Elevate Your Non-Profit Organization Through the Power of Branding
A common misconception: Branding is reserved for large for-profit enterprises who are interested in raising capital & sales.
The truth: Non-profit organizations greatly benefit from branding tools to help push for social impact and maintain a strong reputation.
As the non-profit sector continues to grow with numerous organizations advocating for social change, branding and design are necessary tools that help society identify each organization.
What is branding?
Branding goes beyond a visual identity — it is the perception associated with an organization’s name. Beyond the logos, slogans, and the graphic design, branding alludes to the identity behind the name. It may be true that the dominant brand paradigm within the non-profit sector is to emphasize fundraising, but consistent branding can have a long-lasting effect for non-profit organizations because it helps foster trust & loyalty while inspiring stakeholders to seek effective change.
How can you establish a brand for your non-profit?
To help maximize your organization’s brand potential, here are some tips:
1. Create a powerful message — Messaging is the most crucial aspect for non-profit
organizations. Clear goals & emotional resonance work together to capture the attention of stakeholders. The ability to emotionally connect the supporters to the message and stories told by non-profits will help them feel more inclined to initiate change.
2. Identify & focus on your stakeholders — Recognize your target audience. Narrowing down your audience will help you identify which forms of communication and channels are most effective.
3. Develop a consistent visual identity — Your style guide will be the way your audience identifies you from other organizations. Style guides are inclusive of color schemes, tone of voice, logos, slogans, and other key identifiers. These elements should also connect to the entirety of your vision & message because they all work together to establish your brand. A strong brand is only achieved through a congruous voice & visuals. Coordinated marketing campaigns across all platforms can help you achieve the desired impact.
Branding & design are crucial for non-profit organizations. The most influential organizations are able to reach the masses because of their ability to cater their communication to the desired audience. The power of strategic branding can help optimize your organization’s brand potential.
Written by: Thulasi Mahendrarajah
Sources:
https://www.wildapricot.com/blog/nonprofit-branding#step-2-pick-colors-and-fonts-for-your-brand
180 Degrees Consulting Waterloo is a branch of one of the largest university-based consultancy organizations in the world. We offer affordable consulting services to not-for-profit organizations and social enterprises. The Waterloo branch has consultants from University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.
For more information, check out our website here.
