Boost Your Nonprofit’s Impact with a Brand Check-Up

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking with several dynamic and engaged nonprofit CEOs about my favorite topic, branding for nonprofits. After I walked through the brand framework with them and outlined for them all of the reasons why their brand is so critical for any nonprofit leader to nurture, protect, and develop, one of the leaders asked an important question. She asked, "How much work does it take to get framework done?" It's a fair question. I get it. Building the framework seems like a lot of work. Resources are limited. There's never enough time to get things done.

My answer was simple. I said, "You most likely know or have access to all of the elements of the brand framework. The work is in compiling it all into one document so that you can make sure your brand is cohesive, authentic, and engaging. If it's not, then the real work begins." And the work is worth it. Brand equity is earned when stakeholders are aware of and feel connected to your brand. Without brand equity, it's challenging for any organization to be sustainable.

So, yes, building a brand framework can be a lot of work. But, as with any strategic planning, it is necessary. In this article, I thought I would outline a brand audit process that would help nonprofit leaders examine their organization and pull together the essential elements of their brand framework. This process can also be used after the framework is created to ensure alignment as services are added, new audiences are identified, and time goes on. In essence, just like we need a yearly doctor's visit to say healthy, this is your brand's regular check-up process. Let's get started.

The Brand Audit

A brand audit or check-up is a comprehensive examination of your nonprofit's brand to evaluate its effectiveness and consistency. It helps you understand how your brand is perceived by both internal and external audiences, identify areas for improvement, and align your branding efforts with your organization's mission and goals. By conducting a brand audit, you ensure your nonprofit’s brand resonates with your target audiences, strengthens your reputation, and enhances your impact.

Clarify Your Brand's Foundation

Your brand is only strong when your Mission, Vision, Purpose, Values, Value Proposition, Differentiators, and Target Audiences are clear, cohesive, authentic, and accurate. Mission creep and organizational pivots in strategy can cause disconnects and conflict that weaken your brand. It's not uncommon for nonprofits to lose sight of their original mission and purpose as they add service lines or respond to new client needs. While those additions and changes may be warranted, it's important to consider your organizational foundation as you evolve. Review each element to assess if they are still accurate and align.

Review Existing Brand Elements and Branded Materials

I wrote an article on auditing your branded materials for a rebrand not too long ago. The process of auditing your existing brand is essentially the same. It can be easy for organizations with limited resources and time to produce and use materials or channels that are unbranded or off-brand. These materials can cause misunderstandings and disconnects with stakeholders. It's important to periodically review your materials to ensure brand consistency and alignment.

Start by collecting and reviewing all your current visual identity elements like logos, fonts, color palettes, photographs, and graphics. Identify regularly used taglines, headlines, impact statements, and calls-to-action. Review printed materials such as brochures, case statements, letterhead, business cards, signage, flyers, and promotional items. Don't forget digital content on your website, social media and email newsletters.

Evaluate these materials to ensure they accurately reflect your nonprofit’s mission, vision, values, and overall brand identity. Check for consistency in design, messaging, and tone across all platforms and materials. Find out if your visual identity is still engaging and compelling to stakeholders.

Look for these elements:

• Alignment with mission and vision
• Consistency of personality, voice, and tone
• Consistency of visual identity
• Stakeholder engagement with brand stories

Conduct Staff and Board Surveys

Even though I said at the beginning that auditing or building a brand is about putting together elements you already know, I am always a proponent of finding out what I don't know to make better informed decisions. So, if you have the time and resources, internal surveys can be game changers.

Because your brand equity is built on stakeholders' perception, conduct surveys with staff and board members to find out how they understand your brand. These surveys should assess their views on your brand’s strengths, weaknesses, and overall effectiveness. Include questions that gauge their understanding of the brand’s mission, vision, and values, and how well they believe these elements are communicated internally and externally. Their answers will provide you with valuable insights on the strengths and challenges of your current brand.

Here are some sample survey questions:

• How well do you understand our nonprofit’s mission, vision, and values?
• Do you feel our current branded materials accurately represent our organization?
• What do you perceive as the strengths of our brand?
• What areas of our brand do you think need improvement?
• How consistent do you think our branding is across different materials and platforms?

Analyze Current Marketing and Communication Strategies

Examine your current marketing and communication strategies to see how effectively they promote your brand. Look at your marketing plans, communication channel strategies, seasonal campaigns, and public relations efforts. Assess whether these strategies are aligned with your nonprofit’s goals and how well they resonate with your target audiences.

Look for these elements:

• Alignment with mission and vision
• Consistency of personality, voice, and tone
• Consistency of visual identity
• Stakeholder engagement with brand stories

Here are some sample data points to consider:

• Traffic, number of pages, length of visit, and outcomes on your website
• Engagement and reach of social media posts
• Open and click-through rates of email campaigns
• Media coverage and public perception
• Feedback from stakeholders

Collect External Feedback

Again, game changer! Gathering feedback from those who interact directly with your nonprofit is crucial for understanding how your brand is perceived externally. Conduct surveys or interviews with donors, volunteers, and clients to gain insights into their experiences and perceptions of your organization. Tailor your questions to each group to capture specific feedback on your brand's strengths, weaknesses, and overall impact.

Sample Survey/Interview Questions:

• Donors: What motivated you to donate to our organization? How would you describe your experience with our nonprofit? What do you believe are the strengths of our organization? Do you know what impact your donation had on the community or a client?
• Volunteers: What attracted you to volunteer with our nonprofit? How would you rate your overall experience with us? Do you feel that the organization effectively communicates our mission and values? Do you understand our mission?
• Beneficiaries: How did you first hear about our organization? How has our nonprofit impacted your life? What do you think are our organization’s key strengths? Is there anything we could do better to serve you?

Conduct Competitor Analysis

As new organizations enter the sector and others fold, understanding how your organization stands in comparison to similar organizations is essential. Conduct a competitor analysis to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of other nonprofits working in the same field. Look at their branding, marketing strategies, social media presence, and public perception. Identify what makes your nonprofit unique and what you can learn from your competitors. Many communities have resources and organizations to assist nonprofits in these capacity-building activities. Check out your local United Way or human services chamber organization.

Sample Analysis Points:

• Competitors’ branding and messaging
• Marketing and communication strategies
• Social media presence and engagement
• Public perception and media coverage
• Unique strengths and differentiators of competitors

Develop an Action Plan

After completing your brand audit, you'll have a wealth of information about your nonprofit's brand strengths and areas needing improvement. The next step is to set priorities based on these findings. Identify the most critical issues that need immediate attention and the changes that will have the most significant impact on your brand. Prioritize actions that align with your organization’s mission and strategic goals.

Critical Issues to Address Immediately

If you find evidence of any of these brand weaknesses, I would suggest gathering a taskforce of relevant department leaders and addressing them immediately.

Inconsistent Branding

• Visual Inconsistencies: Variations in logo usage, colors, fonts, and design elements across different platforms and materials.
• Messaging Discrepancies: Differences in tone, language, and messaging in communications, leading to a fragmented brand identity.
• Brand Guidelines: Lack of or outdated brand guidelines causing inconsistencies in how your brand is presented.

Weak Brand Awareness

• Low Recognition: Your target audience is not familiar with your brand or mission.
• Limited Reach: Your nonprofit has a minimal presence on key channels such as social media, local media, and community events.
• Poor Visibility: Ineffective use of SEO and digital marketing resulting in low visibility in online searches.

Declining Stakeholder Engagement

• Donor Retention: A noticeable drop in repeat donations or donor engagement.
• Volunteer Turnover: High rates of volunteer turnover or low volunteer morale.
• Client Feedback: Negative feedback from clients regarding the services or support provided by the nonprofit.

Misalignment with Mission and Vision

• Unclear Mission and Vision: Stakeholders are unclear or have differing interpretations of your mission and vision.
• Strategic Disconnect: Programs and initiatives that do not align with your stated mission and vision.
• Purpose/Mission Drift: The organization has drifted from its original purpose or goals, causing confusion among stakeholders.

Ineffective Communication Strategies

• Outdated Website: Your website is outdated, hard to navigate, or not mobile-friendly.
• Poor Social Media Engagement: Low levels of interaction, likes, shares, and comments on social media posts.
• Email Campaign Performance: Low open rates, click-through rates, and high unsubscribe rates in email marketing campaigns.

Internal Brand Misalignment

• Staff Understanding: Staff and board members have varying understandings of your brand’s mission, vision, and values.
• Brand Ambassadors: Lack of internal brand ambassadors who consistently promote and represent the brand’s values and mission.
• Training and Onboarding: Insufficient training and onboarding processes that fail to instill a strong understanding of your brand among new staff and volunteers.

Competitive Weakness

• Market Position: Your nonprofit is not clearly differentiated from competitors in the sector.
• Unique Value Proposition: Lack of a compelling and clear value proposition that sets your nonprofit apart.
• Innovative Practices: Competitors are perceived as more innovative or effective in achieving similar goals.

The Action Plan

Once you've identifies your issues and set your priorities, develop a detailed action plan and timeline for implementing the necessary changes. Break down the action plan into manageable steps, assigning specific tasks and responsibilities to team members. Clear timelines and accountability ensure that everyone knows what is expected and when.

To ensure that your action plan is effective, establish clear metrics for measuring progress and success. These metrics will help you track the implementation of changes and evaluate their impact on your brand. Define both short-term and long-term indicators of success.

Brand Management is an Ongoing Process, not a One-time Project

To ensure continuous improvement, plan for regular follow-up check-ups. A brand audit will help you track progress, assess the effectiveness of implemented changes, and identify new areas for improvement. Regular evaluations will keep your brand aligned with your organization’s evolving mission and goals.

By developing a comprehensive action plan with clear priorities, timelines, responsibilities, metrics, and follow-up audits, your nonprofit can effectively implement changes and continuously improve its brand. This structured approach ensures that your branding efforts are strategic, impactful, and aligned with your organization’s mission and goals.

The effort is worth it. Building strong brand equity fosters deeper connections with stakeholders, enhances your reputation, and ultimately supports the sustainability and impact of your nonprofit. By following the brand audit process I've outlined in this article, you can ensure your organization's brand remains robust, resonant, and ready to meet the evolving needs of your clients and community.