We often hear from organizations that are having trouble with their messaging. But what we often find when we “get under the hood” is that these challenges actually stem from a bigger problem: ineffective brand positioning.

When it’s good, purpose marketing acts as a rallying cry, helping promote real, positive change in the world while deepening your connection with audiences.

But when it’s bad, it can be a disaster.

Authenticity has become a marketing buzzword, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a helpful concept. The problem is that, like most buzzwords, it’s tough to know exactly what it means. Authentic brands, we’re told, are ones we trust and connect with, while inauthentic brands are ones we mistrust and avoid. But reducing “authentic” and “inauthentic” to good vs bad ignores important questions.

Marketers are often the ones having to juggle their organizations’ messages and visual elements, and for this reason, it can be tempting to think of “brand” as a marketing problem. Here are a few methods for making the case to senior leadership to prioritize your brand.

Strategy without reflection is just reaction. We work with leaders of purpose-driven organizations every day who care deeply about their missions and communities. But even in the most values-aligned businesses, it's easy to get swept up in doing things a certain way because it's "best practice" or it's what the competition is doing.

What are key messages? As simple as that may sound in theory, in practice there is a lot of nuance that goes into creating effective key messages. In this post, we’ll explain what key messages are, how they are used, and how your nonprofit can develop key messages that strengthen your brand and inspire action.

Your donation page is the heart of your fundraising campaign. It’s where your campaign drives traffic and where all of your messaging and design come together to convert moral support into financial donations. We’ve put together a checklist to make sure your donation page is performing the way you need it to.

Identity is a complex thing. With brands as with people, there are multiple layers: who you are, how you look, and—ultimately—the things you do. Authenticity occurs when all of these things exist in alignment with one another.

To continue growing, nonprofits must build a thoughtful and intentional brand that leverages their strengths while taking into account their unique goals and challenges.

That process begins with brand strategy.

If you pay attention to brands and marketing, you may have noticed that “purpose” is having a moment, particularly with for-profit brands. Although you don’t hear that word as much among nonprofits. To understand why, we need to look at what these foundational statements actually are.

Your visual identity is important. It’s part of what attracts people and it’s also how they recognize you. Ideally, the way you look also communicates a lot about who you are and what you care about. But just like there’s more to every book than its cover, there’s more to who you are than the way you look.

For nonprofits—as well as all organizations—a brand includes who you are intrinsically, what you look like (i.e. your visual identity), and how others perceive you. Brand development is about creating and maintaining alignment between these various dimensions.

6 ideas for ways you can connect with supporters and improve donor retention, all while building a more engaged and positive culture at your nonprofit.

What donor personas are, how to create effective ones, and how you can leverage them to serve your nonprofit’s goals and mission.

As nonprofit fundraisers, it’s crucial that we learn to communicate not just with compassion, but with a deeper, more ethical intention.

Maximize your nonprofit's impact by avoiding donor fatigue. Learn how to attract, engage, and retain supporters with these funnel strategies.

Discover how the latest AI language model can help jumpstart your creativity and streamline your content creation.

Here are 6 tips on how to make the most of #GivingTuesday and support a cause you care about. Get involved and make a difference in 2023!

Discover how you can leverage storytelling, online and offline giving, and promotional assets to maximize your end-of-year fundraising campaign.

Learn how to connect with audiences by identifying your brand's unique qualities and developing an authentic tone of voice.

From outdated design to poor performance, learn how to determine whether it's time to invest in a new website.

Learn how one client surpassed their fundraising goal by incorporating visuals, telling a story, and keeping donors updated.

Discover how to interview staff and donors, mine data from your CRM, and survey your donor base to craft well-rounded donor personas.

Learn how inbound marketing can help your organization attract quality leads and build lasting relationships.

Discover which key performance indicators (KPIs) to focus on and how to track them using social media analytics.