When someone looks at your social media post, receives your newsletter or opens your mailer, do they instantly know it’s from you?

Think about it: When you see a post by Apple, you know it’s them because of the font and color choice. If you receive a mailer from Second Harvest Food Bank, you know it’s them just by the colors.

Your nonprofit should be “on brand” (aka consistent!!) enough to have the same recognition. Having a strong brand identity boosts your public image. You’re familiar to the community, creating trust and comfortability.

You can stay “on brand” with these tips ⤵️

1. Stay consistent with your logo and colors across the board.

One of the easiest ways to remain consistent is to stick to your logo and brand colors.

Whether it’s an event promotion, donation request or impact report, using your brand colors and logo helps your community immediately recognize your nonprofit.

This brand identification catches their attention, as they’ve already interacted with you in the past. It can also build rapport with new leads: They might see your content often and begin to recognize and stop when they see your nonprofit in their feed.

2. Create a brand messaging guide — and stick to it.

How you speak to your community is another great way to stay “on brand” as a nonprofit. 

Your brand messaging guide can include word choice and tone of voice. 

For example, are you playful and friendly with your messaging or do you want to remain strict and professional?

Creating your messaging guide can give everyone on your team an outline to follow when communicating with the public. Sticking to it will help the community understand your nonprofit and what to expect, too. 

3. Review your brand identity every 2-4 years.

We’re not saying you need to change your logo, messaging guide or brand colors every 2-4 years. BUT you do need to review that all of these pieces reflect where your nonprofit is currently. 

For example, let’s say you decide to open up your women-only organization to people of all genders. This might require a change of logo and definitely a change in your messaging guide. 

Consider adding a review of your brand to your biggest meeting of the year. Gather opinions from more than just your team: stakeholders, board members and trusted donors.

Looking for a partner to help you develop your brand guide and stick to it? Let’s collaborate!