“The world needs more of what nonprofits do…”

It goes without saying that 2020 turned out to be challenging - one way or another - for everyone. For nonprofits, it has been especially difficult.  Agencies lost significant sources of revenue, forcing many organizations into survival mode. In the Arts, performance venues that typically cater to live audiences had to shut down or find a way to reach audiences online; some may never reopen.

Jon Pratt, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) executive director, recently wrote “…one lesson of 2020 is that the world needs more of what nonprofits do, often under difficult conditions. Minnesota’s nonprofits can be seen continually responding to community interest and need.”

AMS Digital is honored to work with nonprofit clients, who strive to continue providing resources and services to those in their respective communities, and beyond. This is our why.

Highlights of our work with nonprofits in a challenging year

Nonprofits increase their online visibility

What the pandemic taught us in 2020 is that digital is one thing you can rely on amid so much uncertainty.   Thankfully, that truth has kept AMS Digital in growth mode. In spite of the pandemic, or because of it, AMS had the privilege of completing some significant new design projects for different nonprofits. Pelican Rapids Multicultural Committee, Douglas County HRA in Alexandria, and Crosspoint Alliance in Perham are just a few of the organizations we worked with to design and publish new websites this year.

Pelican Rapids Multicultural Committee first approached us when the pandemic led to cancellation of a big community event they sponsor every summer: the International Friendship Festival. AMS helped them take this celebration of Pelican Rapids’ cultural diversity online with a new website, including many videos, downloadable recipes from a community cookbook, a downloadable coloring book for children, information on monthly Diversity Dinners, a calendar (engaging new members is a challenge for them, like it is for most organizations), and a blog.

In addition to the website and redesigned Facebook page, AMS Digital was retained to develop a multilingual kiosk. Accessible 24/7 on an exterior wall of the public library, it provides people from three language groups with informational videos in their native tongues, covering a wide variety of important topics.

Honoring our veterans

One of the big highlights of our year was the completion of Alexandria’s Veterans Memorial Park.   We were first approached to build their website and assist with their online marketing in April of 2019.   Reinforced by social media and frequent blog posts, the website directly and indirectly helped Alexandria’s Veterans Memorial Park Committee to raise over a million in contributions.  

The park was completed and dedicated in a private ceremony in late June. It was an honor for us to help raise the funds and contribute the slogan which is prominently featured on the memorial: “Let No Veteran Be Forgotten.”  This video conveys (with a celebratory sentiment) what it is like to visit the park:

Local Foods, Local Places: a one-of-a-kind virtual tour

Another important project AMS Digital participated in last fall was the production of a virtual tour of Pelican Rapids for the USDA.  “West Central Initiative (WCI) was tasked with creating a virtual community tour for a federal technical assistance project,” explains Jill Amundson, the Associate Planner for West Central Initiative. “While we could have managed with photos and a map, we really wanted the community to see their assets from our point of view. AMS Digital, on extremely short notice, created a masterpiece.”

A whirlwind project, the virtual tour of Pelican Rapids was produced in a three week period during late summer and early fall. Taking viewers through the town to visit local stores, eateries, and other notable places within the community, this video delivered the vision WCI wanted to capture.

“When we played the video for local stakeholders,” Jill continues, “they were awestruck at the beauty of their community and the strength of their economic position. The pride in their faces as they saw themselves in a new light brought tears to my eyes.”

In addition to making its mark on local stakeholders, WCI was acknowledged for their decision to use AMS for their video. “[We] received accolades from the federal offices on the effectiveness of this strategy. The AMS Digital team understands our mission and creates tools for us that continue to surpass our own imagination. I am so grateful they are part of our team.”

For AMS, the feeling is mutual!

Live Wide Open: even in a pandemic, West Central Minnesota is still a great place to live, work, and play!

For the fourth year, AMS Digital’s crew has been filming stories about the people and communities of West Central Minnesota as part of the Live Wide Open initiative started by WCI. We filmed and edited almost 40 videos this year, and we continued to maintain the ever-growing website that we redesigned over two years ago.

As an active partner in the Live Wide Open program, AMS Digital was also pleased to co-sponsor West Central Initiative’s Annual Meeting in November.

Coming in 2021!

We’ve been lucky to mix business with pleasure by having some fun while working on West Central Minnesota Bound—a spoof of Ron Schara’s Minnesota Bound television show.   Hosted by his brother, Rick, and co-hosted by Clover.  This show takes Live Wide Open to local television, to highlight each of the nine unique counties that make up West Central Minnesota.

Supporting Nonprofits

AMS was pleased and honored to sponsor MCN’s regional monthly newsletter, and in September we also participated as a co-sponsor of MCN’s virtual fall conference.  It was a great opportunity to showcase our experience with nonprofits.

We especially appreciate the testimonial from Maxine Adams, Executive Director of Lake Region Arts Council, with whom we’ve worked since 2010.

Looking ahead to a new year…

Like all of you, we are glad there will soon be a covid vaccine available, and we are glad to have 2020 behind us.  But we are very grateful for all of the work and opportunities we’ve had. As we remain hopeful for the coming year, we look forward to moving beyond the pandemic, to many more new and exciting prospects in the future.

If you want to learn more about our work with nonprofits, check out our listing on the MCN website.

Or just reach out to us. We’d love to hear from you!

Nonprofits and AMS

How Can Video Benefit An Organization?
Whether you run a one-person business from your garage, work in a small startup just getting off the ground, or manage the marketing for a large corporation, there are many ways to use video to your advantage.

Rural Community Gets National Exposure With Video
For those interested in how video can impact your community, we encourage you to branch out and utilize videography for increasing public engagement.

It’s a Labor of Love
Over the years, AMS Digital has had the privilege of supporting many great nonprofit organizations across Minnesota. Working with Alexandria’s Veterans Memorial Park Committee was especially gratifying.