Episode SummarySmall and midsize nonprofits often want to stand out, but most have a development team of one or two people and no time to spare. In this episode, Robert Weiss talks with Howard Levy, President of Red Rooster Group, a marketing and PR firm that helps nonprofits with branding, fundraising, and campaigns, about how his team started using AI avatars to send donors personalized videos instead of another static email. Howard walks through how the idea began with an AI video chatbot built for a job-training nonprofit, letting site visitors ask questions and get answers in a natural, conversational way rather than digging through a website. That project led him to try Synthesia, a tool that creates AI avatars, to build personalized fundraising videos. Each video pulls in the donor's name and other details from the organization's CRM, so every person receives a video made just for them. The conversation covers the full workflow behind these videos, connecting a CRM, Synthesia, video hosting on YouTube or Vimeo, Zapier, and an email platform like MailChimp or Constant Contact, along with the honest trial and error it took to get there. Howard talks about avatar restrictions on fundraising language, video hosting limits, why he chose to use his own likeness instead of a generic avatar, and what he would tell any organization considering AI video for the first time. What You Will LearnHow Red Rooster Group's first AI project, a video chatbot for a job training nonprofit, led to the idea for personalized fundraising videosHow Synthesia and AI avatars work, and why Howard chose to use his own likeness instead of a generic avatarHow donor names and other CRM fields get mapped into each personalized videoThe full workflow connecting a CRM, Synthesia, YouTube or Vimeo, Zapier, and an email platform like MailChimp or Constant ContactReal challenges Howard ran into, including avatar restrictions on fundraising language and video hosting limitsWhat early results and feedback looked like after sending the first batches of personalized videosHoward's advice for any nonprofit or organization considering AI video for the first time Connect with Our GuestHoward Levy, President of Red Rooster Group Visit redroostergroup.com to learn moreLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/howardadamlevy Subscribe and Stay ConnectedFuture episodes are built around the challenges you are actually facing. Host: Robert Weiss - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertweissnyc/ Our website: https://MultiVisionDigital.com MultiVision Digital - An Award-Winning Video Production Company in New York City We specialize in video production and video marketing across every industry to help in promoting your website, products, and services - driving more traffic, leads, and sales. Our Brands: MultiVision Creative: https://multivisioncreative.com A specialized brand focused on serving marketing, advertising, and public relations firms. Over the years, we’ve worked alongside marketing teams, senior executives, and creative talent, honing our ability to navigate the unique challenges of video marketing. By blending our deep experience in video production with a sharp understanding of marketing, sales, and digital content strategy, we’ve helped clients achieve measurable success. Video For Manufacturing: https://videoformanufacturing.com A specialized brand dedicated to serving industrial and manufacturing firms. We help industrial and manufacturing companies strategically integrate B2B sales videos into their traditional sales processes. Our approach enables these firms to make a greater impact, building trust and stronger relationships between technical buyers and sellers far beyond what paper-based communication can accomplish. Our YouTube Channel - https://youtube.com/@VideoProductionAgency
