15 Oct 2012 1 Comment

Why branding is critical for small nonprofits


Coexist along with international branding strategists, Hairpin Communications and BrandOutLoud, agree that nonprofit are much more successful when they have developed a relatable brand.

Brand development and grassroots fundraising

Nonprofits like Tom’s Shoes and Product (Red) have made a name for themselves by associating their nonprofit with specific merchandise. Tom’s Shoes vow for every pair of shoes they sell, they will donate a pair, and Product (Red) paired with the popular clothing store Gap to sell their apparel. Both organizations work to address poverty and disease at a global level, while spreading their message to consumers around the world. While this is an integral part of branding, grassroots methods that work on a smaller scale prevent brands from being associated with larger corporations that inevitably share some of the profit meant for the cause.  Branding traditionally enables corporations to relate to their consumers on a personal level by creating a story that goes along with their product, but nonprofits inherently have many personal stories to share and genuine appeal.

Standout Causes

To ensure that your nonprofit clearly establishes themselves, make sure that you have a clear and distinct mission. Burtan Glass from Hairpin Communications stated, “each nonprofit has to find an irreplaceable niche” this is especially true for nonprofits fundraising for popular or unheard of causes. By having a distinct identity and appeal whether this be through consumer products or media circulation, enhance your nonprofit by knowing its brand power .

Read the full story to get some ideas on how your organization can have a big brand.

Photo Courtesy of anita.marie

by Firstgiving in Nonprofit Resources Tags: , , , ,