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Competitive Intelligence
San Francisco For Impact
YouTube Benchmark
Live rankings and performance data for 186+ for-impact YouTube channels across San Francisco 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 2 weeksTop uploads by views
All-Time Leaders
Top Channels
San Francisco vs. National
Benchmark Intelligence
How San Francisco nonprofit YouTube channels compare to national nonprofit and industry benchmarks — and where the biggest opportunities for growth are hiding.
Subscribers
Needs Work
323
San Francisco Median
25th–75th: 77–2.2K
National: 1.0K(NP Median)
The typical San Francisco nonprofit has 323 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
On Par
362
San Francisco Median
25th–75th: 197–1.5K
National: 400(NP Median)
The typical San Francisco channel gets 362 views per video vs. 400 nationally. Better thumbnails, SEO titles, and consistent posting can close this gap.
Engagement Rate
Below National
1.28%
San Francisco Median
25th–75th: 0.7%–1.8%
National: 2.5%(NP Median)
San Francisco's typical 1.28% 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
San Francisco Median
97 of 186 active
National: 4(Active NP Median)
The typical San Francisco nonprofit uploads 1 video per 90 days vs. 4 nationally. Only 97 of 186 channels are active. Consistency is the #1 growth lever.
What the Data Tells Us
🔍
The Gap Is Real
With a median of just 323 subscribers, most San Francisco nonprofits have small audiences — but that's typical for local organizations. The average (62.6K) 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: 62.6K subs) skew the average 194× higher than the median (323). The median represents what the typical San Francisco nonprofit actually looks like — and what you should benchmark against.
🚀
Biggest Growth Lever
89 of 186 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 San Francisco'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
San Francisco Nonprofit Growth Playbook
Data-backed priorities ranked by potential impact — where San Francisco nonprofits should focus to close the gap with national benchmarks
📅
Upload Consistency Is #1
High Impact89 inactive channels
89 of 186 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 San Francisco nonprofits.
💬
Close the Engagement Gap
High Impact1.28% vs. 5.4% national
San Francisco's 1.28% 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 Impact362 vs. 2K national
The median San Francisco channel gets 362 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: 323 subscribers
Half of all San Francisco nonprofit channels have fewer than 323 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
8/10
This Creamy Coleslaw Recipe is the Perfect Side DIsh | Jacques Pépin Cooking at Home | KQED
Kqed Inc
378.0K subscribers
KQED boasts a strong 2.53% engagement rate and an impressive historical average of 68k views per video. However, recent uploads like 'A Perfect Day At The Beach' (10k views) are significantly underperforming their historical baseline. Despite this recent dip, their sustained output of 2,063 videos since 2006 shows exceptional consistency.
exceptionalPublic media powerhouse demo…
7/10
CONTROL: Why Big Giving Falls Short (Trailer)
Stupski Foundation
558 subscribers
The Stupski Foundation leverages YouTube effectively as a thought leadership platform, posting consistently with 21 uploads in the last 90 days. While their spend-down narrative and podcast format offer a refreshing take on philanthropy, their audience resonance remains average (1.17% engagement rate, 0 comments), and a severe lack of captions (6%) hinders accessibility.
highA spend-down foundation usin…
9/10
The Etruscans, the ancient world's greatest untold story
Fine Arts Museums Foundation
45.6K subscribers
The Fine Arts Museums Foundation drives an exceptional 3.4% engagement rate and an 86% view-to-subscriber ratio, proving their art history narratives and artist profiles deeply resonate. With 13 uploads in the last 90 days, they maintain a healthy, consistent content engine focused on long-form storytelling. However, their dismal 12% caption coverage is a significant accessibility blind spot for a major public institution.
exceptionalA major arts institution dri…
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Content Strategy
Content Format Breakdown
How San Francisco nonprofits structure their YouTube content — from long-form storytelling to quick Shorts
Format Distribution
186 channels analyzed97%
Shorts-Heavy 5
Short-Form (<5m) 181
Mid-Form (5–15m) 0
Long-Form (15m+) 0
Upload Efficiency
Best avg views per video
1
Room To Read
142 videos · 22.6M total views
2
Save The Redwoods League
193 videos · 3.7M total views
3
Kqed Inc
2068 videos · 112.5M total views
4
Washington Township Medical Foundation
113 videos · 3.0M total views
5
Lucas Museum Of Narrative Art
66 videos · 4.7M total views
Performance
Engagement & Format
Trending NowPast month
Viral Hits
The most-viewed recent uploads across all tracked channels
2
15d ago
Pre-Professional Students Learn Swan Lake
San Francisco Ball…26.4K
3
20d ago
Going for a casual walk in SF be like
Kqed Inc13.6K
4
26d ago
Why ancient Egypt's female pharaoh dressed like a man #hatshepsut
Fine Arts Museums …8.3K
5
26d ago
The 2026-27 Season Is Here
San Francisco Symp…3.8K
6
24d ago
This Plane Was Flying SO LOW! 😱✈️ We Had to Show You!
Second Harvest Of …1.2K
7
16d ago
What is like to be in the Occupational Therapy Program?
Dominican Universi…1.1K
Community Builders
Comment Magnets
Channels sparking the most conversation — ranked by average comments per video
#
Channel
Avg Comments
1
Kqed Inc
378.0K subs · 54.8K avg views
61
2
Fine Arts Museums Foundation
45.6K subs · 39.6K avg views
39
3
Project Open Hand
6.1K subs · 1.7K avg views
28
4
Muttville
8.7K subs · 863 avg views
10
5
Schmidt Ocean Institute
571.0K subs · 10.1K avg views
9
6
Throckmorton
3.5K subs · 14.4K avg views
9
7
Burning Man Project
75.9K subs · 4.2K avg views
8
8
San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art
44.7K subs · 15.5K avg views
6
9
Earthjustice
8.5K subs · 49.6K avg views
6
10
California Trout
7.3K subs · 1.2K avg views
5
Contenido en Español
Spanish-Language Content
Original Spanish-language videos from nonprofits — a critical gap in markets with large Hispanic populations
42 en español
Bilingual
PolicyLink Summit: Sherrilyn Ifill on the 14th Amendment and a lineage of founders
Policylink · 42 Spanish videos
24 en español
Bilingual
"Don't Stop (Thinking about tomorrow)" by The Constructivists
Synapse School · 24 Spanish videos
21 en español
Bilingual
Aviso para la comunidad MAM sobre COVID-19
Centro Legal De La Raza Inc · 21 Spanish videos
7%
of tracked channels have any Spanish content
13
channels with Spanish videos out of 186 tracked
0
channels with Spanish as primary language
1
Policylink
🌐 Bilingual · 42 Spanish videos · 2.5K subs
42 videos
en español
2
Synapse School
🌐 Bilingual · 24 Spanish videos · 270 subs
24 videos
en español
3
Centro Legal De La Raza Inc
🌐 Bilingual · 21 Spanish videos · 48 subs
21 videos
en español
4
Compass Family Services
🌐 Bilingual · 6 Spanish videos · 125 subs
6 videos
en español
5
Low Income Investment Fund
🌐 Bilingual · 4 Spanish videos · 251 subs
4 videos
en español
6
The Exploratorium
🌐 Bilingual · 3 Spanish videos · 64.2K subs
3 videos
en español
7
Childrens Hospital & Research Center At Oakland
🌐 Bilingual · 2 Spanish videos · 5.1K subs
2 videos
en español
8
San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art
🌐 Bilingual · 1 Spanish video · 44.7K 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
💎 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 10/10/2026. Rankings reflect publicly available channel statistics.