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Empowering Stories, Revolutionizing Impact

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Newsletter

Monthly storytelling tips for nonprofits.

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← All Metros
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

Khan Academy Inc
1
Schmidt Ocean Institute
2
Kqed Inc
3
California Academy Of Sciences
Computer History Museum
Seti Institute
Burning Man Project
The Exploratorium
Asian Art Museum Foundation Of San Francisco
San Francisco Ballet Association
Fine Arts Museums Foundation
San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art
San Francisco Symphony
Ck12 Foundation
Room To Read

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
Pre-Professional Students Learn Swan Lake
26.4K views
1
Pre-Professional Students Learn Swan Lake
San Francisco Ballet Association · 8d ago
Electric potential and electric field | AP Physics | Khan Academy
10.2K views
2
Electric potential and electric field | AP Physics | Khan Academy
Khan Academy Inc · 4d ago
What is like to be in the Occupational Therapy Program?
1.1K views
3
What is like to be in the Occupational Therapy Program?
Dominican University Of California · 10d ago
West Nile Virus Is Surging: How to Protect Yourself
580 views
4
West Nile Virus Is Surging: How to Protect Yourself
Roots Community Health Center · 6d ago
All-Time Leaders

Top Channels

Most Subscribers

1Khan Academy Inc
Khan Academy Inc
@khanacademy
9.5M
2Schmidt Ocean Institute
Schmidt Ocean Institute
@schmidtocean
569.0K
3Kqed Inc
Kqed Inc
@kqed
378.0K
4California Academy Of Sciences
California Academy Of Sciences
@calacademy
247.0K
5Computer History Museum
Computer History Museum
@computerhistory
179.0K

Most Total Views

1Khan Academy Inc
Khan Academy Inc
@khanacademy
2249.6M
2Ck12 Foundation
Ck12 Foundation
@ck12
288.1M
3Kqed Inc
Kqed Inc
@kqed
112.5M
4Schmidt Ocean Institute
Schmidt Ocean Institute
@schmidtocean
36.7M
5California Academy Of Sciences
California Academy Of Sciences
@calacademy
35.2M

Most Videos Overall

1Khan Academy Inc
Khan Academy Inc
@khanacademy
9.5K
2Ck12 Foundation
Ck12 Foundation
@ck12
5.1K
3Positive Coaching Alliance
Positive Coaching Alliance
@positivecoachus
2.6K
4Muttville
Muttville
@muttvillesf
2.2K
5Computer History Museum
Computer History Museum
@computerhistory
2.2K
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
372
San Francisco Median
25th–75th: 194–1.5K
National: 400(NP Median)

The typical San Francisco channel gets 372 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
94 of 186 active
National: 4(Active NP Median)

The typical San Francisco nonprofit uploads 1 video per 90 days vs. 4 nationally. Only 94 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 (62.5K) 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: 62.5K 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

92 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 Impact
92 inactive channels

92 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 Impact
1.28% 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 Impact
372 vs. 2K national

The median San Francisco channel gets 372 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: 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

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

The Etruscans, the ancient world's greatest untold story
9/10

The Etruscans, the ancient world's greatest untold story

Fine Arts Museums Foundation

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…
Room to Read presents: She Creates Change | Official Trailer
7/10

Room to Read presents: She Creates Change | Official Trailer

Room To Read

Room To Read

22.3K subscribers

Room to Read demonstrates the power of flagship storytelling with their 'She Creates Change' animated trailer, which amassed over 21 million views (likely aided by paid distribution given their 22.3K subscribers). While recent organic uploads maintain a healthy 1K-4K view range and upload consistency is strong (12 videos in 90 days), the channel's near-zero caption coverage (2%) is a significant accessibility gap.

highInternational education nonp…
Curiosity Stories S2E3: Redwood Soundscapes
9/10

Curiosity Stories S2E3: Redwood Soundscapes

Sempervirens Fund

Sempervirens Fund

3.0K subscribers

Sempervirens Fund excels at educational storytelling, structuring their content into compelling series like The Secret Life of Redwoods. With an average view-to-subscriber ratio of 56% and 22 uploads in the last 90 days, their documentary-style approach strongly resonates with their audience, though they urgently need to improve their 10% caption coverage for accessibility.

exceptionalSmall conservation org produ…

🏆 Curious where your nonprofit ranks?

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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 analyzed
97%
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

Room To Read

142 videos · 22.6M total views

429.8K/vid
2
Save The Redwoods League

Save The Redwoods League

192 videos · 3.7M total views

65.5K/vid
3
Kqed Inc

Kqed Inc

2068 videos · 112.5M total views

54.8K/vid
4
Washington Township Medical Foundation

Washington Township Medical Foundation

113 videos · 3.0M total views

58.8K/vid
5
Lucas Museum Of Narrative Art

Lucas Museum Of Narrative Art

64 videos · 4.7M total views

55.5K/vid

Shorts Champions

Most YouTube Shorts produced

1
Ck12 Foundation

Ck12 Foundation

47 Shorts · 1% of content

47
2
Muttville

Muttville

46 Shorts · 2% of content

46
3
Bay Area Senior Services Inc

Bay Area Senior Services Inc

46 Shorts · 81% of content

46
4
United Way Of The Bay Area

United Way Of The Bay Area

40 Shorts · 6% of content

40
5
Second Harvest Of Silicon Valley

Second Harvest Of Silicon Valley

38 Shorts · 12% of content

38
Performance

Engagement & Format

Best Engagement

1Muttville
Muttville
@muttvillesf
17.11%
2Roots Community Health Center
Roots Community Health Center
@rootscommunityhealth
7.40%
3Project Open Hand
Project Open Hand
@openhandfarm
7.37%
4Middle East Childrens Alliance
Middle East Childrens Alliance
@mecaforpeace
5.27%
5Schmidt Ocean Institute
Schmidt Ocean Institute
@schmidtocean
4.82%

Most Shorts

1Ck12 Foundation
Ck12 Foundation
@ck12
47 shorts
2Muttville
Muttville
@muttvillesf
46 shorts
3Bay Area Senior Services Inc
Bay Area Senior Services Inc
@bayareadrivingschool
46 shorts
4United Way Of The Bay Area
United Way Of The Bay Area
@unitedwaybayarea
40 shorts
5Second Harvest Of Silicon Valley
Second Harvest Of Silicon Valley
@shfborg
38 shorts
Trending NowPast month

Viral Hits

The most-viewed recent uploads across all tracked channels

PolicyLink Summit: Sherrilyn Ifill on the 14th Amendment and a lineage of founders
#1 This Month
25d ago

PolicyLink Summit: Sherrilyn Ifill on the 14th Amendment and a lineage of founders

Policylink112.7K views
RCAP - "Easy Choice"
2
20d ago

RCAP - "Easy Choice"

Abode Services79.4K
Going for a casual walk in SF be like
3
14d ago

Going for a casual walk in SF be like

Kqed Inc13.6K
Why ancient Egypt's female pharaoh dressed like a man #hatshepsut
4
19d ago

Why ancient Egypt's female pharaoh dressed like a man #hatshepsut

Fine Arts Museums …8.3K
Millions of #Planets Around a #BlackHole? #scienceexplained #science #SETILive
5
29d ago

Millions of #Planets Around a #BlackHole? #scienceexplained #science #SETILive

Seti Institute6.4K
The 2026-27 Season Is Here
6
20d ago

The 2026-27 Season Is Here

San Francisco Symp…3.8K
This Plane Was Flying SO LOW! 😱✈️ We Had to Show You!
7
17d ago

This Plane Was Flying SO LOW! 😱✈️ We Had to Show You!

Second Harvest Of …1.2K
Community Builders

Comment Magnets

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

#
Channel
Avg Comments
Comment Activity
Engagement
1
Kqed Inc
Kqed Inc
378.0K subs · 54.8K avg views
61
2.4577
2
Fine Arts Museums Foundation
Fine Arts Museums Foundation
45.6K subs · 39.6K avg views
39
3.3974
3
Project Open Hand
Project Open Hand
6.1K subs · 1.7K avg views
28
7.3662
4
Schmidt Ocean Institute
Schmidt Ocean Institute
569.0K subs · 6.8K avg views
11
4.8181
5
Muttville
Muttville
8.7K subs · 790 avg views
10
17.1070
6
Throckmorton
Throckmorton
3.5K subs · 14.4K avg views
9
0.8313
7
Burning Man Project
Burning Man Project
75.9K subs · 4.2K avg views
8
2.2483
8
San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art
San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art
44.7K subs · 15.5K avg views
6
0.9442
9
Earthjustice
Earthjustice
8.5K subs · 49.6K avg views
6
0.9979
10
California Trout
California Trout
7.3K subs · 1.2K avg views
5
3.7362

Contenido en Español

Spanish-Language Content

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

PolicyLink Summit: Sherrilyn Ifill on the 14th Amendment and a lineage of founders
42 en español
Bilingual
Policylink

PolicyLink Summit: Sherrilyn Ifill on the 14th Amendment and a lineage of founders

Policylink · 42 Spanish videos

"Don't Stop (Thinking about tomorrow)" by The Constructivists
24 en español
Bilingual
Synapse School

"Don't Stop (Thinking about tomorrow)" by The Constructivists

Synapse School · 24 Spanish videos

Aviso para la comunidad MAM sobre COVID-19
21 en español
Bilingual
Centro Legal De La Raza Inc

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 · 248 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

Discover

Hidden Gems

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

Kiva US: Preparing Your Winning Application
★ 4/10
International Development
Kiva Microfunds
Kiva Microfunds
6.4K subs
10x viral ratio
The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy: An Unprecedented Research Collaboration
★ 2/10
Science & Research
Parker Institute For Cancer Immunotherapy
Parker Institute For Cancer Immunotherapy
305 subs
14x viral ratio
Meet Liz: "Family homelessness is a perpetual cycle and something needs to be done to end it"
★ 3/10
Social Services
Hamilton Families
Hamilton Families
342 subs
AI score: 3/10
In the Studio with Saif Azzuz | An Inside Look at “Good Fire”
★ 5/10
Arts & Culture
Oakland Museum Of California
Oakland Museum Of California
3.6K subs
3.0% engagement
Welcome Home, Sophea
★ 5/10
Civil Rights & Advocacy
Asian Law Caucus
Asian Law Caucus
263 subs
AI score: 5/10

💎 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.