You’re not alone out there where you try to generate interest from volunteers and donors or recruit dedicated staff. Pay attention to and evaluate the brands of competing organizations. You may find opportunities for growth as well as areas in which you need to up your marketing game in order to fulfill your mission.
Nonprofits often don’t think in terms of “competition.” After all, they are all trying to better the world. But nonprofits, like for-profits, must attract attention, make sure their value is appreciated, and entice people to take action. While they may not try to steal clients from each other, nonprofits do compete for volunteers, donors, members, and a place in the inbox– rather than the spam box — of your audiences.
You may think your organization is unique, but the general public may not be able to distinguish it from others. For example, many organizations raise money around diseases but distinguishing those that raise money for, say, cancer research or support for cancer patients, can be difficult. But for clients and donors, the difference matters.
Find Out What’s Out There
Start by assessing the brands and services of organizations similar to yours. You want to establish:
- how the services or programs you offer are unique — it may be that the mix is unique
- where to find supporters for your mission and vision that you may have overlooked
- what messages resonate with supporters
- what visuals they use in messages and logos
Distinguish between those that are successful in their outreach from those who are not. Understanding how successful organizations present themselves can help you understand what changes, if any, you need to make in your branding message and image in order to connect with your audiences.
The objective here is to sort out how your organization differs from its competitors so that the branding message conveyed by your organization emphasizes its strengths and distinguishes it from other organizations. You want your brand to be unique and clearly differentiate your organization from all other organizations, both nonprofit and for-profit, both in value and visually.
Review Your Sector Landscape
How you go about a competitive review depends on what you want to find out. Start with the big picture: Who’s who within the universe of similar nonprofits? Spend a few hours on the Internet searching for like-minded organizations. Then go deeper:
- Talk with funding sources that give money to organizations with similar missions. Ask what they look for in the groups they support.
- Speak with stakeholders at other nonprofits within your sphere to find out what resources are needed to help your common cause. Ask how you might work together.
- Review industry-related publications and media coverage of like-minded nonprofits to learn their story and how they are telling it.
- Visit sites like Charity Navigator or Guidestar to find funding and organizational data of other nonprofits.
- Study marketing and communications materials from other organizations to learn their “language” and how they visually present themselves to their audience.
Conduct a Competitive Review
Now that you have an overall view of the sector, narrow your focus to those organizations that are the most direct competitors for funding, members, or clients. Also look at other entities likely to be confused with your organization. Here’s what to look for:
- What types of names are used (descriptive, abstract, acronyms, etc.)? Do they have a similar tone? Do they assume any industry knowledge?
- What is their mission and do they convey it clearly?
- Do they have a compelling tagline?
- What icons and keywords do they use in their logos?
- How do their services compare with those offered by your organization?
- What are their strengths and weaknesses compared to your organization?
- What are the differences in their philosophy and approach?
- What trends in the sector might affect the direction your organization is going?
- Do you see any services or programs that are needed but not provided by anyone?
Outcomes of Competitive Review
If you discover that your organization is simply one of many indistinguishable organizations, you may face have a hard time making your nonprofit sustainable for the long-term. The Competitive Review is an opportunity to reconsider strategic options, such as:
- dropping programs that are better done by other organizations
- merging or forming strategic alliances with similar organizations
- narrowing the focus of your services to those populations that are underserved by the current mix of nonprofits
- broadening your services to include a service needed by your clients but not offered by anyone
- changing your organization’s name, logo, or tagline to differentiate it from similar organizations
Evaluating and keeping track of the competition helps your organization maintain its competitive edge by ensuring that it stays relevant and stands out from the crowd.
