Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding: Seven Principles to Power Extraordinary Results

At a time of intense competition, low barrier to entry, and lightning-quick brand recognition, leading nonprofits are building more value-rich branding programs. They are proactively creating business models that bring their brand to life in the hearts and minds of their stakeholders. Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding demonstrates how a constituency-focused, compelling brand can revolutionize an organization and the way people view and support it.

As practiced in real life, most nonprofits define “branding” as their visual identity produced to aid in awareness and fundraising. However important logos and trademarks are, this limited perspective leaves a significant amount of value on the table. Visionary, mission-driven organizations recognize brand as a bigger canvas for their work. To them, branding is the daily expression of their purpose and a way to communicate their promise to stakeholders. Their brand is their trust mark―their commitment to consistently deliver on who they are, what they stand for, and their unique benefits.

Drawing on their combined seventy plus years of experience in the nonprofit and corporate sectors, the authors studied eleven visionary nonprofits to reveal the seven principles for transforming a brand from ordinary trademark to strategic competitive advantage. The groups profiled reflect a variety of sizes, breadths, regions, and issues. The common thread is that their brand work has resulted in greater social impact and vibrant growth.

Through the use of case studies, Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding reveals how:

• A nonprofit put its renewed brand to work to propel its organization forward―despite inconsistent community support
• Renewed brand meaning heightened stakeholder commitment, stabilized an organization’s financial position, and empowered it to weather a roiling economy
• A small organization’s brand campaign resulted in exceptional growth
• A re-brand transformed a nonprofit, enabling it to expand from a regional to national footprint
• One of the largest nonprofits lost momentum and regained direction through a revitalized brand process

Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding shows you how to create a brand that creates unique value, builds deep relationships, fosters loyal communities, and increases social impact. It offers a practical road map and essential tool for nonprofit leaders, board members, and volunteers, as well as communications professionals, development consultants, marketing agencies, academics, students, and all those interested in catalyzing dynamic results for the organizations they serve.

JOCELYNE S. DAW has over twenty-five years’ experience in the nonprofit sector, and is a recognized pioneer in the evolution of business-community partnerships and the integration of marketing and fundraising. Most recently, she was Vice President Marketing and Community Engagement at Imagine Canada. Jocelyne is an international speaker and author of Cause Marketing: Partner for Purpose, Passion and Profits (Wiley). She advises leading business and community organizations in building innovative community strategies that deliver stand out brand identity, strengthen relationships and power results.

CAROL CONE has over twenty-five years’ experience creating substantive partnerships between companies and social issues. As founder of Cone, Inc., she led the development of cause initiatives for Avon, Reebok, ConAgra Foods, PNC, and the American Heart Association, helping raise awareness and more than $1.2 billion for various social issues. In 2007, PR Week called her “arguably the most powerful and visible figure in the world of Cause Branding.” In 2010 she joined Edelman Public Relations to continue her journey guiding groundbreaking brand and corporate citizenship efforts.