It is vital for nonprofit leaders to take a closer look at the role of branding and make strategic changes. The good news is that those willing to craft stronger brands will be first in line to receive support from the next generation of donors.
Your brand is defined by those who experience it—the cumulative effect of all the touches donors have with your organization. So every email campaign, every brochure and photograph—even your email signatures are communicating more than just information. They communicate emotions and feelings that are often in contradiction to the information presented. It is a valuable exercise to gather all the communication you do over a year and ask a few questions: Does it seem cohesive? Does it inspire? Does it stand out? Or does it look like a pot luck dinner in a dingy church basement? If you find that your nonprofit’s brand is not shining, you need to address some root problems with nonprofit communication.
If you are now ready to take the first corporate job that comes your way, don’t give up! Culture is hard to change, and some of the factors that make so much nonprofit communication poor require cultural shifts that don’t happen overnight. Start by helping internal stakeholders see communication as integral to accomplishing mission instead of just communicating information. Collecting examples of good branding from similar organizations is a great way to start the conversation with leaders. A great brand is not built in a day, but built over time—one good impression at a time.
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Jeffery James is the owner of Spire2 and has 30 years of experience creating in branding and marketing for local, regional, and global accounts. Jeffery graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design from Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida and also studied at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois