Best Nonprofit Videos of November 2024

Step Aside, Winter Chill—November's nonprofit videos whip up a storm of creativity and innovation that will make you forget all about the winter blues. Are you ready? In 3..2…1..

6.Coping with Hair Loss During Cancer Treatment Character Animation

Hair loss during cancer treatments is a delicate, often challenging subject to discuss. Yet, the American Cancer Society’s character animation sheds a warm, reassuring light on this deeply personal experience. 

With its soft, minimalistic design, gentle purples, and warm voiceover, it channels the same empathetic spirit we saw by the same organisation in October’s “Cancer and your mental health.” The result is education without intimidation, making space for honest information to land gently. Sensitive and challenging topics like this are ideally conveyed through animated explainer videos.

5. How the World Lost Track of Antimicrobial Resistance-Mixed Animation & Live-Action

Ever imagine germs smirking at the very medicines designed to stop them? That’s antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for you. If you still think this threat is off in the future, Wellcome’s 7-minute spotlight is here to jolt you awake. Professor Paul Turner and Dr. Andrew Kambugu present a sobering global threat, while modern, vibrant character animation (edited and animated by Violet Wilson Weirdo and illustrated by Conner Perry) collides with old-school documentary-style live-action lab footage—bridging cutting-edge visuals and historical perspective in one eye-popping mash-up. 

The result is a tapestry of bold colours, layered compositions, and nostalgic glassware that transforms data into a vivid warning. The female voiceover leaves no room for laughter: “AMR threat anywhere is an AMR threat everywhere.

4. 5 Predictions for the Future of Space-Versatile Animation Mix

Zooming forward on the timeline of human potential, The Royal Society’s latest production in partnership with @bbcideas gives us a thrilling peek into the not-so-distant possibilities of space travel, resource extraction, and settlement. Much like our October highlight “Could You Survive on the WW2 Diet?” this video uses a collage of character animation, motion graphics, photographic assets, and kinetic typography to craft a visually stunning blend of fact and speculation.

This assortment of styles keeps viewers hooked as the female voiceover playfully ponders “day trip to the moon, anyone?” and casually drops figures like the jaw-dropping estimated worth of asteroid 511 Davida—around 27 quintillion dollars (due to its rare minerals and metals!), a number so colossal it dwarfs the entire global economy many times over. This astronomical valuation reflects how rich space resources truly are, and why cosmic mining could eventually become a reality. It’s easy to imagine AI, robotics, and 3D printing working hand in hand to unleash swarms of autonomous robots mining cosmic materials, and the playful touch of light humour. It ensures even novices to astrophysicists leave inspired, informed, and ready to explore and contribute to life beyond Earth.

3. What Staying Up All Night Does to Your Brain-Character Animation 

Who knew that pulling an all-nighter could look so bright, bouncy, and, dare we say, hilarious? TED-Ed’s 5-and-a-half-minute character animation masterpiece—crafted with love (and, we imagine, a few energy drinks) by Noam Sussman & Ali Kellner at Homework Studio—dives headfirst into the world of sleep deprivation, wrapping scientific facts in vibrant, cartoonish visuals that’ll have you giggling even as you wince at your own late-night study sessions.

The result? A lesson in how “Rome wasn’t built in a day, or for that matter, one night,” delivered by an energetic voiceover who keeps the vibe friendly and the humour flowing. With currently over 1,700,000 views (check again tomorrow, that number’s probably shot up!), one wry viewer commented, “TED-Ed made the right decision to drop this right before finals season”—proving yet again that good timing, a dash of humour, and stellar animation can turn a lecture on brain fog into must-see viewing

2. The Real Reason Polio is So Dangerous-Character Animation 

Who said saving the world from a microscopic foe couldn’t look absolutely adorable? In another TED-Ed video, the poliovirus’s vicious “arms race between medical ingenuity and viral evolution” gets illustrated with soft, rounded characters and soothing earth-tone palettes courtesy of the animator Anton Bogaty. 

Just as we celebrated creative educational flair in September’s “Animals Regrowing Their Limbs Animated Explainer,” here we get a similarly clean, accessible style that deftly transforms a global health baddie into something we can actually understand.

No, there’s no humour here—it’s polio, after all—but the formal, friendly voiceover and the simplified visuals ensure viewers walk away informed rather than intimidated. At 430,000 views and climbing one awestruck commenter simply stated “The animation is fire 🫶,” and who can blame them? Huge kudos to the production team for making a 6+ minute educational epic look effortless.

1. Wisdom’s Wise Words on Ocean Protection Hand-Drawn Animation 

This top pick from Greenpeace plunges into the deep end with a hand-drawn animation style that’s as soft and soothing as a watercolour dream—until you notice the long, lethal lines. Pastel hues and fluid strokes mask a grim tale: turtles, dolphins, and sharks trapped in an endless noose.

The older albatross—voice acting at full tilt—relays harsh truths to a chick, painting vivid scenes where “ships called Long liners…stretch on forever” and beloved characters like “Uncle Feathers”,  a quirky yet tragic character and relative who met his end tangled in a fish line, serve as hard-hitting reminders that human choices can wreck entire ecosystems. It’s a sobering call to action that earned comments urging viewers to “cut back on your fish intake” and join local efforts. Consider this gentle yet harsh reminder your final nudge to step up and protect our watery worlds.

Concluding the Best Nonprofit Videos of November 2024

And there we have it—November 2024’s best nonprofit videos, each one delivering a unique blend of visual wizardry and heartfelt messaging. From character animation that demystifies deadly microbes to hand-drawn illustrations that tug at your environmental conscience, these nonprofits have used style and storytelling to leave lasting impressions.

If you’re a nonprofit communication pro looking to captivate, educate, and maybe even shock your audience into action, take a page from these playbooks. Ready to turn your message into a memorable masterpiece? Let Leon! Animations help you whip up the kind of video that makes viewers gasp, maybe laugh, and—most importantly—do something about it. Let’s animate your cause and watch the world take notice!