HeyGen for Nonprofits: AI Avatar Video Generator
Struggling to create professional videos without appearing on camera or hiring actors? HeyGen transforms text scripts into polished, AI-narrated videos featuring lifelike avatars that speak in 175+ languages with voice cloning and video translation—eliminating the traditional costs, complexity, and camera anxiety of video production while helping you create consistent, engaging content for training, donor communications, and awareness campaigns.
What It Does
Ever postponed creating important training videos because your Executive Director doesn't want to be on camera, or because finding time for filming and editing feels impossible with your stretched-thin team? HeyGen uses AI to convert text scripts into professional-quality videos featuring realistic AI avatars that can narrate your content in over 175 languages—without cameras, lighting setups, or professional actors.
Simply write your script, choose from 1,000+ AI avatars (or create a Digital Twin of yourself or a team member), select your language and voice, and HeyGen automatically generates a polished video in 5-10 minutes. The platform handles everything from lip-syncing to natural gestures and expressions, with automatic rendering that makes the process faster than scheduling a meeting to discuss creating a video.
For nonprofits serving multilingual communities or operating across borders, HeyGen's video translation feature is transformative: create one video, then translate it into Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, French, or any of 175+ other languages with excellent lip-sync quality—each version features natural pronunciation and synchronized mouth movements. No recording studio, no voice actors, no subtitling headaches, and no awkward dubbing mismatches.
Best For
Organization Size
Small to large nonprofits with regular video content needs, particularly those serving multilingual communities or organizations where key staff prefer not to appear on camera. Best suited for teams that produce at least 2-4 videos per month to justify the subscription cost.
Best Use Cases
- Organizations creating training videos for staff or volunteers without video production expertise or camera-shy presenters
- Nonprofits serving multilingual communities who need the same content translated into multiple languages with natural lip-sync
- International NGOs producing donor updates, program reports, or advocacy content for global audiences
- Teams wanting to create a Digital Twin of their Executive Director or program leader for consistent video communications
- Nonprofits replacing expensive video production with scalable, consistent content creation that generates unlimited videos
Ideal For
Communications Directors, Marketing Managers, Training Coordinators, Program Managers, Development Directors, Executive Directors creating donor communications, Volunteer Coordinators, and anyone responsible for producing video content without a dedicated videographer or on-camera talent.
Key Features for Nonprofits
1,000+ Realistic AI Avatars
Choose from an extensive library of diverse, professional avatars representing different ages, ethnicities, professions, and styles. All paid plans unlock the full library. The Avatar IV feature (November 2026) delivers highly realistic videos with 60% higher performance—far beyond robotic text-to-speech and earlier avatar generations.
Digital Twins: Create Your Own Avatar
The Digital Twins feature (launched August 2026) enables creating custom avatars from a single photo or brief video with one-shot avatar generation. Create an avatar of your Executive Director, program leader, or yourself for consistent video communications without the need for repeated filming sessions. Perfect for organizations wanting to maintain a personal touch while scaling video production.
175+ Languages with Excellent Lip-Sync
Create videos in Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, French, Hindi, Portuguese—175+ languages total—with 300+ voices and excellent lip-sync quality that makes translations look natural. Unlike subtitled videos or poorly dubbed translations, HeyGen's video translation synchronizes mouth movements with the translated speech, maintaining the professional appearance of your content across languages.
Voice Cloning: Use Your Own Voice
Clone your own voice or a team member's voice to create AI videos that sound like you without recording audio each time. Perfect for creating training series, donor updates, or program explanations where consistency and personal connection matter, but recording each video manually isn't feasible. Your avatar can speak in your voice across multiple languages.
Fast Generation: 5-10 Minutes Per Video
With November 2026's automatic rendering improvements, most videos generate in 5-10 minutes. What used to take 2-3 days of filming, editing, and revisions now takes 20-30 minutes total. Write your script, choose an avatar and voice, and HeyGen generates your video automatically. Need to make changes? Edit the script and regenerate—no reshooting required.
4K Video Export
Export videos in 4K resolution on higher-tier plans for professional-quality output suitable for large screens, conferences, and high-quality donor communications. All paid plans support 1080p HD export with no watermarks, ensuring your nonprofit's videos look polished and professional.
Real-World Nonprofit Use Case
A health education nonprofit serving immigrant communities across five languages needed to create COVID-19 vaccine education videos in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Somali. Their Executive Director had the medical expertise but was camera-shy and didn't have time for five separate filming sessions with interpreters.
Using HeyGen, they recorded a single 2-minute video of the Executive Director for the Digital Twin feature, then wrote one English script explaining vaccine safety and efficacy. They generated the English version first, then used HeyGen's video translation to create versions in the other four languages with excellent lip-sync—the Executive Director appeared to speak each language fluently with natural mouth movements.
Total time investment: 3 hours (including Digital Twin creation and script writing). The videos reached 15,000 community members across five language groups and were shared by local health departments. When booster guidelines changed, they updated the script and regenerated all five language versions in under an hour—something that would have required $8,000 and three weeks with traditional production. The tool paid for itself in the first month and now saves the organization 25+ hours per quarter while maintaining consistent, culturally appropriate health messaging.
Pricing
| Plan | Free | Creator | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (Monthly) | $0 | $29/mo | $149 (1st seat) +$20/seat |
| Price (Annual) | $0 | $24/mo ($288/yr) | Custom pricing |
| Annual Savings | — | $60/year (17% off) | Varies |
| Credits/Month | 1 credit (3 videos, 3 min each) | 15 credits | Custom allocation |
| Video Generation | 3 videos (3 min each) | Credit-based (varies by features used) | Higher credit limits |
| Resolution | 720p with watermark | 1080p, no watermark | 4K available |
| AI Avatars | Limited selection | 1,000+ avatars | 1,000+ avatars |
| Voice Cloning | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Digital Twins | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Video Translation | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Best For | Testing only | Most nonprofits | Large teams (5+ users) |
Nonprofit Discount/Special Offers
Nonprofit Discount: HeyGen does not currently offer a specific nonprofit discount or special pricing for 501(c)(3) organizations.
How to Save: The best way for nonprofits to save is by choosing annual billing and contacting Enterprise sales for custom pricing if you have a larger team:
- Creator Plan: Save $60/year with annual billing ($24/month vs $29/month, 17% off)
- Business Plan: Better economics for teams of 5+ users ($149 first seat + $20 per additional seat)
- Enterprise: Contact sales for custom nonprofit pricing and higher credit allocations
Free Tier Option: The free plan provides 3 videos per month (3 minutes each) with watermarks, which can work for very small nonprofits creating occasional content. However, videos include a watermark and lack voice cloning, Digital Twins, and video translation features—making them unsuitable for most professional communications.
*Note: Pricing information is subject to change. Please verify current pricing directly with HeyGen.
Learning Curve
Beginner-Friendly
Time to First Value:
- Initial setup and account creation: 10 minutes
- First simple video (text-to-video): 15-25 minutes
- Proficiency with avatars and basic features: 1-2 videos (1-2 hours)
- Creating Digital Twins and using voice cloning: 2-3 hours of experimentation
- Mastering video translation and multilingual workflows: 3-5 videos (4-6 hours)
Technical Requirements:
- Ability to write clear, concise scripts (similar to writing emails or PowerPoint slides)
- No coding, video editing, or design skills required for basic text-to-video
- Basic understanding of video structure (intro, key points, conclusion) helps
- For Digital Twins: ability to record a 2-minute selfie video with good lighting
Support Available:
- HeyGen Hub community forum with user discussions and tips
- Help Center with comprehensive guides and tutorials
- Video Showcase featuring real examples for inspiration
- Email support on all plans; priority support on Business tier
- Third-party tutorials and courses available on platforms like Udemy
Quick Win: Your First Hour
Want to see immediate value? Try this simple experiment:
- 1. Sign up for the free plan (no credit card required) — 5 minutes
- 2. Write a 30-second script for a volunteer thank-you message or program announcement — 10 minutes
- 3. Select an avatar that represents your organization's values and audience — 5 minutes
- 4. Paste your script and generate your first video — 5-10 minutes generation time
- 5. Review the result and imagine using this for regular communications — immediate
What you'll learn: Whether AI avatar videos can replace your current reluctance to create videos due to camera anxiety, time constraints, or budget limitations. Most nonprofits discover they can create professional videos faster than they can write the script outline.
Time invested: 30-40 minutes
Potential time savings: 20-30 hours per month if you start creating videos you previously couldn't justify the time or cost to produce
Integration & Compatibility
Connects With
Video Hosting & Distribution
YouTube, Vimeo, Wistia (via download and upload), social media platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok)
Automation Tools (via API)
Zapier, Make/Integromat, n8n, Pipedream (API available for custom integrations on Business and Enterprise tiers)
Learning Management Systems
Any LMS that accepts video uploads (export MP4 and upload to your platform)
Email Marketing Platforms
Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Brevo, ActiveCampaign (embed videos or link to hosted versions)
Platform Availability
- Web-based: Access via any modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) at heygen.com
- Mobile: Responsive web interface accessible from tablets and smartphones
- Desktop: No desktop application required; all features accessible through web browser
- System Requirements: Stable internet connection, modern browser with JavaScript enabled
Data Portability
- ✅ Full video export in MP4 format (1080p on Creator, 4K on Business/Enterprise)
- ✅ Download videos to your device for offline use or hosting on your own platforms
- ✅ Subtitle files can be exported separately if needed
- ⚠️ Digital Twin avatars and voice clones remain on the HeyGen platform—you own the exported videos, but not the editable avatar/voice assets
- ✅ No restrictions on how you use exported videos (commercial use allowed on paid plans)
Pros & Cons
Pros
- No camera required: Perfect for camera-shy team members or organizations without on-camera talent—create professional videos without anyone appearing on screen
- Exceptional multilingual support: 175+ languages with excellent lip-sync quality makes translations look natural, not dubbed—game-changing for global nonprofits
- Digital Twins for consistency: Create an avatar of your Executive Director or program leader for consistent video presence without repeated filming sessions
- Voice cloning included: Use your own voice or a team member's voice across multiple videos and languages, maintaining personal connection without manual recording
- Fast video generation: 5-10 minute rendering time means you can create videos faster than scheduling a meeting to discuss creating videos
- Extensive avatar library: 1,000+ avatars with Avatar IV technology delivering highly realistic results—far more selection than competitors
- Beginner-friendly: Designed for non-technical users; if you can write a script and select from menus, you can create professional videos
Cons
- No nonprofit discount: Unlike many tools, HeyGen doesn't offer special pricing for 501(c)(3) organizations—you'll pay standard rates
- Credit system can be confusing: Different features consume different amounts of credits, making it harder to predict monthly costs compared to minute-based systems
- High credit consumption for longer videos: Reviewers note that producing longer videos can consume credits quickly, potentially making frequent use costly
- Can feel robotic: Despite impressive technology, some reviewers note the final output "may feel a bit robotic"—not ideal for emotional storytelling or donor testimonials
- Limited customization for avatars: Customization options for stock avatars are somewhat restricted; you get what you see in the library
- Free plan too limited for real use: 3 videos of 3 minutes each with watermarks only works for testing—not suitable for professional nonprofit communications
- Platform lock-in for assets: Digital Twins and voice clones stay on HeyGen's platform; if you cancel, you lose access to regenerate videos using those assets (though exported videos remain yours)
Alternatives to Consider
If HeyGen doesn't feel like the right fit, consider these alternatives:
Synthesia
More affordable with enterprise security features and minute-based pricing
Pricing: Starts at $18/month (vs HeyGen's $24/month)
Key Difference: Synthesia uses minute-based pricing (clearer cost prediction) instead of credit-based, and focuses more on enterprise features like security, SSO, and collaboration tools. HeyGen offers more avatars (1,000+ vs 230) and emphasizes creative features.
Best if: You prefer predictable minute-based pricing, need strong enterprise security features, or want lower monthly costs. The $6/month savings adds up, and minute limits are easier to understand than credit consumption.
Pictory
Focused on transforming blog posts and long videos into short social clips
Pricing: Starts at $19/month (annual billing)
Key Difference: Pictory excels at repurposing existing content—turning blog posts into videos and long videos into short social media clips. Less focused on avatar-based presentations, more on content transformation and auto-captions.
Best if: Your primary use case is repurposing existing blog content or breaking down long videos into shareable clips for social media, rather than creating avatar-narrated videos from scratch.
Lumen5
AI video creation with 50% nonprofit discount
Pricing: Starts at $19/month, with 50% nonprofit discount available
Key Difference: Lumen5 offers a verified 50% nonprofit discount (making it ~$9.50/month), and focuses on transforming text and blog posts into engaging social videos with automated media selection. Less emphasis on avatar presenters.
Best if: Budget is the primary concern and you can verify nonprofit status for the 50% discount. Better for social media content and blog-to-video transformation than avatar-based presentations.
Why you might choose HeyGen instead: Superior multilingual support with excellent lip-sync (175+ languages), more avatars (1,000+), voice cloning included on paid plans, Digital Twins feature for creating custom avatars of real people, and Avatar IV technology for highly realistic results. HeyGen is the best choice when you need camera-free video creation with personal branding (Digital Twins), multilingual translation with natural lip-sync, or the ability to clone voices for consistency across videos.
Getting Started
Your First 48 Hours with HeyGen
1Sign up and explore (15 minutes)
Create a free account at heygen.com to get access to 3 videos per month (3 minutes each) with a watermark. No credit card required for the free tier.
Pro tip: Browse the Video Showcase to see real examples of what HeyGen can create. Pay attention to avatar realism, voice quality, and multilingual examples to understand the platform's capabilities before you start creating.
2Create your first simple video (20-30 minutes)
Write a simple 30-45 second script for a volunteer thank-you message or program announcement. Choose an avatar from the library, select a voice, paste your script, and generate your first video.
Pro tip: Write conversationally—the way you'd speak to someone in person, not the way you'd write an email. Short sentences, natural phrasing, and a friendly tone work best for AI narration. Avoid jargon and complex sentence structures.
3Test the video translation feature (30 minutes)
Take the same video and use HeyGen's video translation to create versions in 2-3 languages your community speaks. Watch how the lip-sync matches the translated speech—this is where HeyGen shines compared to subtitled or poorly dubbed videos.
Pro tip: Share the translated versions with native speakers on your team to assess pronunciation quality and cultural appropriateness. This is where you'll see the true ROI: creating multilingual content that would cost thousands with traditional production now takes minutes.
4Decide if it fits your needs (evaluation)
Ask yourself: Does the avatar realism meet your quality standards? Would your donors/volunteers/stakeholders respond positively to AI avatar videos? Does the ability to avoid being on camera unlock video content you currently don't create due to time or camera anxiety?
Pro tip: Calculate your specific ROI: If you currently avoid creating videos because filming takes too long or key staff are camera-shy, HeyGen could unlock 4-6 new videos per month. If you serve multilingual communities and currently can't afford translation/dubbing ($500-2,000 per language), HeyGen's video translation pays for itself immediately.
Ready to Get Started?
Visit HeyGen's website to sign up for a free account and start creating AI avatar videos in minutes.
Try HeyGen FreeNeed Help with Implementation?
Setting up AI avatar workflows and creating effective multilingual video campaigns can feel overwhelming, especially when you're already managing programs, fundraising, and daily operations with limited bandwidth. If you'd like expert guidance getting started with HeyGen—from creating Digital Twins to developing multilingual content strategies—we're here to help.
One Hundred Nights offers implementation support, from quick setup assistance to full-service video strategy, scriptwriting, and team training.
Contact Us to Learn MoreFrequently Asked Questions
Is HeyGen free for nonprofits?
HeyGen does not offer a specific nonprofit discount. The free plan allows up to 3 videos per month (3 minutes each) with a watermark. For professional use, the Creator plan costs $24/month when billed annually, which provides 15 credits per month, 1080p resolution, and no watermarks.
Can I clone my own voice with HeyGen?
Yes, HeyGen includes voice cloning capabilities that allow you to create AI videos using your own voice. This is especially useful for creating consistent training videos or donor communications where you want to maintain a personal touch without recording each video manually.
How many languages does HeyGen support?
HeyGen supports 175+ languages with 300+ voices. The video translation feature includes excellent lip-sync quality, allowing you to create the same video in multiple languages with natural pronunciation and culturally appropriate avatars.
What's the difference between HeyGen and Synthesia?
HeyGen starts at $24/month (annual billing) while Synthesia starts at $18/month. HeyGen offers more avatars (1,000+ vs 230) and focuses on creative video features like Digital Twins and Avatar IV for highly realistic videos. Synthesia focuses more on enterprise security and collaboration features with monthly minute limits, while HeyGen provides unlimited video generation on all paid plans.
How long does it take to create a video with HeyGen?
Most videos generate in 5-10 minutes after you submit your script and select an avatar. The initial setup and learning the interface takes about 2-3 hours. Once familiar with the platform, you can create a complete video from script to finished product in 15-30 minutes total.
Do I need technical skills to use HeyGen?
No technical or video editing skills are required. HeyGen is designed for beginners with a user-friendly text-to-video interface. If you can write a script and select from menu options, you can create professional AI avatar videos. Advanced features like custom avatars require some learning but are still accessible to non-technical users.