Insights

From DIY to Dynamic: Strengthening Your Nonprofit’s Branding for Success

"I don't want our logo and website to be too nice because I don't want people to think we have all the money we need."

The above quote was said by one of our favorite nonprofit clients before we started working with their organization.

The client's words were more insightful than they realized!

The problem was that, while their assessment was correct - their branding did look low-budget - it didn't have the desired effect.

Such an approach hindered the organization's ability to secure significant funding, and its outdated branding conveyed the impression of weak leadership and a lack of capacity to scale up and make a significant impact on the community.

Our years of experience working with nonprofit organizations have shown us that branding comes in various forms and qualities.

Many nonprofit leaders don't fully grasp that their branding (logo, color scheme, core messaging, website, etc.) communicates more about their organization than they realize.

Let us share a couple of stereotypical (yet authentic!) examples.

The Mom-and-Pop Brand:

The mom-and-pop brand often relies on clip art, premade icons, or a homemade logo, possibly created by the founder's nephew's dog-sitter's best friend's 12-year-old daughter, who loves to draw.

The color scheme is conflicting or confusing, sometimes sending mixed messages about the cause (e.g., using red and black for an organization that builds wells in developing countries). The fonts used with the logo often clash rather than complement.

The website's core messaging is overly wordy and filled with insider language (nonprofits love their acronyms!), which can exhaust people trying to understand what the organization does. Consequently, potential donors can't easily understand the organization's mission, the problem it addresses, and the programs designed to bring about change.

Yes, low-budget branding can highlight that you are a gritty, young nonprofit committed to engaging in important grassroots work.

However, this approach also unintentionally signals that the organization is overworked and operating with limited funds, implying a lack of capacity for growth and an inability to scale effectively.

Such a DIY branding approach can greatly impact people's willingness to invest. It suggests that donations will only sustain the organization temporarily without indicating a clear long-term strategy. While the impact may be direct and focused, it fails to convey a commitment to driving big-picture systemic change.

The most significant concern with bare-bones branding is that it sends the message to major donors: "If you gave us a $1 million investment, we wouldn't know how to utilize it effectively."

The Modern NonProfit Brand

The modern nonprofit brand, on the other hand, is defined by a professional, thoughtful, and clean logo that points to the organization's mission. The logo is accompanied by a thoughtful color palette that matches the seriousness of the work. Core branding elements are presented in a beautiful website communicating a clear impact. The messaging is written in simple, clear, and crisp language to help people immediately understand what you do.

This level of branding communicates to potential donors and partners, "We are sustainable and have significant capacity. Your financial investment will not only keep our lights on but also have the potential to make a substantial impact. We know how to scale our work, and if you invest in us, we already have systems and a plan ready to be executed. We don't just have a plan for your one million dollar donation; we have a plan for a ten million dollar investment."

The underlying message of a modern nonprofit brand is that you can trust us with a significant financial investment.

Align Your Brand and Your Impact

This does not mean nonprofits with lower-quality brands are ineffective or lack capacity, but their brand might inadvertently convey this - even if it's not true!

Conversely, nonprofits with impressive branding and compelling messaging are not always as substantive as they appear; sometimes, their flashy branding is just smoke and mirrors.

However, we have seen too many organizations with great leadership, incredible capacity, clear outcomes, and significant impact whose branding hides their potential.

A strong, high-impact nonprofit, coupled with a clear, robust, and professional brand, can open doors that would otherwise remain closed.

Consider the nonprofit leader who wanted to keep their outdated logo and website, thinking it would demonstrate their financial need. They eventually invested significantly in their branding, visual identity, core messaging, and website, and as a result, they experienced exponential growth. Large foundations, donors, and investors began to recognize their substantial capacity - something that had always been true. Today, they are one of the largest and most impactful organizations in their city, region, and state.

We aren't naive; the organization's new brand wasn't solely responsible for its significant growth. They already had strong leadership and a vital mission. Great branding can't make up for a poor mission, but it can be rocket fuel for an organization ready to take the next step.

Think of low-budget branding as an employee who shows up to speak at an important fundraiser bedraggled, tired, and dressed in dirty sweats. No donor would see that messy picture and think, "This is a serious professional who will be able to make a big impact with my donation." Their thoughts about that person's professionalism and capacity - based on appearance - would likely be far less generous.

This is the issue with the belief that modest, cheap-looking branding will inspire more support than a well-crafted, professional look.

Your brand and your website are essentially full-time fundraisers; people should see your brand and immediately understand that you are poised to make a difference in the world.