Branding

What companies or organizations come to mind when you see the following phrases?

Safe car
Tasty taco
Disaster relief
Speedy delivery

These are the positive experiences we have come to expect from certain companies and organizations. The above list does not include a single slogan. A brand is not a slogan. It is more than cosmetics. It is your culture.

What is a brand?

“A brand is the promise of a positive experience that consistently delivers a desired feeling to the target audiences. The experience that’s promised can be as varied as the product or service being offered. But the strongest brands are positive and consistent and resonate on an emotional level with donors, partners, volunteers and/or others.”
  —Betsey Russell, Last Word LLC

In order to increase public awareness and engagement, your affiliated fund needs to make a promise of a positive experience to your community, and you need to keep that promise. Before you begin to develop core messages and visual elements that reflect the value of your affiliated fund, study these Notes About Nonprofit Branding as a starting point. 

Learn more about branding by studying the Nebraska Community Foundation’s “Brand Platform.”