Brandraising is a term used to help non-profits understand the importance of their cause and help consistently communicate it to their supporters clearly. Here are some questions you should think about when beginning to start a fundraising campaign and raise awareness:
- Who has heard of your nonprofit?
- How did they find out about you?
- What do they think about your organization?
- Would they volunteer, donate, or take action to support you?
- Who has heard of your nonprofit?
- How did they find out about you?
- What do they think about your organization?
- Would they volunteer, donate, or take action to support you?
1) Brandraising
Get clarity on what sets you apart by telling your story in the most compelling way. A logo, website, and social media presence that communicates clearly who you are. Brandraising is the starting point for all that and more.
a) Start with your organization and do the research. Find your audience that will support your cause. Every message you send is a chance for your donors, supporters, and participants to connect with your mission. Inspire people to be a part of your work, and kickstart your fundraising.
b) In order to accomplish you need a strategy. Before anything happens online, you need to work out your message and have a logo, and website that evokes trust. This means spending money on quality, not “just getting it on the cheap.” In the long run, going cheaper option can effect your ability to raise money because you don’t look trustworthy online.
c) Put in to action with a brandraising guide. Once part (b) is done, stay consistent so that you can train your staff, board members, and other brand ambassadors.
2) Campaigns
Campaigns are part of your larger story and one of the many ways people experience your nonprofit. Develop a strategy and creative concepts that build off of your brand. This is where your team’s deep expertise in email marketing, social media, and direct mail comes in handy.
Three campaign types: Fundraising, Recruitment, and Awareness.
a) Fundraising – Fundraising is one of the easiest ways to help anyone in need. Wherever your supporters interact with you, they should see the same message with the same campaign goal. Branding and consistency are key. Create urgency, keep your campaign timeline short–ideally just a week or two. Campaigns that last too long grow stale and lose momentum. People think “Oh look, I have a whole month! I’ll donate later,” and then forget about it and never come back.
b) Recruiting – By now you hopefully understand the importance of visual storytelling for your organization. It’s kind of the defining element of your campaign. By zero-ing in on one narrative that is emblematic of your work you can recruit passionate people like you, or create passion that spreads.
c) Awareness – Raising awareness is a common phrase advocacy groups use to justify a particular event, brochure or even the entire organization. Awareness is key, without this no one knows who or what or where. By engaging your supporters you can have them become ambassadors for your campaign. Using striking visuals (graphics, videos) you can burn your cause into the minds and hearts of your supporters. Hook, look, checkbook method. First is the hook to make them look, now you want them to accept it, then donate or act (checkbook).
3) Consulting
Smart communications require smart communicators. Have a agency help your departments communicate your non-profits brand and goals effectively. Miscommunication can lead to a loss of donations, participants and staff to help raise awareness and get fundraising. By having a experienced firm help train your team, you can avoid these issues and maintain a clear message in your organization and front facing to your supporters.
Do you have any ideas to share about branding for non-profits? Have you seen any branding for non-profits done well? Let us know in the comments below.
