Your Non-Profit's Brand Sucks Because of This...

Over the past few months, I have been constantly contacted by various non-profits hoping to offer me a contract to help them develop or effectively leverage their brands to expand their reach globally and/or attract more donors.

After much conversation and evaluation, I had to decline some of them due to commitments already confirmed with other clients or what the non-profit brings to the table in comparison to what they wanted me to serve as a result. 

Today, I thought I would share some of my insight for those in the non-profit sector to give them (or you) a more in-depth understanding of effective branding in the non-profit world.

There are two main issues when discussing branding and non-profits:

1.    There are not enough funds to promote the brand. - Which causes the non-profit to spend much valuable time doing other things to supplement the lack of funds so that they are deeply understood as a brand on an external level.

2.   The leadership is more interested in building the contingency. – Which becomes more of a consensus building organization that doesn’t work for real branding purposes.

Time and time again, I tell non-profit leaders (young and old) that they will always be supported and seeking good people (donors) for their organization. But this doesn’t mean these are the people you should be receiving branding advice from. This tends to happen when the leadership creates committees that focus on branding (which is a recipe for disaster) or allows votes by their “good people” due to their donation amounts. This makes it very difficult to tell them that their position in branding isn’t relevant.

Recognize + Understand + Decide

Here are three things non-profit leaders should be mindful of:

1. Recognize their internal audience
2. Have a strong understanding of what the internal audience is interested in
3. Be clear in knowing what the organization is all about

The leader MUST make sure there is a sense of inclusivity to the organization’s brand while being mindful of the 3 previously stated actions. They do this by making solid decisions with a small group of people who are highly passionate and have a REAL investment in the brand.

Rahfeal Gordon is the Creative Director of Madison + Park, a full-service global branding agency that assists entrepreneurs, non-profits, corporations, and global influencers with becoming brand leaders in their industry. The agency work intimately with their clients to develop the most effective ways to communicate their message and enhance their brand awareness to drive greater consumer action.

Website: www.MadPar.com | www.RahGor.com

Email: [email protected]