Nonprofit & Fundraising Gala Video Production in San Diego
Fund-a-need and appeal videos, mission stories, PSAs, gala and awards-night coverage, live streams and thank-you videos for San Diego nonprofits, foundations and community organizations.
- Since 1981Four decades of San Diego production
- $25,000 grantWon with help from our impact video
- Award-winningCause documentaries with Gold Aurora & Platinum Ava wins
- Original musicCustom soundtracks by Patty Mooney
Video for San Diego’s Nonprofit Community
Donors give to people, not programs. A well-told video puts a face on your mission, fills the room with feeling on gala night and keeps working for you all year. Crystal Pyramid Productions® has made that kind of video since 1981, for organizations including the San Diego River Park Foundation, the American Red Cross, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, American Lung Association, ARC of San Diego and the Environmental Health Coalition.
Fundraising has been part of our work from the start: in the early 1980s, Mark was behind the camera at the Jerry Lewis Telethon. Cause work is personal for us, too. Our own documentaries about homelessness in San Diego have won national awards, and our community work earned the inaugural Heilbron Award from the San Diego Business Journal and Rotary Club 33. Led by director of photography Mark Schulze and producer and editor Patty Mooney, our small, experienced crew handles everything from a free first consultation to the final edit. Read more about Patty’s work as a nonprofit video producer.
Nonprofit & Gala Video Services
Every video is built around one goal: moving your audience to give, volunteer or speak up.
Fund-a-Need & Appeal Videos
The two-to-four-minute story that plays right before the paddle raise, built to make your ask land with the whole room.
Mission & Impact Stories
Heartfelt interviews with clients, families, volunteers and staff that show the difference your work makes.
Gala & Awards-Night Coverage
Discreet multi-camera coverage of speeches, honorees, performers and auctions, with candid guest moments and interviews.
Live Streams for Remote Donors
Live streaming so supporters who can’t attend can watch, cheer and give from home.
PSAs & Awareness Campaigns
Public service announcements and social spots that raise awareness, recruit volunteers and point people to your cause.
Thank-You & Recap Videos
A same-week highlight video to thank donors, sponsors and volunteers, plus footage to build next year’s appeal.
Nonprofit, Foundation & Community Clients
National charities, local grassroots groups, foundations, libraries and cultural institutions have trusted us with their stories.
- Aircraft Maintenance Technicians Association
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- American Lung Association
- American Red Cross ↗
- ARC of San Diego ↗
- The Chopra Foundation
- Completing the Puzzle
- Environmental Health Coalition ↗
- Girls Think Tank ↗
- Iyengar Yoga National Association of the U.S. (IYNAUS)
- MAAC Project
- Make-A-Wish Foundation
- Muscular Dystrophy Association
- National Gallery of Art
- Olympic Museum, Lausanne
- Rise Up Foundation
- San Diego Public Library
- San Diego River Park Foundation ↗
- VA San Diego Healthcare System ↗
- See all 230+ clients →
A Video That Helped Win a $25,000 Grant
The San Diego River Park Foundation asked us to tell the story of its program working to end homelessness along the San Diego River, where more than 250 people were living on the riverbanks. Through interviews, candid footage and a clear narrative, the video shows how the Foundation restores the river while helping people find housing and support.
The finished video helped the Foundation secure a $25,000 grant for the program. That’s what a good impact video does: it gives funders, donors and gala guests a reason to say yes.
Stories That Move People to Act
We shot and edited The Invisible Ones: Homeless Combat Veterans over several years, giving a voice to the veterans who make up a large share of San Diego’s homeless population. It premiered at film festivals and won a Gold Aurora, a Platinum Ava, a Communitas Award and two Golden Reel Awards.
The same skills go into every nonprofit video we make: earning the trust of the people on camera, listening closely and shaping their words into a story that makes viewers want to help.
Showing Volunteers at Work
Small Acts of Kindness follows the grassroots volunteers of Girls Think Tank and local philanthropist Dave “The Water Man” Ross as they serve San Diego’s homeless. Written, produced and edited by Patty Mooney, it won an Ava Award and was remastered in 2022.
Small organizations often have the most powerful stories and the tightest budgets. We help you capture your volunteers, events and the people you serve in a short film you can show to donors, grantmakers and the media.
PSAs That Inspire Action
For the American Red Cross, we produced a public service announcement that combines interviews and emotional testimonials to show the difference the organization makes in times of crisis. Our nonprofit work goes back to the company’s earliest days: in 1984, Mark Schulze produced and filmed a PSA for ARC of San Diego starring San Diego Padres Steve Garvey and Tim Flannery.
Whether your spokesperson is a sports star, a local celebrity or a family you’ve helped, we’ll make your message clear, warm and the right length for broadcast, social media and your website.
Educating the Public, Coast to Coast
In 1988, we produced Get Smart About Toxics for San Diego’s Environmental Health Coalition. The video teaches residents and waste management workers about the dangers of throwing household toxics in the trash, using a dramatized emergency to show what can happen when they end up in a garbage truck.
The Coalition used it far beyond San Diego: it was distributed across the nation to help communities keep hazardous waste out of the trash. A clear, practical education video can carry your message to audiences you’d never reach in person, and keep doing it for years.
Planning a gala, luncheon or awards night? Ask about a fund-a-need video for the big screen, live streaming for remote donors and a same-week thank-you video.
Before, During & After Your Gala
The best gala videos start weeks before the event. Here’s how we plan for yours.
Before the Gala
A free consultation, then we film your appeal or mission video weeks ahead: interviews with the people you serve, your leadership and your volunteers. We deliver it in time for rehearsal and coordinate playback with your venue’s AV team.
Gala Night
A discreet, owner-operated crew in event attire covers speeches, honorees, entertainment, the auction and the paddle raise, plus candid moments and guest interviews. We can feed the big screens, run teleprompters and stream it live.
After the Gala
A recap and thank-you video for donors and sponsors, short cut-downs for social media, full recordings of key speeches and footage you can use in next year’s appeal. Add event photography for your newsletter and annual report.
What Nonprofit & Event Clients Say
Our nonprofit has nothing but rave reviews for Crystal Pyramid Productions!!! They created an amazing impact video for us on our program working to end homelessness in the San Diego Riverbed. Mark and Patty were not only extremely talented and knowledgeable about what they do, but also the kindest human beings, which made it a true honor to work with them! We are so grateful for all the hard work and passion they put into making a powerful impact video for us that not only had emotional storytelling but also technical excellence. Because of this video, we got a $25,000 grant for this program. THANK YOU Mark and Patty for your amazing work – The San Diego River Park Foundation will be forever grateful!
So wonderful, expectations exceeded!!!! Crystal Pyramid Productions are true professionals and very enjoyable to work with. They acted like a partner throughout the entire process. Their work was top notch (live stream and video recording). I hope we get the opportunity to work with them again in the future. I can’t recommend them enough!
The team at Crystal Pyramid Productions were very professional, communicative, and most importantly, did a wonderful job filming and editing our event. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to document any sort of event on film.
It was a delight to work with Mark, Patty and their team. They provided Videography and Photography services for Iyengar Yoga Convention 2023, San Diego.
Nonprofit & Gala Video Questions
How far ahead should we book a fund-a-need video?
Ideally six to eight weeks before your gala. That leaves time to plan the story, schedule interviews with the people you serve, edit, and make revisions with your team. If your date is closer, call us anyway; we’ve turned around tight deadlines many times.
Can a video help with grant applications?
Yes. Our impact video for the San Diego River Park Foundation helped it win a $25,000 grant. A short, well-told video lets funders see your program and hear from the people it serves, and you can reuse it in reports, at your gala and on your website.
Can you work with our venue’s AV company?
Yes. We regularly work alongside San Diego’s audio-visual companies at hotels, the Convention Center, the USS Midway and other venues. We coordinate playback, big-screen feeds and audio so your video looks and sounds right in the room.
Can you live stream our gala for donors who can’t attend?
Yes. We can stream your program to YouTube, Facebook Live, Zoom or your own website, so remote supporters can watch the speeches and the appeal and give online in real time.
How do you handle filming the people we serve?
With care. We take time to make people comfortable, respect anyone who doesn’t want to appear on camera, and follow your consent and privacy policies. Many of our subjects have never been filmed before, and we know how to help them tell their stories in their own words.
How much does a nonprofit or gala video cost?
It depends on the length, number of shoot days, and whether you need event coverage, live streaming or photography. Pre-production consultations are free, so call (619) 644-3000 or contact us, tell us your budget, and we’ll recommend the most resourceful way to get it done.
Let’s Tell Your Mission’s Story
Tell us about your organization, your event and your goals, and we’ll recommend the most resourceful way to get it done. Pre-production consultations are free.