Why Nonprofits Desperately Need Better Branding
Branding is crucial to any type of organization, but it’s especially important for nonprofits, where you’re seeking to create partnerships, find new funders, and build meaningful connections in your field. Unfortunately, a lack of support and funding can lead to lackluster brand management across nonprofits. The result: missed opportunities to develop strategic outreach efforts, achieve long-term goals, and optimize your organization’s identity and social mission. So how can nonprofits maximize opportunities to strengthen their brand and messaging? Read below to find out!
Common myths about nonprofit branding:
Myth #1: Branding that looks too professional and successful will dissuade funders and donors from contributing.
In reality, funders and donors want to see that a nonprofit they’re investing in will be capable of functioning and creating quality programming or services. In essence, your functional website and brand proves just how functional (and, importantly, not dysfunctional) your organization really is.
Myth #2: Professional branding is too costly.
Actually, most branding agencies that work with nonprofits offer payment plans, along with reduced rates for some nonprofits. And most importantly, professional branding has an extremely high ROI; putting some money in upfront will pay dividends once funders and donors become increasingly interested in supporting your nonprofit.
Myth #3: There’s no time or resources to invest in professional branding.
External teams and/or agencies will take this burden off your shoulders by putting in the legwork to hone your brand, develop a robust branding strategy for your nonprofit, and implement it through marketing and branding tactics.
Common issues with nonprofit branding:
Difficult to navigate website.
An outdated or clunky website will dissuade funders and donors from engaging in your content and getting acquainted with your mission.
Confusing messaging that conflicts with your actual mission.
Inconsistencies in your mission will create confusion and a lack of cohesion, detracting from your credibility.
Typos and broken website links.
Spelling errors and broken links leave a bad first impression on potential donors, making your organization appear scattered or disorganized.
Outdated branding that actually deters engagement and interest.
If your branding is out of date or falls flat, this can turn off the people you need the most: prospective and new donors, partners, members, and volunteers.
Inconsistent branding that precludes brand awareness and visibility.
If your branding isn’t cohesive, potential donors are significantly less likely to notice your organization, engage with your website, and ultimately choose to support your cause. Visibility also takes a hit, as a lack of brand clarity can prevent others from understanding the work you do and your brand’s mission.
Outdated systems that create obstacles for members and donors.
This may include outdated tools for securing donations, as well as clunky methods for facilitating sign-ups for memberships, fundraisers, and events. This makes the process of investing in and supporting your nonprofit unnecessarily tedious, which can diminish overall engagement, and impede the growth and success of your organization.
A founder clutching to a former system or identity that’s no longer relevant.
When founders hold onto old brand identities and systems that aren’t useful anymore, this can result in nonprofits failing to evolve and grow. Old habits die hard, but in the case of nonprofit branding, those old habits can impede your overall effectiveness and success.
Investing in professional branding helps your nonprofit to…
Establish more credibility and consistency.
Building a more robust brand earns you credibility and legitimacy in the eyes of funders and community collaborators / partners. According to Canada Helps, consistency is one of the most important elements of branding, as it makes your organization identifiable across a wide range of channels.
Raise awareness of your mission and message.
Effective branding means more effective ways of sharing your mission and finding and engaging with your target audience.
Feature your successes and accomplishments.
With improved branding, you’ll be able to better showcase your successes as an organization, and prove to potential donors why you’re worth their investment.
Engage your constituents in deeply meaningful ways both on and offline.
Both your online and offline interactions with constituents will be enhanced with stronger branding, helping you to build authentic and lasting partnerships. This includes community members like volunteers, whose interest will be piqued by clear brand messaging.
Build consistency and credibility for fundraising and marketing campaigns.
Establishing a strong brand identity will help improve the quality of your fundraising and marketing campaigns, allowing you to project a clear, confident image that resonates with constituents.
At the end of the day, perhaps the most important benefit of improved branding is establishing better, long-lasting partnerships. As Diane Fusilli, a global brand consultant, says, “Brand becomes critical when you’re seeking to create partnerships, when you’re seeking other funders, and when you’re looking to associate yourself with people in the field...A strong brand helps bring greater credibility and trust to a project quicker, and acts as a catalyst for people to want to come to the table.” Nonprofits have a lot to gain by improving their branding, from a more consistent message and wider visibility, to enhanced engagement with potential funders, members, and volunteers. And what’s more: you don’t have to do it alone. Branding agencies are experts in how to think strategically about your brand identity, and we’re ready and eager to help.
Interested in seeing nonprofit branding examples? Click here for nonprofit branding case studies to gain insight into how we help nonprofits who struggle with website design, marketing, and more.
Want to learn more about how you can optimize your nonprofit’s branding? Click here to connect with our team!
