Back in September, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) hosted a video competition on YouTube looking for submissions for an anti-dogfighting PSA.  After reviewing the user-generated content (UGC), two winners would emerge: one picked by HSUS and the other by members.

The competition drew 2,000 new members to their email list, provided HSUS a whole batch of new online videos to use, and garnered over 95,000 views of the winning clip.

The price of hosting the competition?  Almost free. 

Carie Lewis, internet marketing manager at HSUS, explains how the nonprofit organization pitched the low cost campaign and shares advice to other nonprofits looking to do the same.

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Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Tim Treanor, Chairman and CEO at Online Video Service, a firm that specializes in video content management for nonprofits.

Tim managed his first political campaign at the age of 20; by 30, he had managed two Congressional victories. He has 20 years of management, public relations and media-development experience, including the production of TV and radio commercials and award-winning rich media websites. At Treanor & Associates, his public affairs and political consulting firm, clients included RealNetworks, The Casey Family Programs and the American Bar Association.

Read on to learn this expert's view on the current state of nonprofits and online video, tips and hints on how to maximize your video's impact, and how much all of this really costs.  

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You've heard of YouTube.  You've heard of...well, have you heard of anyone else?  Believe it or not, YouTube is not the be all end all of video hosting sites.  Competition is here and in a serious way.

Rather than join the ranks of the hundreds of other blog entries introducing and comparing these other sites, we'll just give you the links to some of the best around the 'Net.  Not only that, but here's also some help with how your nonprofit can use these great video hosting sites. 

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Have a look at our Earth Day marketing campaign. Did you know that the average North American consumes as if we had five planets? Check out the Care2 and Free Range One Planet pledge. We'll be posting widely around the web. If you'd like to help, use the "share" link in the lower right of the video, or grab the embed code here:  <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UzXRxP7jBSU"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UzXRxP7jBSU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Thanks for joining us at the Care2 Open House Party!  We had a blast and we hope you enjoyed yourself and met some cool people.

If you liked the food at the open house, you can thank Blair Cirlin and her team at Fresh Start Catering, a nonprofit service of D.C. Central Kitchen. If you liked the music, you can thank Justin, because it was his idea! But seriously, Mariachi Los Toros can be reached at carepalo_jazz@hotmail.com. Photography was provided by the very talented Joe Shymanski, a local artist who also features his work at Eastern Market.

I was very honored to be able to share such good times with you all. If you have any suggestions for ways to make our next open house even more enjoyable, please don't hesitate to let me know. I welcome your feedback.

Nonprofit communications professionals need to get their message across and they know they have to compete to make that happen.  Of course that competetition is apparently quite fierce.  By some estimates, the average consumer is innundated with about 1 million messages annually.  If you do the math, that comes to about 3000 messages per day! 

And these messages are seemingly everywhere.  From the moment you wake up to the radio and open the day's paper, you're bombarded with messaging.  Don't turn on your tv or your computer, they're definitely there...in full force.  You certainly can't escape them when you step out the door to begin your morning commute, they're on billboards, buses and store fronts along the way to work.  If you've seen a blimp lately, you'll know that advertising is now plastered there too.  Someday ads might even orbit over our heads in space.

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If you have always considered yourself a true revolutionary, it's about time you open wide for The Mouth Revolution.  Free Range Studios created this innovative movement, sponsored by Annie's Homegrown, to promote organic food consumption and the elimination of conventional pesticides, chemicals and additives that are making mouths and other important body parts unhappy.  If you've seen the Grocery Store Wars and The Meatrix, then you've experienced the trademark goofy-yet-educational approach Free Range uses to spread its message.  The one-of-a-kind graphic design company prides itself in having Amnesty International and Clif Bar as its valued customers, offering "communication and strategy services to companies and organizations whose vision goes beyond turning the world into a strip mall."

Free Range's latest movement debuts in a 5-minute video packed to the cheeks with delicious Mouthist propaganda.    If you've noticed your chops acting insolent lately, the mini mockumentary will offer some amusing explanations for your troubles.  Afficionados of wacky humor and healthy eating will sympathize with upside-down mouths proclaiming a new "Mouthifesto" in multinational accents, demolishing American fast food  icons (with their teeth, of course), and marching on the White House to change America's eating habits. Sound appetizing? Strap a little beret on your chin and join "Mouth-hatma Ghandi" and "Mouth-colm X" in their jubilant cries of "Power to the pie holes!"

Apparently, the moutholución will be televised...