How To Conduct A Nonprofit Interview
Shooting an Interview of Virgil Roberts conducted by Roshin Mathew on behalf of The California Community Foundation in 2019.
Interviews are one of the most important components in every nonprofit video that I’ve worked on. As I see it, the many steps required to do them well are also potential points of failure. Selecting and pre-screening interview subjects, preparing questions, scouting locations, planning equipment and lighting needs, scheduling crew if needed, and crafting the environment within the frame, are just a few examples; on top of that, conducting the interview itself should not be left to chance. Here are some basic strategies to help you conduct your nonprofit interview for your fundraising or marketing efforts.
Selecting a Subject
What is the story you’re trying to tell on behalf of your nonprofit? And what part of that story can your subject contribute? Are they a program administrator or former recipient of services? No matter who they are, do take the time required to build trust beforehand and make sure they are comfortable with the whole process. Sharing some of the questions beforehand will also help reduce their discomfort once the camera is rolling.
Note: Getting written consent is super important. If they’re minors, you have to get consent from their parents. You can find boilerplate forms online and tweak them per your lawyers recommendations.
The Not-So-Hot Seat
If you’re the one interviewing the subject, you are obviously not on camera but your presence and behaviors do impact the subject and ultimately, what the audience sees.
Don’t rush the questions and try not to interrupt the subject while they’re answering. Avoid giving verbal affirmations such as “uh-huh”, “right,” etc. while the subject is talking, you want to keep your audio track clean. Maintain eye contact and give silent nods to encourage their responses. A good way to signal that they should probably move on is to look down at your notes. :)
Packaged Answers
If the subject is “media-trained” they may have the ability to think and deliver responses in short sound-bite-like sentences, which is great in the editing room but not always realistic or authentic. Subjects can often get off track or forget the question you’ve asked, so don’t be afraid to ask for rephrased responses to get a smooth and usable delivery.
In most cases, no one will ever hear the interviewers question. Subjects will often assume that it’s perfectly acceptable to give a one word “Yes” or “No” response. Ask them to rephrase the question, not only to see if they heard it correctly, but also to encourage them to package their response with the appropriate context.
What Makes A Good Question?
There are so many ways to elicit a story from your subjects; these are only some recommendations. Crafting a good question deserves its own book.
As an initial step, I try to do some background research on behalf of the audience who will be seeing the content and try to fill the gaps as I go along. This important step helps nurture your curiosity before and during the interview.
I try to group questions into three main categories ranked according to how open-ended they are: The What, The How, and The Why (most open-ended). These are only a few examples of course:
What do they do? What is a day in their life? : Usually pretty easy and basic things to answer. Surface level.
How is their experience different? How did the nonprofit help them through a difficult time?: Tends to be a more involved question which forces them to draw comparisons or unpack old emotions.
Why do they get up every day? Why did they seek help?: These are definitely more involved, either because they are existential in nature or because they force them to confront their true motivations. These are often more difficult questions to answer.
Show Your Gratitude
Saying thank you isn’t as powerful as showing it. If appropriate, send your interview subject a thank you note and share the content with them. Sometimes, sharing it with them before it is even released will help them feel more included—their blessing matters. Relationships with subjects should be nurtured and cared for, without them, the stories you are trying to tell can’t see the light of day.
-Reuben
Watch some recent work we did with The California Community Foundation for their annual report! Visit their website to learn more!
CCF launched BLOOM in 2012 to address the overwhelming disparities faced by Black male youth involved in L.A. County's juvenile justice system. Today BLOOM is stitched into the fabric of L.A.