Branding a New Nonprofit? Here’s What You Need to Know.
Everywhere we look, we see brands. Every day, we’re taking them in, interacting with them, and deciding if we want to support them.
Striking colors, bold statements, and creative logos come together to create an organization’s brand—their identity.
Bigger brands can often be recognized by their logo alone (think Apple, American Red Cross, or McDonald’s). But in a world where there are so many competing brands, how does one stand out?
Stand Out from the Crowd.
So, you’re a new nonprofit. Chances are you’ve got a lot of things you’re still working out, all while continuing to carry out the incredible work your organization does day-to-day.
While it can be easy to overlook the importance of a comprehensive brand audit and strategy, you’ll be thankful you didn’t down the road.
Building your brand can take time, but if you do it right, you’ll be doing your new nonprofit a favor. Getting it right the first time will save you from the hassle of a rebrand in the future.
Define Your Brand
We recommend starting with a comprehensive brand audit where we analyze your competitors and research your audience. We also offer positioning workshops to help you clearly define your brand before spending a dime on design work.
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Vision, Purpose & Mission
It’s essential you define these first. You might already have them and that’s great! But if you don’t, take the time to clearly define your organization’s vision, purpose, and mission in simple terms. This will guide the rest of your decisions and make it easier for people to understand what you do and what you want to achieve.
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Story
What’s your organization’s story? People want to know. Storytelling is one of the oldest art forms. It brings people together, and it can elicit emotion, action, and support. If you want people to rally around your nonprofit, you’ve got to tell people a story worth sharing.
Once you’ve considered your brand attributes, you’re ready to proceed with design. Here are some visual considerations as you get started:
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Colors
What colors speak to your mission? There’s also an entire science behind colors and the emotions and responses they elicit from us. Our experienced team of designers can help research color options that might work best for your organization.
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Logo
Ideally, you want people to see your logo and immediately recall your organization. So, it’s important to design a logo that’s unique and speaks to your mission but isn’t overly complex. Keep in mind how your logo will be used—from social media to embroidery on polo shirts—and let our design experts guide you on best practices.
The list doesn’t end here. Think of this as a starting point. All brands must begin somewhere, and we’re here to help you take the first step.
The Benefits of Good Branding
The power of good branding speaks for itself. Here are a few ways a good brand strategy can help your nonprofit:
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Building Awareness
If you want to be known, you’ve got to get out there. A good brand strategy will help the community get familiar with your brand. Brand ambassadors are another great way to promote awareness.
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Fostering Cohesion
Good branding will create a more cohesive look and feel for your organization. Internally, it will align all departments toward a shared purpose and mission and keep your marketing materials consistent, so the public can easily identify your brand.
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Raising Funds
If you’re looking to raise more money for your cause, a good brand strategy will really help you out! People are more likely to give their money to a brand they recognize and trust.
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Gaining Loyalty
Brand loyalty is important. Think about why you keep choosing an iPhone over some other brand. If you develop a strong brand identity, people won’t just remember you, they’ll choose to support you.
We’re Here to Help!
Our team of digital creatives and expert designers will work with your organization to craft a brand audit and strategy that will foster community engagement, build awareness, and garner support.
Check out some of our past branding projects below.
If you’re ready to begin your branding journey, get in touch today!
