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From Unknown to Unforgettable: Building a Nonprofit Brand

As a nonprofit, your everyday work has a purpose greater than your private interests, and it’s your mission to get others on board to support you. One way to do so is to portray yourself as a professional, passionate advocate for your cause through nonprofit branding. 

Branding is usually associated with for-profit organizations, but nonprofits have just as much to gain from having a strong brand identity. According to Double the Donation, 88% of people trust a brand when a friend or family member recommended it, and that holds true for nonprofits seeking donations and volunteers. 

If you aren’t a marketing mastermind yet, don’t worry—you don’t have to be to get started. Let’s explore the components of a winning nonprofit brand, so your organization can stand out from the competition.

1. Conduct Market Research

Market research provides insight into who exactly your target audience is so you can tailor your messages according to their motivations, preferences, and interests. To leverage this data-driven marketing strategy, keep the following steps in mind:

– Determine your target audience. What do your donors and volunteers prioritize? What are they passionate about? What are they looking for from your organization? Answering these questions will help you understand your target market so you can optimize your marketing materials accordingly.

– Analyze demographics. Understand what makes your target audience tick by analyzing data such as age, gender, income level, and location. 

– Survey current supporters.  If you’re representing an established nonprofit, get into the headspace of your most loyal supporters by asking them about their perception of your brand and what motivates them to engage with your organization.

Once you’ve conducted market research for your nonprofit, you can use your data to start crafting specific brand elements that your organization will be known for.

2. Hone Your Brand Identity

Now it’s time to define your brand identity based on your market research. According to Kwala, your brand identity should encompass elements such as:

– Your graphic design components, such as your logo, color scheme, and typography

– Your messaging components, such as your story, mission, slogan, and program names

It can be difficult to make macro decisions like who the face of your organization is right out of the gate. Instead, the best way to hone your brand identity is to assign characteristics to your desired brand as a foundation and build out from there. For instance, most nonprofits want their brand to come across as empowering, selfless, authentic, trustworthy, and knowledgeable about their focus area.

Remember that the key to establishing a holistic brand identity is consistency. Achieve a unified brand look by developing brand guidelines, which help your team preserve your image no matter who’s communicating on behalf of your nonprofit. This should include everything from your preferred typography and color palette to your team’s email signature. Centralize your documentation in a brand book and ensure that it’s the source of truth for your team.

3. Implement Your Brand Across Platforms

Your nonprofit has many channels you can leverage to spread awareness of your brand once its components are finalized. Start building your brand awareness on:

– Your website. Creating a beautiful, accessible website branded to your nonprofit establishes your credibility and helps you recruit new supporters.

– Social media. Use your nonprofit’s brand elements to create engaging educational content that your followers can share with their own networks. 

– Your emails. Adding your graphic design and messaging elements to your emails is simple with custom email templates and signatures.

Investing in digital marketing is key to boosting your brand to its fullest potential. That being said, don’t forget to use your brand elements on media like direct mail so everyone can get to know your nonprofit.

Next Steps: Measuring and Evolving Your Brand

Your work isn’t done after creating a brand! Collect data over time to measure the effectiveness of your brand elements in attracting new donors and keeping them engaged long-term. Then, consider working with a nonprofit marketing agency to increase the size and complexity of your campaigns. Their team of experts will help you build a well-executed branding strategy that scales with your organization and raises meaningful support on behalf of your cause.