Video Volunteers

What Video Volunteers does

Video Volunteers is a nonprofit organization that operates India's largest community video journalism network, headquartered in Goa with a US presence in New York. The organization recruits and trains marginalized citizens, predominantly women (57%), Dalits (29%), and Adivasis (25%), as Community Correspondents who produce video reports on underreported issues in rural and media-dark districts. Its flagship product, IndiaUnheard, is structured as a community news agency staffed by people living below the poverty line, producing reports that are distributed through partnerships with major Indian media outlets (Doordarshan, CNN IBN, NDTV, Scroll, IndiaSpend, Youth ki Awaaz, News Laundry) and direct-to-audience channels like YouTube (India Loud and Clear, Fixing India). The network covers 199 districts across 20 Indian states with 248 working correspondents and has produced over 4,000 videos to date.

The platform's underlying technology combines mobile-based video reporting by correspondents with complementary tools including the Surveys for Action Android data collection application (offline-capable with central dashboards), multilingual training manuals, and the Buland Bol free online media training program delivered via Zoom. A separate ChangeChitra program runs annual immersive documentary filmmaking workshops producing films screened across Mumbai, Hyderabad, Calcutta, and Chennai. Content is supported by an annual ChangeChitra film festival and year-round distribution through media syndication and community screenings.

As a 501(c)(3)-equivalent nonprofit with two primary entities (Video Volunteers USA and Video Volunteers India), VV is funded by donations, foundation grants, fellowships, and program partnerships. Documented revenue is not publicly disclosed; historical support includes the Knight Foundation, Echoing Green, Tech Awards, Ashoka, the Global Fund for Children, UNDP, and the US Embassy. The organization is governed by a USA Board chaired by Davia Temin, with founders Jessica Mayberry and Stalin K. leading programmatic operations, and a community-majority VV Council providing accountability to constituents.

Name

Video Volunteers

Legal name

Video Volunteers

Website

https://videovolunteers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Video Volunteers is a nonprofit operating India's largest community video journalism network, training 248 marginalized citizens across 199 districts as Community Correspondents. Through its flagship IndiaUnheard news agency and supporting Buland Bol and ChangeChitra programs, it amplifies underreported issues via mainstream media partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Media and Civic Journalism

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG), Local/Regional News Channels (MPABAIAD)

Keywords

• Community video journalism
• Citizen journalism training
• Nonprofit news agency
• Grassroots media production
• Community-led data collection

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Video Volunteers operates as a non-profit organization funded through donations and grants from foundations, individuals, and institutional donors.
2. Partnership Services: Produces content for media partners including Doordarshan, CNN IBN, NDTV, Scroll, IndiaSpend, and others. Corresponds with advocacy organizations for campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Video Volunteers trains and employs people from India's poorest communities as Community Correspondents who produce video reports on local issues such as corruption, governance, caste, gender, health, and environment. The reports feed the IndiaUnheard news agency, which distributes content through mainstream TV and online media partners, runs impact campaigns that have led 125 government officials to take action, and trains participants via the free Buland Bol online course. Complementary programs include ChangeChitra (documentary filmmaking mentorship) and Surveys for Action (community-led data gathering on Android devices).

Product overview

Video Volunteers operates a unified community media platform centered on IndiaUnheard, a video news agency for India's disenfranchised communities, supported by the Community Correspondent Network of 248 trained correspondents. The organization offers complementary programs including Buland Bol (free online media training), ChangeChitra (documentary filmmaking mentorship), and Surveys for Action (community-led data collection). Content is distributed through shows like India Loud and Clear and Fixing India. The platform enables marginalized citizens to document stories and launch impact campaigns, with training manuals supporting capacity building across multiple Indian languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IndiaUnheard: The flagship news agency for India's disenfranchised communities, India's only reporting network focused exclusively on providing broad coverage from the poorest, most media-dark districts in India.

Products and services

• IndiaUnheard Video news agency providing broad coverage from India's poorest and most media-dark districts, produced entirely by trained community correspondents living below the poverty line and distributed through mainstream media partnerships.
• Buland Bol Free Online Media Training Free online media course providing training in digital video production and social media for social change, delivered via Zoom in Hindi, Marathi, Bangla, Odiya, Kashmiri, and English, with certificates and joint social media campaign opportunities for participants.
• ChangeChitra Documentary Filmmaking Program Year-long immersive mentoring program in documentary filmmaking on social activism, providing 60 young filmmakers with professional equipment and residential workshops led by leading filmmakers; produces 15 documentary films that tour through a traveling film festival in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Calcutta, Chennai, and online.
• Surveys for Action Platform Community-led data gathering initiative using Android-based mobile devices to conduct surveys in remote rural India, generating analytics reports, infographics, and video case studies that feed advocacy and accountability campaigns.
• Community Correspondent Network Network of 248 Community Correspondents across 199 districts in 20 Indian states (57% women, 29% Dalit, 25% Adivasi, 24% religious minority) who produce video reports from marginalized communities and are paid per video report.
• Video Volunteers Training Manuals Comprehensive set of training guides and field manuals for community correspondents covering mobile journalism, video production, gender reporting, survey methodology, and content creation in multiple Indian languages.
• India Loud and Clear Weekly News Show Weekly YouTube news show bringing community-generated ground-up reporting on issues that matter to India's marginalized communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% of videos solve the problem they are about
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• DoordarshancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndian national broadcaster with whom VV produces monthly programs in five states. Key distribution partner for reaching mainstream TV audiences.
• CNN IBNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndian CNN affiliate receiving thousands of views to VV stories. Major media partnership for content distribution.
• NDTVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading Indian news network partner broadcasting VV stories to mainstream audiences.
• ScrollcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndian online media outlet receiving VV content with thousands of views.
• IndiaSpendcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerData journalism partner for VV stories and research collaboration.
• Youth ki AwaazcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth media platform partner distributing VV content to young audiences.
• News LaundrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent media outlet partner for VV content distribution.
• Video4Change NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVV is a founding member of this global network working towards a global community media movement.
• ESCR-NetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network for economic, social and cultural rights. VV advocates on specific issues through this partnership.
• White Ribbon AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal health advocacy network. VV advocates on health issues through this partnership.
• UNDPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations Development Program partner. VV worked on large-scale programs including a women's empowerment monitoring initiative.
• Global Fund for ChildrenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDC-based foundation partnered on VideoActive Girls project. Two Girls Media Groups were started with Kolkata Sanved and Mahita.
• Community Radio ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVV director Stalin K. served as convenor of this forum working to develop community radio in India.
• Girls CountminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy network on gender issues. VV advocates through this network.
• MyHero ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia-based organization that was VV's training partner for the ChangeChitra program.
• US Embassy New DelhiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported filmmakers' technical training in the ChangeChitra program. Provided venues for film festival screenings.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Video4Change Network: Global network VV co-founded, focused on video for social change. Peer organization working on community media movement with similar methodology and shared advocacy goals.
• Witness: International human rights organization that trains marginalized people to use video to document rights abuses and drive change. Closely mirrors Video Volunteers' community-led video advocacy model, though Witness operates globally rather than India-focused.
• Free Press Unlimited: Dutch NGO that supports independent journalism and local media in countries with restricted press freedom. Directly comparable mission of empowering local voices through media production and distribution support.
• Internews: International nonprofit supporting independent media and access to information worldwide. Comparable in funding model (foundation grants), training focus, and mission to strengthen local journalism in underreported regions.
• Youth Ki Awaaz: Youth-driven citizen journalism platform in India where VV content is distributed. Directly comparable in amplifying marginalized voices and operating a contributor-driven content model in India.

Regional players

• The Quint: Indian digital news outlet that emphasizes underreported stories and grassroots perspectives. Comparable in Indian-market focus and digital-first distribution approach, though commercially operated.
• The Newslaundry: Independent Indian media organization covering media accountability and underreported issues. Existing VV content distribution partner, comparable in independent-media positioning within the Indian market.

Broad incumbents

• AJ+: Al Jazeera's digital-first platform producing social-justice and underreported story content. Comparable in mission-driven video journalism targeting marginalized communities, but operates at significantly larger scale.
• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): US public broadcaster producing community-impact programming with foundation support. Comparable in mission-driven public-interest media model, though operates as a major incumbent at far greater scale.

Others

• Storyful: Social media intelligence and user-generated content agency. Comparable in curating citizen-produced video for news organizations, but operates commercially as a service provider rather than advocacy-led community journalism.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VideoVolunteers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/VideoVolunteers
• Facebookfacebook.com/VideoVolunteers
• Instagraminstagram.com/VideoVolunteers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/video-volunteers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Video Volunteers