How Much Religion in Your Fundraising?

If your faith-based nonprofit organization is not an actual congregation, but a social service agency, how much emphasis do you put on your religious link in your donor appeals?

As a branding agency that works with Jewish organizations, we have faced this question with our clients. We have worked with several Jewish organizations that wanted to downplay the level of Jewishness that they convey. They were Jewish Community Centers, grounded in Jewish tradition, but open to everyone, and not specifically religious in nature. We have generally found that every case is different, but challenge seems to be similar – appealing to a wider audience while retaining some religious-oriented purpose.

On the Christian, we have found the same thing – a trend away from religion. One social service organization that we are speaking with now has the the word Cardinal in their name. While they have moved away from their cross-based imagery in their logo (they are now using non-religious five-pointed stars) they are contemplating a name change. Of course, there is a great discussion within the organization about how not to isolate their long-time, more religious supporters in the attempt to attract newer donors.

Another client, a camp with a spiritually-oriented, but not specifically religious name, emphasized the division names which were based on Indian names and had more of the cachet of a traditional camp. The organization’s logo still appears on it materials, but in a less prominent way.

I will also point you to an article about how and why Christian Children’s Fund renamed themselves as ChildFund International, partly to ease working in countries that were not primarily Christian – which brings up the concept of addressing who you serve as well as who you want support from. 70-Year-Old Relief Charity Adopts a New Name

WAKE UP CALL: What do you think? To what degree does the organization’s religiousness play in your fundraising appeal? Share your experiences.

Martha Bryant, Ph.D., Executive Director of Development at Sisters of St. Joseph, Nazareth Convent and Academy, writes:

I recently found an interesting bit of data on charitable activity by religion. 77% people who identified themselves as Protestants donated to non-religious groups and 72% to religious groups. The numbers for Catholics are 74% and 60%. But the most interesting to me was the people who identified as having “no religion,” 74% of them were donors to non-religious groups. And 19% of them gave to religious groups/causes.

I’ve been urging all the people I know who do religious fundraising to look beyond the end of the pew if they are a congregation. And for those who are faith-based but not a congregation, look at the whole world. Lots of people who don’t share the faith are interested in the mission and the values–in the specific outcomes that the organization may tie to faith, but that prospective donors just see as good work.

So I do talk about the faith part. Because I think it assures those who identify as “no religion” that they can depend on the values of faith for responsible stewardship of their gift.

Related Articles

• 70-Year-Old Relief Charity Adopts a New Name
• Religious Nonprofits Are Rebranding to Attract Wider Audiences
• Case Study: Jewish organization explores Jewish star in its logo.

Red Rooster Group is a New York based marketing design firm that creates effective brands, websites, and marketing campaigns to increase your visibility, fundraising, and communications effectiveness. Contact us at info@redroostergroup.com.