review the top submissions in the other four categories.
What is the time limit on a video submission?
We will accept a video that is up to five minutes in length. Please note that the average attention span when people view video content online is approximately 90 seconds.
How many entries can I submit?
This year, you can submit to only one award category that fits your budget.
If you are an organization that is based outside the US, you can submit to the Orbis Unum Award AND a category that is based on budget size.
All eligible submissions that are made to the categories that are based on budget size and to the Orbis Unum Award are eligible to receive the People's Choice Award.
The goal of the Contest is to excite nonprofits about the power of digital storytelling, so we encourage you to submit your highest-quality videos.
I already made a short video for my organization; can I still enter?
Yes! You can submit videos that have been made within the last 12 months; as long as you meet the requirements, you're welcome to enter!
Is there any cost to enter or participate?
No, all webinars and resources are free, and it's free to enter the Contest.
Do I need to be a member of TechSoup?
No, you do not, but there is no cost to become a member. And members of TechSoup have access to a catalog of over 400 technology products. These products been donated by businesses such as Microsoft, Adobe, Symantec, Intuit, and more. Visit TechSoup.org to become a TechSoup member.
Please note that if you are not currently a member, TechSoup will ensure that your organization meets the eligibility criteria for the Contest before we award any prizes. The eligibility criteria are outlined above.
Who do I contact with more questions?
Send us an email at storymakers@techsoup.org.
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Your event, your way.
Get Started with Adobe Photoshop
Join us April 11 for a primer on all the cool and useful things you can do with Adobe Photoshop CC. It’s the first of our Tech30 series of 30-minute webinars. Join our free online course to get access to all Tech30 installments.
Get Your Nonprofit Storytelling Resource and Event Guides
Adobe is proud to award the Driving Change Award, which is open to organizations with budgets of US$500,000 to US$1 million. See all of our winners.
Check out previous Storymakers submissions.
To see more examples of previous Storymakers submissions, check out last year's winners in our blog post and more photo examples in our Storymakers featured photos.
Step 1
Upload your video to YouTube or post a photo to Instagram with the hashtag #Storymakers2017.
Step 2
Fill out the form below and submit your video or photo story.
Step 3
Share your entry with friends to gain votes starting on November 1!
How do I participate in the Storymakers contest?
You can participate in the Storymakers contest by submitting one photo via Instagram and/or one video via YouTube.
Our third annual Storymakers "Round the World" Twitter chat took place on October 5, 2017.
We shared the best storytelling tips from Latin America, Ghana, and Kenya: how storytelling can bring light to darkness, illuminating and inspiring change around the refugee crisis. Check out the conversation from the chat and discover the best tactics for storytelling and campaign advocacy as we examine the "Closing the Digital Divide" successes.
Enjoy our #Storymakers2017 Moments, where you can find all the conversations.
We are honored to present the judges for Storymakers 2017.
Cynthia Adams has been dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations identify and secure the funding they need to do their good work for well over 40 years. Cynthia founded GrantStation because she believes that grantseeking requires a thorough understanding of the funders and sound knowledge of the philanthropic playing field.
Teddy is a nonprofit leader with 28 years of communications experience gained in both Europe and the USA. He is a keen advocate of digital community building. He believes storytelling to be the most potent way to do this and that the best storytelling transcends classification and fuses us together in universal humanity.
Diane Colgan has been with Enclude since 2009 and is responsible for helping charities navigate the tech donations program and new offerings. Enclude is an award-winning Irish social enterprise and the largest technology charity in Europe. With a proud background in sales, development, and administration, Diane is passionate about helping others and loves how technology can support the amazing work done by so many people in incredible organizations in Ireland. Outside of Enclude, Diane loves spending time with her little, young family.
Cristina Graham is the program director at Mobile Beacon, an organization that provides high-speed, low-cost, mobile Internet access to community anchor institutions: the nonprofits, schools, libraries, and health-care organizations that provide vital services to millions of Americans every day. Ms. Graham oversees all of Mobile Beacon's programs and partnerships, working with clients to ensure they have the broadband connectivity needed to serve their mission and communities.
With her team, Rebecca believes in the power of stories and digital media for social impact. Our Better World tells stories of people in Asia doing good to inspire everyday people globally to come alongside to contribute in meaningful ways. An eternal optimist, she combines her eye for opportunities with her love for people, bringing partners alongside on this journey of pursuing a shared vision. A three-year stint in India changed her life and led her to enter the nonprofit space. After a decade of pursuing her passion in tourism and marketing, she now applies her marketing and communications skills to impact lives through digital storytelling.
People's Choice Award voting begins
November 1
November 20
People's Choice Award voting ends
1 November
29 November
Congratulations to our winners of Storymakers 2017. We were overwhelmed by the quality, hope, care, and social impact found in all the Storymakers 2017 submissions. These winners will each receive $2,000. And the winners are...
This award is given to a nonprofit with a budget less than US$500,000.
This award is given to a nonprofit with a budget that is US$500,000 to US$1 million or local equivalent (sponsored by Adobe).
The Oasis Sanctuary Capital Expansion Project by The Oasis Sanctuary
This award is given to a nonprofit with a budget over US$1 million or local equivalent.
This award is open to nonprofit organizations outside the U.S.
Livestock Insurance to Protect Snow Leopards by Snow Leopard Trust
Explore all of the Storymakers 2017 entries below and read our rules, terms, and conditions.