6 Ways Boards Are Critical to a Nonprofit’s Brand
1. Prioritize the Brand
Having a strong brand is fundamental for long-term success. The brand must be easy to understand, appealing, and motivating. If people don’t know what you do and how well you do it, they are not going to support you. Boards make it possible for an organization to build and maintain a brand by allocating the resources needed. Whether marketing is done in-house or with the help of a consultant, the board must budget sufficient money to ensure success.
If the brand is important to the board, it will be important to staff, donors, and clients. By ensuring that systems and resources are in place to reinforce the brand, the board ensures its continuity and strength.
2. Be Part of Brand Development
Boards help define the organization’s brand — its mission, vision, values, and brand promise. The board can participate by taking an active part in the branding process. Boards should be involved in developing and approving key deliverables, such as a new name, visual identity, or mission statement, and ensure that appropriate trademark protection is secured.
3. Protect the Brand from Internal Threats
The board must ensure that there is a brand guideline manual and that all communications materials reflect the standards laid out in the manual. By making consistency a priority, your team will not inadvertently erode your brand.
For organizations that have chapters or affiliates, pay attention to the relationship between the parent entity and others that use the brand. Parent organizations need to clearly articulate how their brand is to be used (and not used), provide guidelines and training to those using the brand, and monitor for misuse.
Affiliate organizations need to be mindful of using the national brand appropriately and setting guidelines for adapting the brand locally within the national standards.
4. Protect the Brand from External Threats
External threats come from people — including your supporters — who may use your logo or other brand identifiers in an inappropriate manner, or other organizations that usurp or infringe on your name or logo.
The board must also examine any potential mergers, partnership arrangements, or cause-marketing deals to ensure that the arrangements are mutually beneficial and that the organization’s brand won’t be misappropriated or harmed in any way. Make sure that all partnership arrangements are with entities with similar values and interests. Don’t enter into agreements — no matter how financially tempting — that contradict the mission and values of your organization. Spell out all the details of how your name, logo, and other brand elements will be used.
5. Leverage the Brand
Smart organizations know that their brand reflects their entire organization and that branding, marketing, and fundraising support each other. Each of these departments has touchpoints with the public — clients, donors, media, volunteers — and each touchpoint should reinforce the brand.
Boards can ensure that all departments — particularly development and marketing — support each other. Boards need to understand the many skills, roles, and positions within the organization affect and support their marketing efforts. They need to put systems and teams in place to ensure brand cohesion.
6. Speak Up for the Brand
Board members must be brand ambassadors. Their job is to enthusiastically spread the word, raise funds, and serve as the chief cheerleaders for the organization. To do so, they must be able to confidently and passionately talk about the value and impact of the organization. A strong brand makes it easier for them to do so by providing clear, concise language and a message that board members are proud to convey.
