By Abigail Goddard

During winter break in 2023, I was thinking of ways to practice social entrepreneurship (my biggest hobby!) to make a positive difference in the world. As a 15-year-old filmmaker and someone who wants to major in marketing, I realized that I could merge my love for filmmaking with my dedication to supporting worthy causes. That's when Film For a Cause (FFAC) was born—a non-profit designed to help students gain real-world experience in creating short films and public service announcements (PSAs) for local charities.

Film For a Cause allows students to give back to the community while enhancing their technical and creative skills. By collaborating on projects for non-profits, young content creators can make an impact while working on something they love. Plus, our organization offers a space for students to collaborate and bond over causes that matter. Every other Monday in my school’s TV & Film room, FFAC members gather together and discuss organizations we already have connections with, organizations we would love to work with, or simply other problems in the world that don’t seem to be getting enough attention. Then, during our off weeks, members will reach out to said organizations and ask if they would like free content from us. After receiving permission and resources from the organization, we get to work on filming, editing, doing voiceovers and interviews, and much more.

One of my primary goals with FFAC is to inspire my peers to put their best effort into their work. To motivate members to reach their full potential, I searched for competitions like Speak Truth to Power, a human rights initiative that encourages students to use film to discuss global issues. By finding these competition opportunities, I aim to encourage students to not only improve their filmmaking skills but also think critically about the messages they’re conveying.

To make Film For a Cause a reality, I introduced it to my school community and rallied my classmates around the idea of using our creativity for good. I’m proud of how big the FFAC community has grown in just a few short months (124 members and growing). We've already produced several impactful PSAs; my favorite one is a video we made for Soles4Souls, an initiative dedicated to providing shoes and clothing to homeless kids. Our video helped the nonprofit get more attention in the Tennessee regions. Seeing how our content draws more attention to these impactful causes motivates me to search for more ways to help people in need. 

If you want to learn more or get involved, visit us at film4acause.org or follow me on Instagram @abbieegoddard. Together, we can create films that make the world a better place.