← All MetrosChicago For Impact
Competitive Intelligence
Chicago For Impact
YouTube Benchmark
Live rankings and performance data for 233+ for-impact YouTube channels across Chicago Metro.Updated weekly
0+
Channels Tracked
0
Combined Subscribers
0
Combined Views
0
Uploads Last 90 Days
Trending Now
Past monthTop uploads by views
All-Time Leaders
Top Channels
Most Subscribers
1
The Barack Obama Foundation
@obamafoundation
296.0K
2University Of Chicago
@uchicago
259.0K
3Chicago Symphony Orchestra
@chicagosymphony
251.0K
4
B
Brookfield Zoo Chicago
165.0K
5
W
WTTW
156.0K
Most Total Views
1
2B
Brookfield Zoo Chicago
90.9M
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
@chicagosymphony
69.7M
3University Of Chicago
@uchicago
59.4M
4
5W
WTTW
50.7M
The Barack Obama Foundation
@obamafoundation
35.7M
Chicago vs. National
Benchmark Intelligence
How Chicago nonprofit YouTube channels compare to national nonprofit and industry benchmarks — and where the biggest opportunities for growth are hiding.
Subscribers
Needs Work
281
Chicago Median
25th–75th: 74–1.3K
National: 1.0K(NP Median)
The typical Chicago nonprofit has 281 subscribers vs. 1.0K nationally. Most local channels are in early growth — even reaching 1.0K puts you ahead of the national median.
Views / Video
Below National
317
Chicago Median
25th–75th: 146–1.2K
National: 400(NP Median)
The typical Chicago channel gets 317 views per video vs. 400 nationally. Better thumbnails, SEO titles, and consistent posting can close this gap.
Engagement Rate
Below National
1.09%
Chicago Median
25th–75th: 0.6%–1.9%
National: 2.5%(NP Median)
Chicago's typical 1.09% engagement trails the 2.5% national median. Adding CTAs, responding to comments, and posting Shorts can boost this significantly.
Uploads / 90 Days
Needs Work
1
Chicago Median
130 of 233 active
National: 4(Active NP Median)
The typical Chicago nonprofit uploads 1 video per 90 days vs. 4 nationally. Only 130 of 233 channels are active. Consistency is the #1 growth lever.
What the Data Tells Us
🔍
The Gap Is Real
With a median of just 281 subscribers, most Chicago nonprofits have small audiences — but that's typical for local organizations. The average (8.4K) is higher because a few large channels pull it up. Even reaching 1K subscribers puts a channel in the top quartile locally.
📊
Why Medians Matter
We use medians because a few large channels (avg: 8.4K subs) skew the average 30× higher than the median (281). The median represents what the typical Chicago nonprofit actually looks like — and what you should benchmark against.
🚀
Biggest Growth Lever
103 of 233 channels haven't uploaded in 90 days. Consistency is the #1 predictor of growth. Channels posting weekly see 3-5× more views than monthly posters. This is Chicago's biggest opportunity.
National benchmarks sourced from M+R Benchmarks 2025, Rival IQ, Dash Social, and Social Blade nonprofit category data (2024–2025).
Subscriber Distribution
Where most channels fall — the majority have under 5K subscribers
Chicago Nonprofit Growth Playbook
Data-backed priorities ranked by potential impact — where Chicago nonprofits should focus to close the gap with national benchmarks
📅
Upload Consistency Is #1
High Impact103 inactive channels
103 of 233 channels haven't uploaded in 90 days. YouTube's algorithm rewards consistency — channels posting at least 2×/month see 3-5× more views than those posting sporadically. This is the single biggest lever for Chicago nonprofits.
💬
Close the Engagement Gap
High Impact1.09% vs. 5.4% national
Chicago's 1.09% median engagement is below the 5.4% national average for small channels. Quick wins: add a CTA in the first 30 seconds, pin a comment with a question, and respond to every comment within 1 hour to boost algorithmic ranking.
🔎
Fix Discoverability
High Impact317 vs. 2K national
The median Chicago channel gets 317 views/video vs. 2,000 nationally for similar-sized channels. Optimize titles for search (use keywords your audience Googles), create custom thumbnails with faces and text, and use 8-12 relevant tags per video.
🎯
Break the 1K Subscriber Barrier
Medium ImpactMedian: 281 subscribers
Half of all Chicago nonprofit channels have fewer than 281 subscribers. Reaching 1K unlocks YouTube monetization features and puts you in the top quartile locally. End screens, cross-promotion on email newsletters, and consistent thumbnails accelerate subscriber growth.
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Content Strategy
Content Format Breakdown
How Chicago nonprofits structure their YouTube content — from long-form storytelling to quick Shorts
Format Distribution
233 channels analyzed97%
Shorts-Heavy 6
Short-Form (<5m) 227
Mid-Form (5–15m) 0
Long-Form (15m+) 0
Upload Efficiency
Best avg views per video
1
Ymca Of Metropolitan Chicago
165 videos · 4.7M total views
2
Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
11 videos · 534.3K total views
3
The Barack Obama Foundation
716 videos · 35.7M total views
4
Secure Community Network Inc
24 videos · 858.8K total views
5
American Lung Association
1213 videos · 33.2M total views
Performance
Engagement & Format
Trending NowPast 2 months
Viral Hits
The most-viewed recent uploads across all tracked channels
2
1mo ago
Healthy cooking classes build community at Endeavor Health Wellness Center
Endeavor Health407.0K
3
1mo ago
Versiti Holiday of Hope
Versiti Illinois Inc72.0K
4
1mo ago
Women, written by Alexander Ekman✨
The Joffrey Ballet50.6K
5
1mo ago
FAULT Cast and Director Jason Alexander Talk About the Show
Chicago Shakespear…17.8K
6
1mo ago
The 2026 Hagel Lecture: America's Role in Asia in Context of War with Iran
University Of Chic…16.8K
7
1mo ago
Should Illinois Tax Millionaires? The Data Says No
Illinois Policy In…8.2K
Community Builders
Comment Magnets
Channels sparking the most conversation — ranked by average comments per video
#
Channel
Avg Comments
1
The Barack Obama Foundation
296.0K subs · 41.7K avg views
32
2
Illinois Policy Institute
18.0K subs · 2.9K avg views
28
3
Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
10.2K subs · 44.5K avg views
27
4
La Casa Norte
332 subs · 2.2K avg views
15
5
Northwestern University
29.9K subs · 13.0K avg views
12
6
Lyric Opera Of Chicago
12.3K subs · 6.2K avg views
6
7
Pat Tillman Foundation
4.0K subs · 9.4K avg views
6
8
Chicago Council On Global Affairs
31.2K subs · 1.5K avg views
5
9
University Of Chicago
259.0K subs · 2.5K avg views
4
10
Chicago Humanities Festival
142.0K subs · 2.0K avg views
3
Contenido en Español
Spanish-Language Content
Original Spanish-language videos from nonprofits — a critical gap in markets with large Hispanic populations
37 en español
Bilingual
Maestro Cares Foundation's 9th Annual Gala Recap
Maestro Cares Foundation · 37 Spanish videos
12 en español
Bilingual
Cómo usar un glucómetro en casa
Esperanza Health Centers · 12 Spanish videos
8 en español
Bilingual
Montessori Screwdriver Board | Practical Life Lesson | 3-6 Year Olds | Primary Level | Kindergarten
Montessori Network · 8 Spanish videos
9%
of tracked channels have any Spanish content
21
channels with Spanish videos out of 233 tracked
0
channels with Spanish as primary language
1
Maestro Cares Foundation
🌐 Bilingual · 37 Spanish videos · 324 subs
37 videos
en español
2
Esperanza Health Centers
🌐 Bilingual · 12 Spanish videos · 559 subs
12 videos
en español
3
Montessori Network
🌐 Bilingual · 8 Spanish videos · 3.8K subs
8 videos
en español
4
American Lung Association
🌐 Bilingual · 6 Spanish videos · 49.9K subs
6 videos
en español
5
La Rabida Childrens Hospital
🌐 Bilingual · 2 Spanish videos · 254 subs
2 videos
en español
6
Tcs Education System
🌐 Bilingual · 2 Spanish videos · 180 subs
2 videos
en español
7
Enlace Chicago
🌐 Bilingual · 2 Spanish videos · 64 subs
2 videos
en español
8
Kids First Chicago For Education
🌐 Bilingual · 2 Spanish videos · 17 subs
2 videos
en español
By Mission
Category Spotlights
Explore channels by mission area — click a category to see top performers
Mission Categories
Select a category
Click a mission category on the left to explore
top channels and videos in that area
💎 Could your channel be a Hidden Gem?
Small channels making outsized impact get featured. See how your content scores.
Analytics
Distribution and trends across all tracked channels
Subscriber Distribution — Top 20
Engagement Rate — Top 20
Upload Frequency — Videos in Last 90 Days
Engagement Rate vs. Subscriber Count
Bubble size = total views · Log scale on subscribers · Outliers top-left = high engagement, small audience
About RiseWorks: We produce monthly video, photo, and series content for nonprofits on a flat subscription. The Benchmark is how we give back to the sector.
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Data sourced from the YouTube Data API. Last updated 5/21/2026. Rankings reflect publicly available channel statistics.