Success Stories

Uplifting Volunteer Voices For Education & Awareness

While the “YMCA” brand is extensively known, one challenge many YMCAs face is that community members do not know how much they rely on volunteers to perform their mission. The YMCA of Northern Alberta sought a way to combat that misconception head-on, in order to boost volunteer recruitment as well as find a unique way to inspire more donations.

They know information about volunteering can be readily found on a website or social channels, but they understand stock photos don't convey the full message. They knew real stories from real people would be exceedingly more impactful. So, they set out to collect authentic, boots-on-the-ground volunteer testimonials, without the cost of traditional videographers and interview teams.

That’s where MemoryFox came in.

How did they do it? The Collect, Organize & Share Method:

YMCA of northern alberta memoryfox success story collect volunteer stories

1. Collect Stories From Volunteers

In preparation of Volunteer Appreciation Week, which takes place in mid-April, the YMCA of Northern Alberta’s Social Media & Communications Coordinator reached out to their volunteer supervisors and asked them to assist them in collecting stories using a “Why We Volunteer” MemoryFox campaign. The supervisors strategically tapped the shoulders of engaged volunteers, and asked them one simple question: How has volunteering positively impacted you?

YMCA of northern alberta memoryfox success story organize volunteer stories

2. Organize & Access Videos from Volunteers

Prior to MemoryFox, the team at the YMCA of Northern Alberta encountered constant issues with sharing story files. Specifically, they struggled with finding an easy way to share high-quality videos with their media team. Thankfully, MemoryFox’s unlimited admin seats allows for every member of a team to have access to your organization’s Story Bank. Just like that - the media team could access the high-quality volunteer videos at any moment.

YMCA of northern alberta memoryfox success story share volunteer stories

3. Share On Social Channels & Beyond

Next, the team at YMCA of Northern Alberta chose the most compelling parts of each video submission to build one cohesive composite video. Placing the stories back-to-back was a wonderful way to show the different reasons why people volunteer. Finally, they added background music and captions to create a powerful finalized piece. The composite video became a high-performing social media post and newsletter piece that increased awareness about the YMCA of Northern Alberta's volunteer opportunities, as well as made volunteers feel recognized and appreciated!

"MemoryFox has enriched our fundraising campaigns and allowed us to share messages of appreciation directly from those impacted. MemoryFox is not only super useful for me but it really gives our community members an opportunity to feel seen and heard, and that's what I love most about it."

Luke Ehrenholz

Social Media & Communications Coordinator