Last updated: 2026-01-10

For most charity fundraisers in the U.S., StreamYard is the best starting point because you can record polished, presenter-led screen videos with branding, guests, and local multi-track files straight from your browser. Use OBS when you specifically need free, highly customizable local capture, and Loom when you need ultra-fast, shareable clips and nonprofit discounts.

Summary

• StreamYard gives you a browser-based studio with screen sharing, camera, branding, and per-participant local recordings, ideal for donor-facing content and replay campaigns. (StreamYard pricing)
• OBS is a powerful free desktop app for advanced, hardware-tuned recording and streaming, but it requires more setup and technical comfort. (OBS)
• Loom is tailored to quick async messages, with a generous free tier and nonprofit pricing options, but its limits and focus make it less suited to full fundraiser productions. (Loom pricing)
• For most fundraisers, a simple playbook works: record and brand your appeals in StreamYard, clip highlights, then use OBS or Loom only for edge cases.

What do charity fundraisers actually need from screen recording software?

If you’re running a fundraiser, you’re not chasing bitrates—you’re trying to move hearts and wallets.

In practice, most U.S.-based nonprofits need screen recording software that can:

• Capture a clear presenter plus slides, donation pages, or live totals
• Add logos, overlays, and calls-to-action directly into the video
• Bring in guests (board members, beneficiaries, sponsors) without complex routing
• Produce clean files for repurposing on social, email, and your website
• Run reliably on everyday laptops used by staff and volunteers

At StreamYard, we designed our studio so you can do all of this in the browser: you enter a studio, share your screen, add branded overlays, and capture the session as both cloud and local recordings, with per-participant local files available for post-production. (Local recording docs)

Why is StreamYard a strong default for fundraiser screen recordings?

For a typical charity campaign—think Giving Tuesday, a capital campaign, or a virtual gala—you usually want a presenter-led recording that feels like a live show, even if it’s pre-recorded.

StreamYard fits that pattern well:

• Presenter-visible screen sharing with layouts. You can choose whether the screen or the speaker is dominant, switch layouts on the fly, and keep the presenter confident by showing them exactly what donors will see.
• Independent audio control. Screen audio and microphone audio can be adjusted separately, which is key when you’re playing a video testimonial while an emcee talks over it.
• Local multi-track recordings. Each host and guest can be recorded locally on their own device, giving you higher-quality audio and video tracks for editing later—even if someone’s internet hiccups. (Local recording docs)
• Branding baked in. You can apply your logo, sponsor marks, lower-thirds, and donation URLs as overlays, which reduces post-production work and keeps your message consistent across every clip.
• Flexible formats. You can capture both landscape and portrait-friendly outputs from the same session, which is handy when you’re planning to cut vertical reels for TikTok and Instagram.
• Presenter notes. Hosts can keep talk tracks and key stats visible only to them while recording, reducing retakes and making volunteer presenters more comfortable.
• Collaborative demos. Multiple participants can share their screens for things like “how to give” walkthroughs or partner showcases.

Because StreamYard runs in the browser, most staff and volunteers can join from the laptops they already use, without installing a heavy desktop app. That’s a big deal when you’re coordinating busy board members or remote ambassadors.

How does StreamYard stack up against OBS for fundraiser recordings?

OBS is often the first name tech-savvy volunteers bring up—and for some scenarios, it’s a good fit.

What OBS offers:

• Cost: OBS is free and open source for video recording and live streaming, with no licensing fees. (OBS)
• Advanced control: You can build complex scenes that mix window captures, overlays, and multiple sources, and you get fine-grained control over encoding and formats.
• Audio tools: OBS includes per-source audio filters like noise suppression and noise gates, which can help tame noisy environments. (OBS)

Where StreamYard is usually better for charity teams:

• Setup time: OBS requires installation, configuration, and an understanding of scenes, sources, and encoders. StreamYard studios open in the browser with defaults that work for most people.
• Guest workflows: OBS assumes you bring in guests from other apps (Zoom, Discord, etc.), while StreamYard is built as a multi-guest studio from day one.
• Cloud + local together: On paid StreamYard plans, live sessions are auto-recorded to the cloud with per-stream caps up to 10–24 hours, and you can also capture per-participant local files, which simplifies both archiving and editing. (Recording limits)

A practical rule: if you have a dedicated technical volunteer who loves tweaking settings and your fundraiser is heavily production-focused, OBS might be the right tool for that person. For everyone else, especially when multiple non-technical staff need to contribute, StreamYard’s browser studio is usually the smoother choice.

When does Loom make sense for nonprofit fundraisers?

Loom serves a different job: fast async screen messages you can share with a link.

Key strengths:

• Quick capture: You hit record and get a short screen + camera bubble video, great for internal updates or small donor thank-yous.
• Sharing: Videos live in Loom’s cloud, so you can paste a link into email, Slack, or your CRM.
• Plans and limits: Loom’s Starter plan is free with 25 videos per person and a 5-minute recording limit, while paid business plans list “unlimited videos” and “unlimited recording time” with resolutions up to 4K on higher tiers. (Loom pricing)

For nonprofits specifically, Loom is also promoted through Atlassian’s ecosystem with discounted nonprofit pricing, which can be attractive if you already use other Atlassian tools. (Atlassian nonprofit info)

Where StreamYard remains stronger for fundraisers:

• Event-style content: If you’re creating a virtual gala, telethon-style show, or panel discussion, you’ll likely outgrow Loom’s simple recorder and prefer StreamYard’s layouts, multi-guest studio, and branding tools.
• Multi-purpose output: StreamYard’s local multi-track recordings give your editor more flexibility for reusing footage in multiple campaigns.
• Team economics: Loom’s paid pricing is per user, while StreamYard pricing is per workspace, which is often more cost-effective when several staff and volunteers need to participate. (StreamYard pricing)

A practical combo many nonprofits use: StreamYard for the main fundraiser content, and Loom (or even just email) for quick one-off internal messages.

How much recording time do you really get on free vs paid plans?

Free tools are important for smaller charities, but limits matter.

• StreamYard Free: You can access the browser studio and record, but free local recording is limited to 2 hours per month, and storage is capped at 5 hours of recordings before you need to delete or upgrade. (Free plan limits)
• StreamYard paid: On paid plans, local recording is unlimited (subject to storage on the device), and cloud recordings can run up to 10 hours per stream (24 hours on certain higher tiers), with storage measured in hours per workspace. (Storage info)
• OBS: There are no vendor-enforced recording caps; your limits come from your computer and disk space. (OBS system requirements)
• Loom Starter: Free workspaces get 25 videos per person and a 5-minute per-video recording limit, which can feel tight for multi-segment appeals or trainings. (Loom FAQ)

For a one-off, short appeal, you can start with free tiers. For campaigns with multiple sessions, multiple speakers, and a long runway, it’s wise to plan around paid-level capacity, especially so you don’t hit a limit mid-recording.

How should a nonprofit choose among StreamYard, OBS, and Loom?

Here’s a simple decision flow you can walk through with your team:

1. Are you hosting a live fundraiser or producing a show-like replay?
   • Yes → Start with StreamYard for a browser-based studio with guests, screen share, branding, and cloud + local recordings.
2. Is your top priority ultra-fine control over encoding and you have a technical operator?
   • Yes → Consider adding OBS for the operator, while still using StreamYard for simpler sessions.
3. Do you primarily need quick, sub-5-minute explainer clips for internal or 1:1 donor communications?
   • Yes → Loom can complement StreamYard as an async messaging tool, especially if you qualify for nonprofit discounts.
4. Do multiple staff or volunteers need studio access?
   • Yes → StreamYard’s per-workspace pricing often ends up more affordable than per-user models when a whole communications team is involved. (StreamYard pricing)

If you’re unsure, a useful pattern is to prototype your first appeal video in StreamYard’s 7-day free trial, see how it feels for your presenters, and then add OBS or Loom only if you discover gaps.

What we recommend

• Use StreamYard as your primary studio for donor-facing screen recordings, virtual galas, and replayable campaign content.
• Lean on per-participant local recordings in StreamYard so your editor can repurpose clips for social, email, and future appeals with better quality safety nets.
• Bring in OBS only when you have a technical operator and a clear need for advanced, hardware-level control.
• Add Loom as a lightweight side tool for quick async donor check-ins or internal updates, not as the core engine of your main fundraiser content.