Capital campaign films
A four to five minute film built for the room where people decide whether to give. We write it around the questions donors actually ask, and deliver it with a 90 second cut and a 30 second version for digital.
Media production for nonprofits and schools · Based in Idaho
We make the films that help nonprofits raise money.
Elk Capital produces campaign films, program series, and ad creative for nonprofits, schools, and foundations. We hand over your photo and video library halfway through the project, so your team can start using it before the final cut is finished.
$285M
In projects delivered
Since 2023
Producing for mission work
100%
Perpetual license, every project
Who we work with
We work with nonprofits, independent schools, and foundations across the country. Most of them ask us not to publish their name or footage, and we keep it that way. If you want references, we share them privately once a conversation is underway.
The problem we fix
A good shoot can still turn into a wasted budget.
The footage is usually fine. What goes wrong is everything around it. A crew films for two days and then goes quiet for a few months. The board asks how the project is coming along and there is nothing to show yet. When the film finally arrives, it is one long cut, with no short version for ads and no vertical version for the gala.
A year later the usage license runs out, and you find yourself paying to keep using footage of your own people.
We changed the delivery schedule so none of that happens. You get usable assets early, you own everything for good, and you always know where the project stands.
What we do
Four kinds of work that fit together.
Most projects use two or three of them.
Program spotlight series
One film per program, so each part of your organization can speak to its own audience. Running them as a series shares the production cost, which brings the price per film down.
Broadcast and OTT ad creative
15 and 30 second spots, mastered for connected TV, YouTube, Meta, and regional broadcast. Cut for someone who is a few seconds away from skipping.
Photography and asset libraries
A library of color graded stills and organized raw footage. This is what your newsletters, grant applications, annual report, and social feeds run on for the next couple of years.
How a project runs
Three phases, and you always know where you stand.
Phase 01
Strategy and pre-production
Creative direction, scripting, and storyboarding. Scouting each location. Scheduling talent and handling consent and logistics, so your staff are not the ones chasing release forms.
You receiveA signed pre-production plan and a locked shooting schedule.
Phase 02
Principal photography
Multi-camera production across every site. Audio, lighting, and interviews with the students, families, staff, and educators who carry the story.
You receiveYour full color graded image library and raw footage, handed over right away. Your team starts using it while we are still editing.
Phase 03
Post-production and delivery
Editing, color grading, sound design, and score. ADA-compliant captioning. Every asset formatted for 16:9, 9:16, and 1:1. Two rounds of revisions on each one.
You receiveFinal masters, plus a full commercial buyout and a perpetual license.
Track record
$285 million in projects, delivered since 2023.
We started Elk Capital to do this one thing well. Since 2023 we have produced campaign and program work for organizations whose budgets run from a single film to full multi-site campaigns, and we have delivered every one on a fixed, milestone schedule.
$285M
In projects produced and delivered since 2023
3 phases
Fixed milestone billing on every engagement, agreed before we start
Perpetual
Full buyout and license on everything we deliver, with no renewal fees
Why organizations choose us
Five reasons, all of them practical.
You own it for good
Full commercial, broadcast, and digital buyout in perpetuity. No renewal invoices and no asking permission to run your own footage.
Multi-site is normal for us
Filming four campuses in one window is a routine project, not a special request. Scouting, scheduling, and consent are handled before the first camera comes out.
Accessibility comes standard
ADA-compliant captioning on every asset. If you serve families with disabilities, your media should not leave them out.
Pricing is fixed by milestone
Three phases and three numbers, agreed before we begin. Anything outside the signed scope is quoted and approved in writing first.
Built for reporting upward
Every deliverable is something you can put in front of a board, a funder, or a grant reviewer without extra work.
What projects cost
Every project is scoped and quoted on its own.
There are three common sizes. We give you a firm number after a short call about what you need.
Single film
One hero film with cutdowns and a photo set, at a single location.
Program series
Several films that share one production window, usually across two or three sites.
Full campaign
A hero film, a spotlight series, ad creative, and a complete asset library, across four or more sites.
Whatever the size, we bill across three milestones: a deposit at signing, a second payment when photography wraps, and the balance at sign-off. Nothing is invoiced before the work behind it is scheduled.
Questions
Before you get on the call.
Usually eight to sixteen weeks from a signed contract to final masters, depending on how many sites and films are involved. Your photo library and footage arrive around the midpoint.
Yes. You get a full commercial, broadcast, and digital buyout in perpetuity, including the raw footage. There is no expiry and no renewal fee.
Two rounds on each asset. If you need more, we quote the rate in your contract and tell you before any extra work begins.
Yes. We are based in Idaho and work nationwide. Travel and lodging are quoted as a separate line so you can see exactly what they cost.
If the quality holds up next to new material, yes. We will give you an honest read on the call about whether it will.
A single point of contact, access to your sites, and help finding the right people to interview. We take care of release forms, scheduling, and logistics.
Yes. A single film is a common place to start, and the footage carries forward if you scale up later.
Start here
Tell us what you are raising for.
Twenty minutes on a call and you will leave with a scope, a realistic timeline, and a number. If we are not the right fit, we will say so.
Request received.
We reply within one business day, usually sooner. If it is urgent, email us at hello@elkcapitals.com.