Brandraising: Smart Communication in nonprofit

In the world of nonprofits, there are some problems with communication. How to ensure all speaking with one voice, as expanding tools to communicate online and offline and staff's roles change? Why do nonprofits struggle to communicate clearly? How to to attract customers? With a wide variety of handout?

Why can't customers remember you?

You have worked hard at promotion materials, and tried to use every interesting element to capture people's attention.

Looking at all these handouts with a wide variety of difference in styles, colors and pictures; these are indeed well-designed, but there is no consistent element, people would think these are from 10 organizations.

Nonprofits worry that if using the same element, it would be seen as a sign of uncreative and customers would get tired of it. While it is exactly what the goal is in attracting customers. When they see the element, they will immediately think of your organization and "get bored". In this case, nonprofit promotion is successful.

Brandraising

Branding nonprofits

 

Brandraising is a model to be developed to help nonprofits build a strong, strategic framework for communications. These are three levels:

Organizational Level

The most important thing is to know what you want to say as a organization and how you want to say it. 

• Vision:  is an expression of what your organization would like to see as a possibility and a future for the community and stakeholders you serve.
• Values: are powerful tools for defining and guiding your organization's ability to create the future.
• Objectives: help nonprofit companies measure success not in dollars, but in how well the organization addresses the cause(s) it champions.
• Audiences: are the people you want to attract and sever as a nonprofit organization. 
• Positioning: the big differentiating idea you strive to own in the minds of your target audiences. 
• Personality: ｔhe overarching feeling you want people to associate with your organization. Define your nonprofit's personality to keep your tone and style consistent.

These are the core elements to structure the nonprofit and also the messages to be delivered to the public. These are not so often changed and should be kept the same, although there are constant staff changing.

Identity Level

 In this level, it defines how people think of your brand. Through visual and messaging platform, nonprofit talk to the groundswell.

• Visual Identities Contain: Logo Colors Typography Use of imagery / graphics

 

• Messaging Platforms Contain: Name, abbreviation, Tagline, External vision, mission, values statements, Key messages, Elevator pitch,Lexicon

Example of Elevator pitch.

In order to keep consistency in a nonprofit, it is important to create a style guide. Whether it is for marketing outreach or for networking with existing customers, the organization should use the same kind of visual identities and messaging platforms. Trying to avoid improvised materials, such we people tend to use blue for winter and green for spring.

Experiential Level

 There are many channels for nonprofit organization to communicate with their audience. Social media tools are useful and powerful.

 Thought and Actions

In an existing nonprofit organization, there are some of the unfavorable communication management habits. But these should be seen as motivations to start, not the obstacle to hesitate.
Some will start with understanding what they have been doing these years.
Some will gather all the promotion materials and make a style guide.
Some will investigate organization's personality and positioning.

As long as they hit the road with right direction, smart communication in nonprofit can bring the magnificent impact.