new youtube non-profit program

This is very cool and warrants your attention!

Here is the official blah blah:

YouTube Nonprofit Program participants will receive:

• A premium channel on YouTube that serves as a nonprofit’s hub for their uploaded videos. Through the channel, people can connect with a nonprofit via messages, subscriptions, comments and more. Nonprofits will also receive enhanced channel branding features and increased upload capacity.

• Designation as a “Nonprofit” on YouTube that clearly identifies organizations as a nonprofit for YouTube community.

• The ability to embed a Google Checkout donation button on their channel and video watch pages, allowing people to quickly and securely make a contribution directly from YouTube. Starting today, nonprofits who offer Google Checkout for Non-Profits as a donation option — whether through YouTube or on their own sites — will receive 100 percent of donated funds, as Google has committed to processing all donations for free through at least the end of 2008.

• In the coming months, nonprofit channels will have a centralized area on YouTube, making them and their videos more easily discoverable.
“When YouTube was founded we dreamed that people would someday leverage the site to make the world a better place,” said YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley. “It is an honor to have great organizations and individuals utilizing the YouTube to raise awareness of noble causes and we are thrilled to offer a program that helps them thrive and inspire change.”
At launch there will be a thirteen organizations participating in the YouTube Nonprofit Program including:
24 Hours for Darfur • American Cancer Society • Autism Speaks • 92nd Street Y • Asia Society • Strong American Schools’ ED in ’08 • Friends of the Earth • International Rescue Committee • March of Dimes • YouthNoise • The ONE Campaign • The Clinton Global Initiative • World Vision Australia