What are the key elements of a successful nonprofit brand?

“What am I fighting for?” That question should be front of mind when crafting your vision and mission statement. Get right to the thrust of why your organisation exists, and get there quickly, ideally in the first line. Show the world what you’re trying to achieve, and how it’s different from the other players in the game. It’s helpful to consider where you want the organisation to be five, ten and then twenty years from now. What do you hope to have accomplished? How is that different to where the world is now? Use that to guide you. Make sure it’s clear, authentic, and not overly long.

Remember that the Mission Statement is more action-oriented, with specific deliverables and a guiding framework on how your organization will serve. The Vision Statement is more futuristic, and it addresses an overarching purpose. Knowing these differences will allow you to create a brand to convey to the audience why your organization deserves their support.

Los elementos de una marca exitosa de una entidad sin ánimo de lucro se definen por lo que quiere mostrar y la relación que quieren construir estrechamente con voluntarios y donantes. Entre estos elementos podemos ver, creatividad, sencillez y facilidad para recordarla.

It is not important to know your audience, and it would be a mistake to start from there but first define, and then target the audience you want.

Diverse audience - who are not just part of your sector professionally but also those who are in no way associated with your sector. Positioning - if people use you as a success case study - that means - you are getting there......brand

A messaging exercise involving team members across the organization is essential to nonprofit storytelling. It is critical that those delivering programs are part of this activity. The tone of communications should reflect the mission as well as an organization's ethos. For example, our tenets are character, connections and capabilities so social media posts almost always align with one of these focus areas. As your work evolves, revisit your messaging to ensure storytelling remains consistent to the brand and respectful of the population a nonprofit serves.

Try to avoid talking about yourself, and always think about your preferred audience/customers asking themselves: "What's in it for me?" In my experience way too many companies talk way too much about themselves. A good example is trying to avoid an 'about us' section, instead having a 'what's in it for you' section.

Consistency is essential when creating your brand. People who see your logo and brand will associate your organization with something specific. This association takes time, but you can create a link between yourself and the cause by creating consistent messaging.

Try to create visuals so that even when you take out all texts, people can still recognize it as yours. The way images are being created is very important for your brand image.

Non-profits should also have KPI's and collect data in order to measure the success. That will help potential volunteers/donors and other stakeholders to decide which non-profits suits their interests more.