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How to get a branded YouTube channel for your institution in just a few easy steps

June 26th, 2008 by Karine Joly

Up until today, the best way to get a branded university YouTube channel was still a mystery for many (including yours truly).

Since a few months several institutions (Duke University, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt, among others) have rolled out branded YouTube channel without the ads displayed on the regular YouTube accounts.

However, there were no clear guidelines made publicly available to the higher ed community (at least none that I had heard of despite my strong interest in the topic)

So, when the questions was asked… and answered by James VanDyke from SMU Integrated Marketing earlier this week on the uweb-d listserv, I was really excited (yes, I know it doesn’t take much lately ;-):

Applying and being accepted to YouTube’s non-profit program gives you the additional branding options.

Here is the address to apply:
http://youtube.com/nonprofits

Here is SMU’s YouTube Channel:
http://youtube.com/SMUVideo

http://youtube.com/nonprofits

After reading his reply to the list, I sent a note to James to ask a few more questions about the whole process.

1) How long did it take to get a a reply from YouTube?
It took 3-5 days for a reply. I’m guessing that a real person reviews each application. People who are interested should create a normal account first and then apply for the non-profit.

2) What did it take to get your channel running?

Getting the channel running was much like getting a normal YouTube Channel running with a few more options. We created a banner image and customized the layout of the page somewhat. You can upload image map code for you banner like USC has done for their page.

3) Did you sign a contract? Did you have to go through a special process?

We didn’t sign any special contracts. You just have to agree to the basic Terms and Conditions.

So, what are the requirements to apply to the YouTube Non-Profit program?

Organizations applying for the Nonprofit program must meet the following criteria.

* Must be a U.S.-based nonprofit with IRS 501(c)(3) tax status
* May not be religious or political in nature
* May not be focused primarily on lobbying for political or policy change
* Commercial organizations, credit-counseling services, donation middleman services, fee-based organizations, and nonprofit portals are not eligible for the program

If your institution fits this profile, you should definitely submit an application to get rid off the ads. It might not be the higher ed program per se, but it’s the next best thing.

And, if any of you is aware of the process to join the “real” higher ed program of YouTube, please share the secret with us by posting a comment.


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10 Responses to “How to get a branded YouTube channel for your institution in just a few easy steps”

  1. on 27 Jun 2008 at 1:37 am1 gigi

    thanks for sharing. but how about non-profits based in UK?

  2. on 27 Jun 2008 at 8:53 am2 collegewebguy

    Great post. I’d always wondered how UC (and others) had more flexibility for a custom branded channel. Just sent in our application!

  3. on 27 Jun 2008 at 10:17 am3 Ann White

    I have a question. I was excited to see this, then disappointed that religious organizations were not qualified. As a religious university, I assumed this disqualified us. However, SMU qualified, so does that mean my concerns are unfounded?

  4. on 02 Jul 2008 at 11:15 am4 Ann White

    We applied and were rejected. Not sure why, they just said we didn’t fit the qualifications.

  5. on 02 Jul 2008 at 3:12 pm5 Karine Joly

    Ann,

    It might be that the person who reviewed your application saw your institution as a religious university, while the one who reviewed SMU didn’t.

    If anybody else applies via this program, please keep us updated about the results.

  6. on 03 Jul 2008 at 12:45 pm6 Higher Education Internet Marketers Links of the Week July 3rd, 2008 | .eduGuru

    [...] How to get a branded YouTube channel for your institution in just a few easy steps - It was never easily explained how to go about getting a branded YouTube Channel for a college… until now. Thanks Karine! [...]

  7. on 15 Jul 2008 at 10:59 pm7 Michael

    Our application was just rejected. Again the reason is not direct but assumed to be the religious clause. That’s unfortunate because so many private schools are religious.

    I however am interested to know why these two groups were approved despite their open religious mission:

    - http://www.youtube.com/user/CAIRtv
    - http://www.youtube.com/user/birthrightisrael

  8. on 15 Jul 2008 at 11:17 pm8 Michael

    If youtube is making you cry, then go to a better service such as Veoh. They have a FREE Pro account and their videos get syndicated to youtube automatically. You can create your own channel and fully customize it or just embed a Paypal/Google button. Go to http://www.veoh.com/publish/welcomePro.html for more information.

  9. on 04 Aug 2008 at 9:23 am9 Mary Beth Kurilko

    I applied for a non-profit channel under a TUAlumni account and it was denied. I received the following form email response. I did write back for further clarification, but have not heard a response.

    Temple meets all of their criteria, so I’m stumped to why we didn’t get accepted. We don’t yet have any videos on the channel, but I didn’t think that would be a problem.

    Any thoughts on this would be great!

    Hello,

    Thanks for your interest in the YouTube Nonprofit Program. Unfortunately, your organization doesn’t meet the qualifications at this time. Organizations that are not eligible for the program include the following types:

    * Organizations who do not have 501(c)(3) federal tax status
    * Organizations outside of the U.S.
    * Organizations that are either religious, or political in nature
    * Organizations focused primarily on lobbying for political or policy change.

    YouTube reserves the right to reject applications to any organization, and selections are made at YouTube’s sole discretion. All decisions regarding program recipients are final.

    While you did not meet the criteria for the YouTube Nonprofit Program, we encourage you to investigate other great Google products that are available to nonprofits at no cost.

    Thanks for your interest and best of luck on YouTube and beyond.

    Sincerely,
    The YouTube Nonprofit Team

  10. on 20 Aug 2008 at 6:40 pm10 collegewebeditor.com » Need help to host and promote your online videos? Register for “Beyond YouTube,” the Sep 24 webinar presented by Mike Richwalsky from Allegheny College

    [...] past few weeks, I’ve seen many questions around branded YouTube channels (via the non-profit or the partner program) as well as the frustration building up in the higher [...]

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