3 Ways to Build a Custom Brand for Your Nonprofit

The competition for donors in the nonprofit space is fierce and ongoing. With so many organizations vying for the attention and support of potential donors, nonprofits must work hard to stand out and make a compelling case for why their cause is worthy of support.

This requires careful messaging, custom branding, effective outreach and engagement strategies, and a strong track record of delivering results.

As new nonprofits are added each year, the number of individual donors continues to decrease. Overall contributions were down 7.1% in 2022, making the competition for donors increasingly difficult. Just as with for-profit businesses, your nonprofit needs to be effective at distinguishing your brand from the rest to boost fundraising efforts. Branding can give you the competitive edge you need. Ultimately, success in the nonprofit space depends on the ability to build trust and demonstrate impact, while continually adapting to changing donor preferences and priorities.

One of the best ways you can go about doing this, if you are looking to make your nonprofit more well-known, is to build a custom brand. Branding is a big part of marketing, and there are many ways that it can help your nonprofit. Read on to learn three ways to build a custom brand and what it can do to help you achieve a greater impact.

What is branding?

Branding is the process of creating a unique name and image for a product in the customer’s mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers.

A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that distinguishes one company from another, or in this case, one nonprofit from another nonprofit. With all these features combined, branding is a great way to help people recognize your nonprofit.

Read More: The Best Nonprofit Marketing Agencies Have These 5 Things in Common

How can a strong custom brand benefit a nonprofit?

When you create a unique brand, you create a unique identity. Having a custom brand helps a nonprofit to stand out from the competition and create a unique identity. This can be helpful in attracting donors, volunteers, and other supporters.

A custom brand builds trust and credibility within the local community the nonprofit serves. This helps show that the nonprofit is professional and committed to its mission. When your nonprofit has a custom brand, it can engage and inspire the community around it. Not only does it help people remember your nonprofit, but it also encourages a positive community spirit.

A strong brand can also help attract donors and volunteers who are passionate about the nonprofit’s mission and will be more likely to help support the nonprofit within the local community.

Read More: Digital Marketing for Nonprofits: Freshen Up Old Tactics With New Opportunities

What is web design, and how does it tie into branding?

Web design is, in a nutshell, creating a website that is both visually appealing and functional. A website can help connect the branding of a nonprofit because it creates a consistent and cohesive experience for users. It should be immediately clear when a user visits a website what the purpose of the website is and who the intended target audience is.

There are a few key factors to consider when designing a website that ties into branding:

Keep it consistent

The website should use the same colors, fonts, and imagery that are used in the brand’s other marketing materials. This creates a consistent and recognizable brand identity.

Keep the design simple and easy to use

The website should be easy to navigate and use.  If users are unable to quickly and easily find what they are looking for, they will likely leave the website.

Use high-quality images and videos.

The website should use high-quality images and videos that are relevant to the brand to create a visually appealing and engaging experience for users.

Make sure the website is mobile-friendly.

More and more people are using their mobile devices to access the internet. It is important to make sure that the website is mobile-friendly so that users can easily access it from their phones and tablets

Read More: How to Strengthen Your Nonprofit Branding Strategy in 2023

3 Ways to Build a Custom Brand

1. Building a custom brand with a website

When you are running a nonprofit, there is a multitude of things to keep track of, it’s important to ensure the website doesn’t get left behind. Your website helps build your branding and draws attention to your nonprofit.

A website is a perfect way to provide information to those interested. You can share key notes about your nonprofit’s mission and how you came to be. You can also keep updated information on available programs and your staff. This way, the information people receive isn’t outdated. Potential donors, volunteers, and other supporters interested in learning more about your organization can easily find more information on your website.

A website also makes it easy for people to share information on social media which can help to raise awareness of your nonprofit’s cause. As a result, this can help to attract new supporters and donors who may not have been aware of your nonprofit before.

A well-designed website can help to build trust and credibility with potential donors and volunteers. Your website can display information about your nonprofit’s financials, governance, and programs. This information helps prove that your nonprofit is a legitimate organization committed to its mission.

When people’s first impression of your nonprofit is a well-designed website, it can create a positive impact on your nonprofit’s credibility. People will be able to see the impact you have on the community, feel more inclined to take part in your events and provide support where they can.

Read More: Nonprofit Branding Tips: Why Your Nonprofit Needs Brand Standards and a Style Guide

2. Building a custom brand with video

Video is a powerful medium that can be used to build a custom brand for a nonprofit. By using video, nonprofits can tell their stories in a way that is engaging and informative. This can help to connect with potential donors and volunteers and to build trust and credibility with the public.

Videos can be used to tell stories about the people and cause that a nonprofit supports. Videos that tell stories help connect with potential donors and volunteers on an emotional level and to build empathy for the people who are being helped. You can also create videos to help educate the public about the work that a nonprofit does. It can help to raise awareness of the nonprofit’s mission and to encourage people to get involved.

Videos can also help inspire people to take action to support a nonprofit’s cause. You can use video to show the impact that the nonprofit is having and by calling people to action.

Here are some tips for using video to build a custom brand for a nonprofit:

• Keep it simple: Videos should be short and to the point. People have short attention spans, so it’s important to get your message across quickly and effectively.
• Use high-quality footage: Videos should be well-produced and visually appealing. This will help to capture people’s attention and keep them engaged.
• Tell a story: Videos should tell a story that is relevant to your nonprofit’s mission. Videos that tell a story help to connect with people on an emotional level and make them more likely to support your cause.
• Use social media: Social media is a great way to share your videos with a wider audience. Make sure to share your videos on all of your social media channels and encourage people to share them with their friends and family.

Read More: 10 Digital Video Advertising Best Practices for a Competitive Edge

3. Building a custom brand with digital marketing

Digital marking is one of the most effective ways to make your brand visible. There are many different facets people use to digitally market their brand, and there are a few key ways you can market your nonprofit’s brand. These include:

• Create a strong online presence: This not only includes a well-designed website but being active and responsive on social media.
• Use content marketing: Create and share high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience. This could include blog posts, articles, infographics, videos, etc.
• Use email marketing: This is a great way to stay in touch with your supporters and donors. You can use email to share news, updates, and calls to action.
• Use paid advertising: Reach a wider audience and drive traffic to your website or social media pages. You can use paid advertising on platforms like Google, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Use social media marketing: This is a great way to connect with your supporters and donors on a personal level. You can use social media to share stories, updates, and calls to action.
• Use influencer marketing: Partnering with influencers who have a large following and who are passionate about your cause increases visibility and credibility.

Read More: 3 Ways Brand Videos and Photos Help Your Company Recruit Better Employees

Increase Your Impact

Building a brand for your nonprofit is an important part of making your work known to your community and potential donors. There are many facets to building your brand, including your website, digital marketing, and creating video content, and they are all great ways to gain visibility. Cross and Crown can help you create a custom brand for your nonprofit from start to finish.  We are dedicated to ensuring you’re nonprofit stands out and succeeds in its mission. Contact us today to see how we can help build your brand.