Shining a new light on grassroots-led movements

Working with NGOs is something I love doing, especially when I resonate with their mission and approach.
It helps with that nagging voice inside my head telling me I’m a sell-out whenever I do something commercial (which is a lot).
And, not gonna lie, it feels good to be on the side of charities and organisations trying to mend the world’s aches, especially in the current political climate. They need all the help they can get.

So I was thrilled by the chance to work with the lovely people from Thousand Currents & get to write the scripts for a couple of videos brought to life by the super talented illo.tv team.

The first one is a brand video introducing Thousand Currents’ mission, approach and special fundraising systems: a constellation of grant-making support designed to help grassroots movement create lasting impact. So, you know, not the “here’s some money & wish you all the best” scheme. The script shone a light on the organisation’s tireless work across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, explaining how they empower local associations, establish communities and provide legal, economic, and social support – all in 1 minute 👀.

The second video takes a different narrative approach: focusing on the way Thousand Currents are shifting the funding paradigm, I used excerpts and quotes from their interviews, opening a window into the world of these practices. The result is a story that puts the grassroots organizations perspectives & challenges front and center, weaving in the necessary call to action for funders to reassess their approach.

Here’s how that all turned out👇

Client: Thousand Currents

Directed & Produced by illo.tv — team credits: Creative Direction: Cristina Pasquale + Illustration Lead Sofia Buti + Animation Lead David Cubitt + Illustration Alessandra Marin + Animation Fabio Orlando + Copywriting Emilia Barbu + Producer Daniel Ceballos + Sound Design Fabrizio Martini + Portfolio Case Study Giovanna Crise

#TLDR: NGO, Copywriting, Script, Motion Design, Thousand Currents, Funding practices, Grassroots movements