Silent Images

What Silent Images does

Silent Images is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by David Johnson and headquartered in Matthews, North Carolina, that produces documentary-style videography and photography for other nonprofit organizations at affordable or discounted prices. The organization was established after Johnson's first major assignment in Darfur, Sudan, where he photographed those impacted by the genocide and authored the book Voices of Sudan; its mission is rooted in Proverbs 31:8 — to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Core products include professional videography and professional photography services for nonprofits (primary offering), the Story Grant program that funds external filmmakers globally to capture stories from their own communities, storytelling workshops and speaking engagements conducted in 8+ countries, and a slate of self-produced documentary series with free accompanying curriculum covering mental health (Compass & Light), race relations (The Mile Project), Charlotte social issues (Get Off Our Donkey), neighbors near and far (Neighbor), and affordable housing (Our Home). Underlying technology consists of professional photography and videography equipment used for documentary capture rather than a software platform, with no public API or proprietary technology stack disclosed.

The business model operates on three revenue and funding streams: professional service fees from nonprofit clients priced in tiers of $0-$2,000, $2,000-$5,000, and $5,000+; tax-deductible donations from individuals, churches, and businesses accepted one-time or monthly via PayPal through silentimages.org; and grants and sponsorship for specific documentary series (e.g., Carmel Counseling Center sponsoring Compass & Light). Customer segments are organized by vertical: the primary segment is nonprofit organizations (charities, churches, foundations, humanitarian organizations worldwide), with secondary segments in schools/educational institutions and faith communities. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and event-driven, with nonprofits submitting project inquiries through the Hire Us form on silentimages.org, plus phone (704.999.5010) and email ([email protected]) outreach. Awareness is driven by social media (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook), storytelling workshops in 8+ countries, and speaking engagements at schools, churches, and conferences. Over 19 years of operation the organization has produced 1,000+ films for 500+ charities across 50+ countries, and is governed by a board chaired by Paul Joyce (Executive Director of the Leadership Institute at Queens University's McColl School of Business) with Cor Hoekstra (TIFIN), Dennis McIntosh (Charlotte Center City Partners), and Angela Schlottman as Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary respectively.

Name

Silent Images

Legal name

Silent Images

Website

https://silentimages.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Silent Images is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 that produces documentary videography and photography at affordable prices for other nonprofits, serving 500+ charities across 50+ countries with Story Grants, workshops, and issue-focused documentary series.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Videography and Photography Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Commercial Photography (541922), Photographic Services (54192)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Branded Documentary / Nonfiction (Corporate & NGO) (MPADADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ), Short-Form Documentaries (MPADADAC)

Keywords

• Nonprofit videography services
• Documentary filmmaking
• Nonprofit photography services
• Humanitarian storytelling
• Visual storytelling nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Matthews

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services for Nonprofits: Provides professional videography and photography services to nonprofits at discounted/affordable prices. Revenue comes from service fees paid by nonprofit organizations seeking to tell their stories.
2. Donations and Grants: Silent Images is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals, organizations, churches, and businesses to cover operational costs and support their mission.
3. Story Grants: Provides grants to filmmakers worldwide to empower them to capture stories from their own communities, funded through donations and partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Silent Images is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides professional videography and photography services to other nonprofit organizations, charities, churches, and foundations at affordable/discounted prices. The organization captures documentary-style visual content that helps nonprofits communicate mission impact, inspire donors, and motivate viewers to take action. Operations span 50+ countries with a network of storytelling partners.

Product overview

Silent Images is a nonprofit organization providing professional video and photography storytelling services to other nonprofits at affordable prices. The core offering consists of professional videography and photography services for charities, complemented by a Story Grant program that empowers filmmakers globally. The organization also produces Passion Projects—including documentary series like Compass & Light (mental health), The Mile Project (race relations), Get Off Our Donkey (social issues), Neighbor, and Our Home (affordable housing)—which are independently inspired productions highlighting various social causes. Educational offerings include storytelling workshops, speaking engagements, the How-To with Silent Images video series, and free curriculum materials for schools, churches, and nonprofit organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Videography Services Professional video production services provided to nonprofit organizations, charities, churches, and foundations at affordable/discounted prices. Produces documentary-style films that help nonprofits share their stories, communicate mission impact, and inspire donors and supporters to take action.
• Professional Photography Services Professional photography services provided to nonprofits at affordable/discounted prices to document their work, beneficiaries, and impact. Photography assignments range from on-location documentary shoots in 50+ countries to event coverage and portraiture for charity campaigns.
• Storytelling Workshops Educational workshops led by Silent Images staff in 8+ countries to equip nonprofit teams with skills and techniques to tell their own stories effectively through visual media. Targeted at nonprofits, schools, churches, and community organizations.
• Speaking Engagements Presentations and lectures delivered by Silent Images team members at schools, churches, conferences, and community gatherings worldwide to educate audiences about visual storytelling and inspire action on social causes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ charities served since 2006
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global Faith & Work InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Global Faith & Work Initiative producing films like Poémia that explore faith-centered vocations and calling.
• The Gotham FellowshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producing content for the Global Faith & Work Initiative exploring how faith integrates with work and daily life.
• Freedom CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to create the 'Our Home: Uniting Charlotte for Affordable Housing' documentary highlighting affordable housing solutions.
• InlivianminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for Our Home documentary on affordable housing, providing expertise on public housing initiatives.
• Crosland SoutheastminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate development partner for Our Home documentary showcasing collaborative housing solutions in Charlotte.
• True HomesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing development partner featured in Our Home documentary about affordable housing efforts.
• Carmel Counseling CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor for Compass & Light mental health documentary series, supporting the production of films about addiction, PTSD, and suicide.
• The Independence FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided specialized footage for Compass & Light PTSD documentary film.
• Renfrew Center of CharlotteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed to Compass & Light Eating Disorders documentary film.
• Veritas CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner contributing to Compass & Light eating disorders documentary.
• African Bible CollegescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership across campuses in Liberia, Malawi, and Uganda to document educational transformation and leadership development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Charity: Water: Large international nonprofit that invests heavily in documentary-style storytelling and branded video content to drive donor engagement; comparable storytelling-first model but at much greater scale and with in-house production teams.
• Compassion International: Major child sponsorship NGO producing documentary films and photography from field operations across 25+ countries; comparable global field storytelling operation but operating as a program within a much larger international nonprofit.
• World Vision International: Large humanitarian organization that produces documentary films, photography, and field reports from dozens of countries to communicate impact; comparable documentary storytelling for advocacy and donor mobilization at enterprise scale.
• JESUS Film Project: Faith-based nonprofit producing and translating films and related media for global ministry use; comparable mission-driven video production, global distribution, and nonprofit-supported storytelling.

Direct peers

• StoryCorps: Nonprofit oral-history organization that records, preserves, and shares personal stories from diverse communities; comparable in mission to amplify unheard voices and produce shareable audio/video content with educational components.
• Jubilee Media: Nonprofit-focused media organization producing short-form documentary-style videos that explore faith, identity, and social issues; comparable in mission-driven video production and nonprofit content distribution.
• BibleProject: Nonprofit that produces high-quality animated video content explaining biblical and theological themes; comparable in producing free, mission-driven video series and curriculum for churches, schools, and individuals.
• The I Am Second Project: Nonprofit storytelling initiative that produces short documentary films featuring personal transformation stories, often distributed to churches and small groups; directly comparable mission and distribution model to Silent Images' documentary series and curriculum.
• Living On One: Nonprofit documentary organization producing films about extreme poverty and international development with associated educational resources; comparable in nonprofit-to-nonprofit storytelling services and global field production.

Others

• PBS Visionaries: Public television series profiling nonprofit and social-enterprise leaders; thematically adjacent—celebrating humanitarian storytelling and offering nonprofit exposure, though not a service provider to nonprofits like Silent Images.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/SilentImagesChannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/silentimages.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/silent.images
• Xx.com/SilentImages

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Silent Images