Skip to main content
RiseWorks
  • About
  • Services
  • StoryOS
  • Pricing
  • Case Studies
  • Enterprise
  • Contact
Client Login
RiseWorksRiseWorks

Empowering Stories, Revolutionizing Impact

A Miami-based Public Benefit Corporation. Full-stack storytelling for nonprofits, foundations, and institutions.

Services

  • Video Production
  • Photo Production
  • Series Production
  • StoryOS
  • Storyboard
  • StoryRoom
  • Creative Projects
  • Enterprise
  • Academy

Company

  • About
  • Our Story
  • Team
  • Public Benefit Corp
  • Careers
  • Contact

Resources

  • Case Studies
  • Blog
  • How It Works
  • StoryOS
  • YouTube For Impact
  • YouTube Benchmark
  • Impact Measurement

Newsletter

Monthly storytelling tips for nonprofits.

© 2026 RiseWorks Media PBC. All rights reserved.

Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSubscription Agreement
← All Metros
Competitive Intelligence

Detroit For Impact
YouTube Benchmark

Live rankings and performance data for 188+ for-impact YouTube channels across Detroit Metro.Updated weekly

Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall Inc
1
National Kidney Foundation Inc
2
Henry Ford Health System
3
American Concrete Institute
Habitat For Humanity International Inc
Michigan Humane Society
Detroit Historical Society
Nsf International
Vattikuti Foundation
Ascension Michigan
The Detroit Institute Of Arts
Junior Achievement Usa
Lawrence Technological University
Museum Of Contemporary Art Detroit
Detroit Zoological Society

Top channels by subscribers

0+
Channels Tracked
0
Combined Subscribers
0
Combined Views
0
Uploads Last 90 Days
Trending Now
Past 2 weeks
Top uploads by views
26/27 Dance @ Detroit Opera Season
1.7K views
1
26/27 Dance @ Detroit Opera Season
Detroit Opera · 12d ago
Let's open the door to opportunity! #habitatforhumanity
1.5K views
2
Let's open the door to opportunity! #habitatforhumanity
Habitat For Humanity International Inc · 3d ago
Governor Gretchen Whitmer's Message to GSSEM
1.2K views
3
Governor Gretchen Whitmer's Message to GSSEM
Girl Scouts Of Southeastern Michigan · 9d ago
From Surviving to Thriving / International Samaritan Jamaica
840 views
4
From Surviving to Thriving / International Samaritan Jamaica
International Samaritan · 13d ago
2026 Wayne State Football Season Preview
535 views
5
2026 Wayne State Football Season Preview
Wayne State University · 6d ago
All-Time Leaders

Top Channels

Most Subscribers

1Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall Inc
Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall Inc
@detroitsymphony
73.1K
2National Kidney Foundation Inc
National Kidney Foundation Inc
@nationalkidneyfoundation
49.3K
3Henry Ford Health System
Henry Ford Health System
@henryfordhealth
46.5K
4American Concrete Institute
American Concrete Institute
@aci
39.3K
5Habitat For Humanity International Inc
Habitat For Humanity International Inc
@habitatforhumanity
15.7K

Most Total Views

1Ascension Michigan
Ascension Michigan
@ascensionorg
42.7M
2National Kidney Foundation Inc
National Kidney Foundation Inc
@nationalkidneyfoundation
29.5M
3Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall Inc
Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall Inc
@detroitsymphony
21.5M
4Michigan Humane Society
Michigan Humane Society
@michiganhumane
19.3M
5Henry Ford Health System
Henry Ford Health System
@henryfordhealth
18.8M

Most Videos Overall

1Henry Ford Health System
Henry Ford Health System
@henryfordhealth
2.9K
2American Concrete Institute
American Concrete Institute
@aci
2.7K
3Ascension Michigan
Ascension Michigan
@ascensionorg
2.6K
4Humane Society Of Huron Valley
Humane Society Of Huron Valley
@hshvorg
2.5K
5Detroit Zoological Society
Detroit Zoological Society
@detroitzoo
2.4K
Detroit vs. National

Benchmark Intelligence

How Detroit nonprofit YouTube channels compare to national nonprofit and industry benchmarks — and where the biggest opportunities for growth are hiding.

Subscribers
Needs Work
110
Detroit Median
25th–75th: 32–483
National: 1.0K(NP Median)

The typical Detroit nonprofit has 110 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
304
Detroit Median
25th–75th: 110–731
National: 400(NP Median)

The typical Detroit channel gets 304 views per video vs. 400 nationally. Better thumbnails, SEO titles, and consistent posting can close this gap.

Engagement Rate
Below National
1.26%
Detroit Median
25th–75th: 0.7%–2.0%
National: 2.5%(NP Median)

Detroit's typical 1.26% engagement trails the 2.5% national median. Adding CTAs, responding to comments, and posting Shorts can boost this significantly.

Uploads / 90 Days
Needs Work
0
Detroit Median
81 of 188 active
National: 4(Active NP Median)

The typical Detroit nonprofit uploads 0 videos per 90 days vs. 4 nationally. Only 81 of 188 channels are active. Consistency is the #1 growth lever.

What the Data Tells Us

🔍

The Gap Is Real

With a median of just 110 subscribers, most Detroit nonprofits have small audiences — but that's typical for local organizations. The average (2.0K) 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: 2.0K subs) skew the average 18× higher than the median (110). The median represents what the typical Detroit nonprofit actually looks like — and what you should benchmark against.

🚀

Biggest Growth Lever

107 of 188 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 Detroit'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

Detroit Nonprofit Growth Playbook

Data-backed priorities ranked by potential impact — where Detroit nonprofits should focus to close the gap with national benchmarks

📅

Upload Consistency Is #1

High Impact
107 inactive channels

107 of 188 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 Detroit nonprofits.

💬

Close the Engagement Gap

High Impact
1.26% vs. 5.4% national

Detroit's 1.26% 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 Impact
304 vs. 2K national

The median Detroit channel gets 304 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 Impact
Median: 110 subscribers

Half of all Detroit nonprofit channels have fewer than 110 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

Get a free YouTube audit with personalized recommendations in 30 seconds

AI Spotlight

Editor's Picks

Channels selected by AI for exceptional content quality and impact

Detroit spent millions tearing homes down. Now residents need help fixing them
8/10

Detroit spent millions tearing homes down. Now residents need help fixing them

Outlier Media

Outlier Media

180 subscribers

Outlier Media demonstrates how a small subscriber base (168) can achieve strong reach through excellent, news-driven titling. Their average views per video (238) represent an impressive 141% of their total audience, and recent uploads like their body cam footage report spiked to nearly 1,000 views. However, their 0% caption coverage is a significant accessibility gap.

exceptionalLocal Detroit journalism non…
From Surviving to Thriving / International Samaritan Jamaica
7/10

From Surviving to Thriving / International Samaritan Jamaica

International Samaritan

International Samaritan

152 subscribers

Despite a small subscriber base of 145, International Samaritan achieves an exceptional 3.47% engagement rate and a 116% view-to-subscriber ratio. Their content focuses heavily on mission-driven storytelling, such as 'Danny's Story', rather than generic event recaps. However, the channel has been dormant for over 60 days and lacks native closed captioning on 96% of its videos.

highA highly focused internation…

🏆 Curious where your nonprofit ranks?

Get an instant benchmark ranking + free YouTube audit in 30 seconds

Content Strategy

Content Format Breakdown

How Detroit nonprofits structure their YouTube content — from long-form storytelling to quick Shorts

Format Distribution

188 channels analyzed
95%
Shorts-Heavy 9
Short-Form (<5m) 179
Mid-Form (5–15m) 0
Long-Form (15m+) 0

Upload Efficiency

Best avg views per video

1
National Kidney Foundation Inc

National Kidney Foundation Inc

923 videos · 29.5M total views

57.1K/vid
2
United Way For Southeastern Michigan

United Way For Southeastern Michigan

442 videos · 3.0M total views

50.8K/vid
3
Henry Ford Estate

Henry Ford Estate

13 videos · 550.7K total views

42.4K/vid
4
College For Creative Studies

College For Creative Studies

255 videos · 7.6M total views

25.0K/vid
5
Walsh College Of Accountancy And Business Administration

Walsh College Of Accountancy And Business Administration

499 videos · 4.1M total views

20.5K/vid

Shorts Champions

Most YouTube Shorts produced

1
Macomb Community College Foundation

Macomb Community College Foundation

42 Shorts · 8% of content

42
2
Midtown Detroit Inc

Midtown Detroit Inc

39 Shorts · 87% of content

39
3
College For Creative Studies

College For Creative Studies

36 Shorts · 14% of content

36
4
Gleaners Community Food Bank Of Southeastern Michigan

Gleaners Community Food Bank Of Southeastern Michigan

31 Shorts · 5% of content

31
5
Automotive Hall Of Fame Inc

Automotive Hall Of Fame Inc

30 Shorts · 12% of content

30
Performance

Engagement & Format

Best Engagement

1Michigan Animal Rescue League
Michigan Animal Rescue League
@michigananimalrescueleague
4.82%
2Black Leaders Detroit
Black Leaders Detroit
@blackleadersdetroit5302
4.67%
3The Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum
The Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum
@tuskegeeairmennationalmuse6737
4.44%
4Nation Outside
Nation Outside
@nationoutside
4.01%
5Humane Society Of Huron Valley
Humane Society Of Huron Valley
@hshvorg
3.72%

Most Shorts

1Macomb Community College Foundation
Macomb Community College Foundation
@macombcollege
42 shorts
2Al-ayn Social Care Foundation
Al-ayn Social Care Foundation
@alaynaus
41 shorts
3Midtown Detroit Inc
Midtown Detroit Inc
@midtowndetroit
39 shorts
4College For Creative Studies
College For Creative Studies
@ccsdetroit
36 shorts
5Gleaners Community Food Bank Of Southeastern Michigan
Gleaners Community Food Bank Of Southeastern Michigan
@gleaners
31 shorts
Trending NowPast 2 months

Viral Hits

The most-viewed recent uploads across all tracked channels

Detroit Zoo | Fred and Barbara Erb Discovery Trails Ad :15
#1 This Month
17d ago

Detroit Zoo | Fred and Barbara Erb Discovery Trails Ad :15

Detroit Zoological Society506.7K views
We love seeing your individuality shine on your grad caps! #college #graduation
2
1mo ago

We love seeing your individuality shine on your grad caps! #college #graduation

Macomb Community C…31.0K
MAHLER | Symphony No. 9 in D major | Herbert Blomstedt, Conductor | Detroit Symphony Orchestra
3
1mo ago

MAHLER | Symphony No. 9 in D major | Herbert Blomstedt, Conductor | Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Detroit Symphony O…13.6K
Practical Ideas on Meal Planning and Increasing Activity to Improve Blood Pressure Control
4
25d ago

Practical Ideas on Meal Planning and Increasing Activity to Improve Blood Pressure Control

Henry Ford Health …3.9K
Rachel's WHY. Every story is a seed. Every seed can create change🌱 #nationoutside #podcast #reentry
5
1mo ago

Rachel's WHY. Every story is a seed. Every seed can create change🌱 #nationoutside #podcast #reentry

Nation Outside1.1K
What Is a Hernia? Fast Facts in 20 Seconds #herniasymptoms #herniarepair #herniasurgery
6
1mo ago

What Is a Hernia? Fast Facts in 20 Seconds #herniasymptoms #herniarepair #herniasurgery

Trinity Health Cor…1.0K
Greenhills Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony
7
1mo ago

Greenhills Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony

Greenhills School1.0K
Community Builders

Comment Magnets

Channels sparking the most conversation — ranked by average comments per video

#
Channel
Avg Comments
Comment Activity
Engagement
1
Henry Ford Estate
Henry Ford Estate
1.3K subs · 42.4K avg views
16
0.6207
2
Skillman Foundation
Skillman Foundation
1.8K subs · 5.3K avg views
5
1.8288
3
Motown Historical Museum Inc
Motown Historical Museum Inc
3.8K subs · 1.6K avg views
4
1.9146
4
Humane Society Of Huron Valley
Humane Society Of Huron Valley
2.3K subs · 442 avg views
2
3.7200
5
Michigan Animal Rescue League
Michigan Animal Rescue League
217 subs · 1.6K avg views
2
4.8160
6
Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall Inc
Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall Inc
73.1K subs · 2.2K avg views
2
2.6236
7
The Detroit Institute Of Arts
The Detroit Institute Of Arts
7.6K subs · 783 avg views
2
3.1446

Contenido en Español

Spanish-Language Content

Original Spanish-language videos from nonprofits — a critical gap in markets with large Hispanic populations

Community Health Worker Programs Have Life Changing Results
9 en español
Bilingual
Mhp Salud

Community Health Worker Programs Have Life Changing Results

Mhp Salud · 9 Spanish videos

How to navigate the airnow.gov website.
9 en español
Bilingual
Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision Project

How to navigate the airnow.gov website.

Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision Project · 9 Spanish videos

Dr. Ebright, Infectious Disease Physician Q&A Live on Coronavirus
7 en español
Bilingual
Covenant Community Care Inc

Dr. Ebright, Infectious Disease Physician Q&A Live on Coronavirus

Covenant Community Care Inc · 7 Spanish videos

3%

of tracked channels have any Spanish content

6

channels with Spanish videos out of 188 tracked

0

channels with Spanish as primary language

1

Mhp Salud

🌐 Bilingual · 9 Spanish videos · 50 subs

9 videos

en español

2

Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision Project

🌐 Bilingual · 9 Spanish videos · 18 subs

9 videos

en español

3

Covenant Community Care Inc

🌐 Bilingual · 7 Spanish videos · 67 subs

7 videos

en español

4

Global Detroit

🌐 Bilingual · 3 Spanish videos · 84 subs

3 videos

en español

5

National Kidney Foundation Inc

🌐 Bilingual · 2 Spanish videos · 49.3K subs

2 videos

en español

6

Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation

🌐 Bilingual · 1 Spanish video · 16 subs

1 video

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

Discover

Hidden Gems

AI-curated smaller channels making an outsized impact — one from each category

Emerson School 8th Grade Graduation 2024
★ 2/10
Education & Youth
Emerson School Inc
Emerson School Inc
360 subs
8 uploads in 90d
January 2025 | What the wolves of Isle Royale teach us about our relationship with nature
★ 4/10
Environment & Conservation
The Stewardship Network
The Stewardship Network
389 subs
AI score: 4/10
Cats who are on their second stint at MARL (and the totally real reasons why they got returned) 💙
★ 4/10
Environment & Wildlife
Michigan Animal Rescue League
Michigan Animal Rescue League
217 subs
35x viral ratio
677 Robotic Modified TajMahal Hepatectomy for Type IV Hilar cholangiocarcinoma
Health & Wellness
Vattikuti Foundation
Vattikuti Foundation
7.9K subs
31 uploads in 90d
Annual Meeting 2024
Housing & Community Development
Wayne-metropolitan Community Action Agency
Wayne-metropolitan Community Action Agency
632 subs
3.1% engagement

💎 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.

Learn about our services →
Join the Benchmark

Want your organization
included?

See how your YouTube channel stacks up against 188+ Detroit for-impact organizations. Get a free channel audit with personalized insights.

Data sourced from the YouTube Data API. Last updated 7/18/2026. Rankings reflect publicly available channel statistics.