For Nonprofits
// storytelling without the budget barrier
Professional documentary storytelling for your nonprofit, fully funded by corporate sponsors who share your values. No budget needed. No strings attached.
Tell Us About Your StoryYou know storytelling could transform how people see your mission. A powerful film attracts volunteers, donors, partners, and media attention for years.
But the budget is never there.
You're lean and resourceful, doing incredible things with very little. Applying for a storytelling grant feels like a luxury when there are programs to fund and people to serve.
So the stories go untold. The work stays invisible to the people who would care most, if only they knew.
StoryFunder changes that.
// two paths
We've developed two models. Both are designed to remove the budget barrier and give your organization access to professional storytelling.
A
Zero cost to your organization
We find corporate sponsors whose values align with your mission and who fund the entire production.
You get a character-driven documentary film. The sponsor gets to be part of a meaningful story. And the audience gets to see work that deserves attention.
Your cost
Nothing
Your role
Share your story
You control
Which sponsors you’re OK with
B
Minimal upfront, funded through impact
Your organization covers only the hard costs (primarily travel). We create the film, then help you organize a fundraising event where the film premieres, complete with a panel discussion, micro-story recordings, and a live giving moment.
After the event, we launch an online campaign with the film, derived assets, and micro-stories from participants, donors, and volunteers to extend the impact further.
Your cost
Hard costs only (travel)
You get
Film + event + campaign
The result
Fundraising that compounds
Know a company that could be a good sponsor? We have a dedicated page that explains the StoryFunder model from the company's perspective: what they get, how it works, and why it's worth their time. Feel free to share it with your corporate contacts.
// what you walk away with
01
A character-driven documentary that captures the human story behind your mission. Something you can use for years: in presentations, on your website, in conversations with future partners and donors.
02
Short clips, quotes, and behind-the-scenes moments derived from the film that give you months of content for social media, newsletters, and campaigns.
03
A powerful film doesn’t just tell your story. It moves people to give, to volunteer, to share. It becomes the centerpiece of your next event, your next campaign, your next pitch.
04
Professional storytelling signals to future donors and partners that your work is serious, impactful, and worth investing in. It’s the kind of asset money alone can’t buy.
// partnerships on your terms
We know that who you partner with matters as much as the work itself. A sponsorship that conflicts with your mission isn't just awkward. It can undermine trust.
You always have the final say on which sponsors are involved.
We only approach companies whose values genuinely align with yours. And if a sponsor doesn't feel right, we don't move forward. Simple as that.
The story is yours. The partnership should feel right for everyone.
// the team
Lars Grote is a documentary filmmaker specializing in character-driven stories for European nonprofits and B Corps. His work translates complex missions into emotionally resonant narratives that inspire action. He's currently writing Story for Good, a book on strategic storytelling for mission-driven organizations.
View Lars's work →
Lars Grote
Filmmaker & Founder, Shift Videoproductions
Jonas Buysens
Documentary Filmmaker
Jonas Buysens is a dedicated documentary filmmaker specializing in mental health stories that spark lasting change. His trauma-informed approach ensures every story honors participants while driving measurable change in mental health awareness, policy, and support.
View Jonas's work →Together, we bring 12 years of experience creating films that don't just document work. They move people to engage with it.
“The motivation at our core is to do meaningful work that creates real change and helps to build a future that we all, but especially our children and future generations can look forward to. And we believe that the stories we tell and the stories that become part of our shared identity, are key to making this future possible.”
StoryFunder is a new model. We're not coming to you with a finished product. We're building this together with the nonprofits it's meant to serve.
We want to understand your reality. What would genuinely help, and what wouldn't.
We'd love your honest feedback on:
If StoryFunder works, it should solve real problems for nonprofits like yours, not just sound good on paper.
If your nonprofit is doing work that deserves a wider audience, we'd love to hear from you.
Fill out the form to tell us about your organization and the stories you'd like to tell. Or, if you prefer, email us directly.
No commitment. No pressure. Just a conversation about what's possible.
Email us at: lars@shiftvideoproductions.com
We're talking to nonprofits through February and March 2026. If there's genuine appetite for this model, we'll develop our first StoryFunder project together with the organizations who helped shape it.
Lars Grote & Jonas Buysens
StoryFunder
// tell us about your organization
“We believe every nonprofit doing life-changing work deserves a story that does it justice. Let's figure out how to make that happen.”
Lars & Jonas · StoryFunder