Last month, YouTube added another bonus feature called YouTube overlays for any organization that maintains a Nonprofit status on YouTube. Overlays are transparent advertisements that you see pop up near the bottom of a video during viewing. Previously, overlays were reserved for those purchasing advertisements on the site, but nonprofits can now access this feature for free with approved status.

Why are Overlays Useful to Nonprofits?

One of the drawbacks to YouTube has been that they ordinarily restrict any links through video annotations within YouTube to help keep viewers engaged on the site. Having the freedom to provide your own copy and desired URL to link back to a Web site or other online location provides a nice actionable option for viewers.

If you’ve got a nonprofit channel, be sure to give this a try around an upcoming effort that requires online support.

-Scott