Having a unique nonprofit brand is a precious thing. No matter how big or small, it’s the essence of a nonprofit – and it should be treated with care. It has to be nurtured, fed, and looked after like you would a precious pet. But in the day-to-day operations of running a nonprofit, thinking about the branding can easily be put on the back burner.
In many nonprofits, this is the constant state:
- The marketing team is busy pushing content out into the universe
- The accounting team is too focused on making sure everyone’s getting paid
- Your overall staff doesn’t have the resources to dedicate to monitoring a brand
Even those that do actually have the know-how and foresight to care for the brand are usually pushed to focus on the here and now. But in order for a brand to grow and thrive, someone has to take the reins!
In many nonprofits, it’s easy to assume everyone is looking out for the brand – when, in reality, no one really is. Who helps ensure the quality and consistency of branding? Who connects the brand vision to business strategy? Who promotes and shares the brand values throughout the organization?
This is why having a dedicated branding team is crucial. You need someone to put the brand front and center, and make sure your operations are aligning with your long-term branding goals.
Aligning the business to branding goals
Every nonprofit decision impacts your brand in some way, whether it’s related to your financial situation or how the public sees your organization. Yet, the brand is often an afterthought when major decisions are made by higher-ups – even though leadership ought to be the group within the organization that is most in tune with the brand.
With a brand team, however, you can make more intelligent decisions that support your long-term goals. A brand team can help you to define and justify why a business decision will help or hurt your brand. The team can also offer valuable perspectives on how it could be implemented, identify potential challenges, and help craft a plan of execution to make sure everyone is fully on board.
Promoting the brand
Within many organizations, a brand team and a marketing team are synonymous. However, a marketing and content strategy are really just tools to execute the larger brand strategy. It’s the brand team that helps shape that strategy, then goes on to collaborate with the marketing team to determine the most effective way to promote the brand.
Cultivating a culture that reflects your brand values
A good brand always acts on its values every single day, beyond what it delivers to its customers. You may offer amazing outreach, but if your culture is toxic or your practices aren’t ethical, you won’t be able to sustain it. A brand team provides a valuable service in helping to shape the nonprofit culture in ways that help support the brand.