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Which platforms showed the largest donation lift from short-form video in 2025?
Executive summary
Available reporting compiled here does not give a definitive, ranked list of which platforms produced the largest donation lift from short‑form video in 2025; instead, multiple industry and agency pieces identify TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts as the primary short‑form channels nonprofits use to drive donations and engagement [1] [2] [3]. Several sources cite strong engagement and conversion benefits from short‑form and fundraising video generally — for example, short videos under 2 minutes get higher completion rates and video viewers are substantially more likely to donate — but they stop short of attributing a quantified, platform‑by‑platform donation lift in 2025 [4] [5].
1. The common answer: TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts dominate short‑form fundraising efforts
Practitioners and providers consistently point to TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts as the key channels nonprofits use to reach donors with short‑form appeals in 2025, noting that these platforms “favor bite‑sized, engaging content” and help nonprofits “reach more people” [2] [1]. Agency guides and how‑to pieces aimed at nonprofits explicitly advise using those three formats to capture attention, place CTAs, and drive traffic to donation pages [3] [6].
2. What the coverage actually measures — engagement, completion, and intent, not clean donation lifts by platform
Available sources provide metrics linked to video effectiveness — e.g., short videos under two minutes see 60% higher completion rates and donors who watch fundraising videos are far more likely to give — but these metrics are presented as general video effects rather than as platform‑level donation lift comparisons [4] [5]. Industry summaries and nonprofit tool blogs emphasize storytelling, CTA placement, and analytics to “refine video strategy,” indicating the focus is on techniques and outcomes overall rather than declaring one platform yields the largest absolute donation lift [1] [7].
3. Evidence cited for donation impact is persuasive but not platform‑specific
Several sources assert strong links between video viewing and donation behaviour — for example, a Google study cited in fundraising how‑tos finds a high share of viewers go on to donate, and charity marketing roundups report that videos can increase donations and completion rates [5] [4]. But these claims do not break down which short‑form platform (TikTok vs Reels vs Shorts) produced the biggest revenue or conversion increases in 2025; rather, they recommend testing formats and channels to discover what works for a specific audience [4] [2].
4. Why definitive ranking is missing: differences in measurement, attribution and reporting
The reporting emphasizes that nonprofits must track views, watch time, click‑throughs and conversions to measure impact — a process that varies by platform and by a nonprofit’s tracking setup — which makes apples‑to‑apples platform comparisons rare in public pieces [1]. Industry blogs and platform guides therefore focus on best practices and anecdotal successes (Dream.org’s reach on TikTok and Instagram, for example) rather than publishing audited donation‑lift comparisons across platforms [1] [2].
5. Practical guidance for nonprofits seeking the highest donation lift
Sources recommend prioritizing short, emotionally resonant stories with clear CTAs, using platform features (bio links, donation stickers), and instrumenting analytics to measure conversion from each channel — tactics that apply regardless of whether you start on TikTok, Reels or Shorts [3] [2] [6]. They also advise A/B testing video lengths, CTAs and posting times and using links or donation pages that can be tracked per platform to construct the platform‑by‑platform lift analysis yourself [4] [1].
6. Competing perspectives and limitations in the available reporting
Some pieces emphasize that short‑form video is “the future of digital marketing” and promises high conversions and engagement [8] [9], while nonprofit fundraising blogs take a more tactical tone — urging experimentation and measurement rather than claiming universal outcomes [7] [10]. Importantly, none of the provided sources publishes a verifiable, quantified ranking of donation lift by platform for 2025; public reporting focuses on platform adoption, engagement stats, and recommendations [7] [4].
7. How you can get the exact answer for your organization
To determine which platform gives you the largest donation lift in 2025, implement platform‑specific tracking (UTM links, dedicated landing/donation pages or platform donation tools), run coordinated short‑form tests across TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, and compare conversion rates and revenue per 1,000 impressions. The sources recommend exactly this approach: track views, watch time, click‑throughs and conversions and iterate based on data rather than relying on generalized claims [1] [3] [4].
If you want, I can draft a simple A/B test plan and tracking schema you could apply to TikTok, Reels and Shorts to measure donation lift directly for your campaigns. Available sources do not mention specific, cross‑platform donation lift numbers for 2025 beyond general engagement and conversion benefits (not found in current reporting).