← 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
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Channels Tracked
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Combined Subscribers
0
Combined Views
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Uploads Last 90 Days
Trending Now
Past monthTop uploads by views
All-Time Leaders
Top Channels
Most Subscribers
1
The Barack Obama Foundation
@obamafoundation
290.0K
2University Of Chicago
@uchicago
258.0K
3Chicago Symphony Orchestra
@chicagosymphony
250.0K
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
69.0M
3University Of Chicago
@uchicago
59.2M
4
5W
WTTW
50.7M
The Barack Obama Foundation
@obamafoundation
34.8M
Most Videos Overall
1
2W
WTTW
4.5K
University Of Chicago
@uchicago
3.5K
3
American College Of Surgeons
@amcollegeofsurgeons
2.5K
4
Saem Research Foundation
@saem4379
2.0K
5
B
Brookfield Zoo Chicago
1.9K
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
279
Chicago Median
25th–75th: 72–1.3K
National: 1.0K(NP Median)
The typical Chicago nonprofit has 279 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
307
Chicago Median
25th–75th: 140–1.2K
National: 400(NP Median)
The typical Chicago channel gets 307 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
136 of 233 active
National: 4(Active NP Median)
The typical Chicago nonprofit uploads 1 video per 90 days vs. 4 nationally. Only 136 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 279 subscribers, most Chicago nonprofits have small audiences — but that's typical for local organizations. The average (8.3K) 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: 8.3K subs) skew the average 30× higher than the median (279). The median represents what the typical Chicago nonprofit actually looks like — and what you should benchmark against.
🚀
Biggest Growth Lever
97 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 Impact97 inactive channels
97 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 Impact307 vs. 2K national
The median Chicago channel gets 307 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: 279 subscribers
Half of all Chicago nonprofit channels have fewer than 279 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.
See how your channel compares to these benchmarks
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AI Spotlight
Editor's Picks
Channels selected by AI for exceptional content quality and impact
6/10
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING | Official Trailer
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
4.3K subscribers
Chicago Shakespeare Theater's 743-video archive has generated 3.28M total views with an impressive 152.5% views-to-subscriber ratio, signaling content that travels well beyond its 4,330-subscriber base. The 'In Rehearsal With HAMNET' video pulled 29,938 views in the last 90 days — 4.5x the channel average — suggesting behind-the-scenes production content resonates strongly. However, engagement is nearly nonexistent at 0.2% with 0 avg comments per video, and caption coverage at only 40% is a meaningful accessibility gap for a theater org whose mission centers on shared humanity.
highA 15-year-old theater channe…
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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 7
Short-Form (<5m) 226
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
American Lung Association
1201 videos · 32.5M total views
3
Endeavor Health
159 videos · 16.7M total views
4
Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
11 videos · 530.0K total views
5
Secure Community Network Inc
24 videos · 858.6K total views
Performance
Engagement & Format
Trending NowPast month
Viral Hits
The most-viewed recent uploads across all tracked channels
2
22d ago
Special Olympics Powerlifting Competition!
Misericordia Home1.6K
3
29d ago
WCD 2026: Inside the Mind of a Coma Patient - Rachel Malloy
Neurocritical Care…1.2K
4
19d ago
The ROI of ENA's Emergency Nurse Residency Program: What the Data Shows
Emergency Nurses A…432
5
24d ago
Where I Write - Erika L. Sánchez
The Poetry Foundat…314
Community Builders
Comment Magnets
Channels sparking the most conversation — ranked by average comments per video
#
Channel
Avg Comments
1
Illinois Policy Institute
17.7K subs · 3.1K avg views
31
2
Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
10.2K subs · 44.2K avg views
27
3
La Casa Norte
333 subs · 2.2K avg views
15
4
Northwestern University
29.8K subs · 12.9K avg views
12
5
Lyric Opera Of Chicago
12.2K subs · 6.0K avg views
7
6
Pat Tillman Foundation
3.9K subs · 8.3K avg views
5
7
The Barack Obama Foundation
290.0K subs · 32.9K avg views
5
8
University Of Chicago
258.0K subs · 3.6K avg views
3
9
Chicago Humanities Festival
142.0K subs · 1.8K avg views
3
10
Adler Planetarium
17.8K subs · 1.2K 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
16 en español
Bilingual
Gallery Session 2024 Amantes del Futuro
National Museum Of Mexican Art · 16 Spanish videos
15 en español
Bilingual
Chicago Prize | Brighton Park Neighborhood Council
Brighton Park Neighborhood Council · 15 Spanish videos
13%
of tracked channels have any Spanish content
30
channels with Spanish videos out of 233 tracked
0
channels with Spanish as primary language
1
Maestro Cares Foundation
🌐 Bilingual · 37 Spanish videos · 320 subs
37 videos
en español
2
National Museum Of Mexican Art
🌐 Bilingual · 16 Spanish videos · 2.9K subs
16 videos
en español
3
Brighton Park Neighborhood Council
🌐 Bilingual · 15 Spanish videos · 30 subs
15 videos
en español
4
Esperanza Health Centers
🌐 Bilingual · 13 Spanish videos · 555 subs
13 videos
en español
5
Montessori Network
🌐 Bilingual · 7 Spanish videos · 3.8K subs
7 videos
en español
6
American Lung Association
🌐 Bilingual · 6 Spanish videos · 49.5K subs
6 videos
en español
7
Enlace Chicago
🌐 Bilingual · 6 Spanish videos · 64 subs
6 videos
en español
8
Kids First Chicago For Education
🌐 Bilingual · 5 Spanish videos · 17 subs
5 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 4/9/2026. Rankings reflect publicly available channel statistics.