Google’s April 21st search update continues to complicate the ever-changing world of search engine optimization. Here are some insights on how to improve your website search ranking.

Most nonprofits, and small businesses, do not have an extensive budget for digital marketing and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) efforts. These websites might be managed by a “jack of all trades” who knows a thing or two about blogging and social media but knows little about improving that vital SEO. Let’s be honest–-nobody wants to put in hours of work on a website if nobody is going to see it, which is one (of the many) reasons SEO is so crucial. Here are some quick-and-dirty tips for understanding SEO and why it’s so important.

What is SEO?

Nowadays, most somewhat internet-savvy folks understand that there is a ranking system when it comes to web searches. There are algorithms (complicated formulas), logic, reasoning, and some money intertwined in the complicated system that categorizes websites on Google. By definition, Search Engine Optimization is the process of doing the things necessary to improve your organization’s ranking in search engine results.

Understanding Page Rankings

On Google’s “how search works” page, there is a helpful explanation of the steps Google takes to properly judge the worthiness of each site. There are hundred of factors and complicated algorithms that go into this process and, of course, not all details are revealed.

Google does, however, provide brief explanations of the main steps in this process: crawling, indexing, and algorithms. Before the search process even begins, Google has already “crawled” all over your web content to take inventory of your online presence. “Googlebot” browses your web page, much like a normal user except much faster, and reports back on what it finds.

The bot looks for outside links, new changes, and dead links. If there are problems with your page or it’s outdated, Googlebot will pick up on this and rate your site lower. Sites with pictures, videos, and other forms of media related to a specific search topic may come up before less interactive sites with text only. Once a Googlebot has properly indexed your website, it uses an algorithm to match a user’s search to your website.

There are multiple indicators that aide in this process and Google lists them as:

• The freshness of content on a website
• The number of other websites linking to a particular site and the authority of those links
• Words on the webpage
• Spell check
• Synonyms of your search keywords
• Quality of the content on the site
• URL & title of the webpage
• Results recommended by people you’re connected to

Will your site survive the new SEO update?

As of April 21st, 2015, Google will now be including a website’s mobile compatibility into search engine optimization rankings. Yes, this means that if your site is not up to mobile phone and tablet usability standards you may be bumped.

Don’t know if your site is mobile-friendly?

Google was kind enough to provide an easy analysis via the Mobile Friendly Test. Not enough info? Check out the Page Speed Test to get a grade for how fast your page runs on both mobile and desktop platforms. Both of these simple evaluations provide huge insights into where you stand in the SEO landscape. If your website is receiving poor evaluations, it may be time to revamp your website. As for mobile-friendly/responsive web design– consider switching to a WordPress or Squarespace type platform and purchasing a responsive theme– this will take care of the problem for you.

What if your website is partially mobile-friendly, but not completely?

The good news is that Google assesses the compatibility for each page on your site separately. Just because you have a few weak links doesn’t mean Google will punish your website as a whole. It simply means that if you have a few pages that are more optimized than others, Google will promote these optimized pages over the less compatible ones. Of course, it’s always better to cover all of your bases and make your whole website mobile-friendly and/or responsive. Having a cohesive, up-to-date website that can be easily accessed across all devices will always be a best practice.

Now that you know how SEO works, here’s what to do:

1. Keep things new and relevant. Google strives to provide its users with up-to-date, relevant content that’s interactive, engaging, and interesting. That means changing it up. Add new pictures, videos, and content as much as you can. A blog is a good way to do this.
2. Prioritize live text. Putting up a JPG or PDF file to publicize an event may actually hurt your SEO if it does not include a brief text description. Google Bot cannot crawl the content of the image, which yields little to no added quality to the site. While images are great in their added visual appeal, make sure to include a write up to aid in driving traffic to the site.
3. Make sure nothing is broken. This seems intuitive, but you’d be surprised how many websites have broken or missing links. If you’re linking your content to an outside source, check up on it regularly. If that webpage has been removed, and your link is a dead end, this will count against you in the ratings.
4. Work on your social media. We’ve heard the importance of social media for a couple years now, but because Google is now turning to social media for signs of authority and relevance, keeping up on your accounts is more important than ever. If people are sharing your content, they’re generating a buzz around what you do, and Google will notice.
5. Use keywords. The best keywords are short and simple, two-to-four-word phrases that describe what you’re offering or writing about. It used to be though that “stuffing” your content with keywords was the way to improve SEO, but not anymore. Gratuitous use of keywords might actually have a negative impact on your optimization.  Try to keep a balance by keeping content general but providing enough specifics to stand out. Most engines pick up the first 200 words within a page, which should be kept in mind when writing the introductory paragraphs.
6. Consider using plugins. If you use WordPress, there’s a nice SEO pack plugin that might be of some help. It offers an array of services including automatically optimizing your titles for Google and other search engines, generating META tags automatically, fine-tuning Page Navigational Links, and providing support for Google Analytics.

Of course, the SEO process is an ever-evolving platform that is constantly being tweaked and adjusted by Google and other search engines. For best results, check up frequently on any changes and adjust accordingly.

By Katherine DiPlacito, Red Rooster Group.

The top goals for nonprofits are to acquire new donors, engage their communities, raise brand awareness, and retain donors, according to the Nonprofit Marketing Guide Trend Report. Social media can help achieve all of those goals … if it’s truly social.

Nonprofit social media is like a child: It must be nurtured, clothed, fed, kept out of trouble, and then let go with a single unshed tear. However, before nonprofit social media can reach the “letting go” phase, they must graduate from the nurture process.

Listen up, social media managers and communications fellows, this is a call to action!

Conduct a Competitive Review

Using a spreadsheet, conduct a social media competitive review of your organization and about four others in your field. Compare and make notes about their social activity in the past month, what types of social media accounts they have, see if those accounts are connected to their main website, what types of content they post, look for a visible mission statement or about, and pay attention to the cohesion of their website. At the end of the review, you’ll notice some best practices and glaring mistakes that include:

The Neglect of About Sections and Page Information

Filling out your “About” section or page information may seem so obvious that your eyes are involuntarily rolling back in your head, but many organizations — that shall not be named — do not take advantage of this. Think of the “about” sections on social media accounts as prime real estate. A completed “about” section means that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and brand awareness can work. For Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Tumblr, include a link to your nonprofit’s main website. Other popular social media channels, such as Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube, have fields just for your main website link. Having links to your website in the “prime real estate” section on social media will make sure that your organization shows up in more search results.

When you conduct a Google search for your organization, do your social media pages show up as secondary results, does the sidebar show where your organization is located on the map, does it show contact information? A completed “about” section on Facebook can make a difference in Google search results for your organization. If done correctly, the search results will show when your nonprofit is open, contact information, where you are on the map, and improves your website’s SEO.

Lack of Content Curation

You cannot just post content and expect a favorable outcome, just as well-meaning parents don’t release their toddler out into the world and say “have a good day”. Content needs coddling; it needs hashtags, it needs to be posted at the right time, it needs variation, it needs consistency, and it needs to be interesting.

Let’s pretend that your nonprofit organization supports and serves people who are homebound. Your organization’s Facebook and Twitter pages are filled with event posts, flyers for the next donor gala, links from your blog posts, and programs. When organizations only post their own content, their social media success is limited. Nonprofit Tech For Good calls social media content curation a best practice. Curating content means that you are sharing and retweeting content from other nonprofits as well as sharing links that are related to your cause. This way, you create variety on your feed, engage with other nonprofits (and possibly create partnerships), and establish credibility in the nonprofit sector.

No Form of Engagement

Nonprofits often complain about a lack of engagement. These complaints range from “We are posting content, but with no results” to “what’s the point of posting when we don’t get a single like”. Social media engagement is a two-way street. If your followers are not engaging, engage them. Do this by asking questions, creating calls to action, starting a dialogue, saying “thank you” to people who follow you on Twitter, and writing people back to those who wrote to you. Do not wait for followers or subscribers to come to you. Going from no engagement to some engagement takes time, but reaching out is the first step.

Uniformity and Cohesion Need Work

It is quite sad when an organization does great work and has wonderful programs, but their social media pages are not uniform or cohesive. Let’s say your organization’s name is Sanford Coalition for Homebound Citizens, also known as SCHC. Your Facebook url ends with “sanfordchc”, your Twitter handle is “@sanfordcoalition”, and your other social media account names are just so all over the place that somewhere in the world a social media manager just got a headache.

Uniformity starts with the usernames. Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Google+, and YouTube allow for url changes for brand uniformity. While Twitter does not, it makes your handle your url. Sandford Coalition for Homebound Citizens is a long, fake nonprofit name, but it is a good example because many nonprofits have to deal with this on social media. Pick a nickname and stick with it across all channels.

Imagery on organization accounts can also be an issue. If the cover photos and profile pictures across channels are not uniform, you’ll make a bad impression. Websites, like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, have very specific parameters for cover photos and using the wrong one will make images blurry or stretched. You don’t want to be remembered as the organization with the horrifyingly stretched pictures on social media, do you?

Google+

Yes, Google+ gets its own heading because so many organizations do not realize that they have a Google+ page that they have left out in the cold. On Google+ some companies and organizations have a local page that shows their address and some have brand pages that are connected to their Google account. Once you go through the process of business verification and claim the page, you can merge these pages and upload organization information and content that then shows up when people do a Google search for your nonprofit.

Lack of Social Media Management

The communications director of our fake nonprofit, Sanford Coalition of Homebound Citizens, always posts content after her lunch break at 2 pm She finds this to be the most convenient posting time. Sure, she’s heard of post scheduling, but she came to the wild conclusion that she’s not into that. Because of her lackadaisical ways, her reach on Facebook was three and she didn’t get a single “like” for her infographic on Instagram.

It is a best practice to know your audience and what times you should be posting on social media. A Quick Sprout infographic stated that from 9 am to 7 pm is the best window to post on Facebook while best times on Twitter were 12 pm and then 5 pm to 6 pm. For Tumblr, everything happens after 7 pm. Many people aren’t in the office after 5 pm and this is where the post-scheduling programs come in.

The majority of communications professionals have heard about Hootsuite or Buffer for social media management, but often do not use them. Tumblr has post scheduling built in as does Facebook. Third-party social media scheduling apps like Tweetdeck for Twitter and Pingraphy for Pinterest are also options.

Managing your nonprofit organization’s social media is a lot of work; it puts you in those situations where you can sit down at 1 pm and then suddenly two hours have passed. Remember, a nonprofit’s social media presence is like a child, it is ever-changing, it needs to be cultivated, fed good content, and monitored like the grapes at wineries.

By Jade McCall,  Digital Strategist at Red Rooster Group.

Focus groups are an integral part of the discovery process, gleaning insights not accessible through other research techniques. With these benefits, however, come an array of obstacles that organizations must overcome to facilitate productive conversation.

These days marketing research seems to be an amalgam of keywords, Google analytics, cross-tabs, big data, and all sorts of quantitative hubble-bubble. Even for someone who thoroughly enjoys lengthy journal articles, the progression toward a steadfast dependence on numbers can be both frustrating and daunting. Quantitative data often paints an incomplete, even skeletal, picture of consumer wants and needs, and it can be daunting because, well, math.

Never fear! Qualitative research still has a place in marketing, especially in the nonprofit sector. In order to provide meaningful service, you need meaningful information. Numbers illustrate how many donors contributed gifts of $1,000 or more in 2014, but they can’t reveal what about your organization proves consequential and compelling for your donors. When you are building value for your organization, these stories are crucial to your nonprofit’s livelihood; numbers can’t do the trick alone.

The Catch: Group Dynamics

Many organizations rely on focus groups to get the full story and in-depth understanding of consumers’ inner thoughts. Ostensibly focus groups are great — you get a group of people talking about a product, a service, their opinions, perceptions, and understanding of what you have to offer as a nonprofit. But when it comes time to analyze, assuming that all of the information you gathered is reliable and honest might be a mistake.

Let me introduce you to a concept social scientists regard as the bane of all productive group activity: group dynamics. These “dynamics” each have their fair share of both overt and covert harm in a research setting. Focus groups are a breeding ground for such dynamics, so be on the lookout and do your best to mitigate their negative effects in order to glean raw, honest, unfiltered opinions from your participants.

1. Group cohesiveness, also known as “getting along with people in your group,” can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s great to make friends, and how wonderful — Sue, Megan, and Natalie really hit it off in your focus group because they’re all runners. In fact, they’re all running a 5k this weekend. You, as a caring and empathetic human being, are happy for their new-found friendship via your focus group. But, as a sharp and attentive researcher, you should be wary. Heightened cohesion within a group can lead discussion astray jeopardizing productivity of conversation. If the focus group gets off topic, it might be hard to reel it back, resulting in loss of important ideas.
2. Groupthink is another negative result of group cohesiveness. It occurs when the desire for group consensus overrides the desire to present alternatives, critique a position, or express an unpopular opinion. Sue feels very strongly that you already do enough outreach in the community; she says this is not an area you need to improve on and she doesn’t think it will increase funding. Megan is indifferent, and decides to side with Sue because she likes her and subsequently trusts her opinion. Natalie, on the other hand, completely disagrees. Your organization doesn’t run any events in her neighborhood, and she might’ve donated if you’d been a presence in her local area. But Sue was so vehement, and Megan agreed, and openly opposing their opinions would be uncomfortable. Natalie keeps quiet and, in that decision, an important insight is lost.
3. Group Polarization operates differently than Groupthink, but is just as problematic. Group polarization is a phenomenon wherein the decisions and opinions of people in a group setting become more extreme than their actual, privately held beliefs. Research shows, that in groups, people who’ve chosen a set opinion or side, tend to be more extreme in expressing that position.Main and Walker (1973) analyzed the decisions of Federal District Court judges sitting either alone or in groups of three to see if group discussions were a determining factor in the severity of verdicts. In the 1,500 cases where judges sat alone, they took an extreme course of action only 30% of the time. However, when sitting in a group of three, this figure more than doubled, to 65%. If well-trained, professional decision-makers are subject to the forces of group polarization, imagine what can happen to your focus group. Participants may overcompensate in order differentiate beliefs or opinions from what others think. Be aware of this dynamic in focus groups — varying beliefs and opinions is healthy, but mitigating polarization is crucial.

Now that you have the facts, here are a few quick tips to control these dynamics and facilitate smart, strategic, and truthful insights.

Ways to Prevent Group Dynamics

1. Monitor the emerging leader. Leaders are great, but in this context, they often speak early and strongly, discouraging other members from speaking their minds. Since, as the moderator of the focus group, you are another form of leader, take an opportunity to value the emerging leader’s opinion, but continue to move conversation along to other less vocal participants. By keeping the dominant leader under control, quieter participants may feel more comfortable speaking up and sharing their insights.
2. Prime critical thinking and openness. From the very beginning of the meeting, stress how important it is that everyone’s opinion be heard, regardless if matches group consensus. Although this seems intuitive, just putting the idea out there might encourage those who are reluctant to speak up.
3. Encourage participation. Some participants may begin to feel the forces of Groupthink and would rather stay silent. Call on these people, encourage them, and extract their thoughts carefully and thoughtfully. Make sure they know that whatever their opinion is, it is valid.
4. Appoint a devil’s advocate. The “devil’s advocate” you choose can be assigned to argue an opposing or alternative idea of your choice. Those who assume this role can avoid the social pressure that comes from rejecting the group’s dominant position because they have asked to do precisely that. According to the textbook Psychology by Peter O. Gray, the presence of even one nonconformist in a discussion can help pull the whole group away from polarization by reducing the social pressures that contribute to it. You may also try asking the group as a whole to consider or argue a different perspective. If the session is structured this way, participants can consider alternative ideas without taking ownership to them, increasing open-mindedness and versatility.
5. Avoid leading questions. Your job as the moderator is to facilitate discussion, not lead it. Avoid questions that insinuate your own personal opinion or imply an expected outcome.

If the necessary precautions are in place, focus groups are an excellent way to peer inside the minds of consumers. Upfront and personal, they allow organizations to measure reactions to products and services almost immediately. It’s often best to outsource this service; a well-trained moderator is skilled in controlling negative group dynamics– a must for acquiring honest, reliable data. Bringing in a professional neutral force may also allow participants to feel more comfortable expressing their unfiltered opinion about your company or organization. When done right, a focus group provides a broad range of detailed information, ideas, and perspective that can aide any organization in understanding how to better connect with its clients and customers.

By Katherine DiPlacito, Marketing Intern at Red Rooster Group

Illustrations can set designs apart. When used appropriately, hand-renderings speak a distinct stylistic and emotional language that grabs attention and communicates at a gut level.

Digital photography and stock websites make it easier than ever to access to commercial graphics. Broad access to a wealth of visual resources is valuable, but in a saturated creative environment, using custom illustrations is a great way to make marketing materials stand out from the crowd. Potential clients, customers, and donors are inundated with the soft glow of screens and pixels. A hand-drawn image is authentic and personal. It catches interest and motivates your audiences to learn more about your organization.

Whatever the tone of a piece—understated and elegant, vibrant and lively, classic, or modern—well-executed drawings can help you communicate with impact and style. Illustrations with treatments and subject matter tailored specifically to match an organization’s messaging will result in marketing materials that maintain a clear and consistent theme. At Red Rooster Group, we’ve used a variety of illustrated approaches to tell our clients’ stories.

A picture is worth 1,000 words

For Fairfield County Hospice House, a residential hospice now in development, we were tasked with designing a capital campaign brochure to raise funds. We created a human connection by telling hypothetical stories of people who might use the house. The still-life scenes we depict in illustrations augment each anecdote and create an inviting, personal atmosphere. Pen-and-ink drawings and custom drop-cap lettering provide a warmth and artistry usually reserved for books, imbuing the piece with a narrative, literary sensibility.

---

A suite of brochures for UMFS, a multi-dimensional social services agency devoted to empowering at-risk kids facing a broad variety of challenges, combines playful illustrations with bright photos. We created a vibrant visual language that’s playful—capturing the imagination and creativity that are crucial tools for young people to learn, grow, and heal. This treatment complements the brand’s messaging wonderfully, painting a clear picture of the agency as a collective of champions dedicated to helping kids thrive in any given environment.

---

The time, effort, and care required for illustrations are evident in a finished piece, and convey your organization’s dedication to quality. While custom illustration may not be right for every project, exploring every creative avenue is always the correct approach when developing marketing materials that are distinctive, grab attention, and speak loudly.

By David Sankey, Graphic Designer at Red Rooster Group.

A review of your brand or website can give you new and valuable insights that may improve your outreach and effectiveness. 

Nonprofits compete for people’s attention in an increasingly noisy marketplace. Updating your website and your marketing materials can make your organization’s voice heard above the din … and increase the impact it has.

1. Your website may be stale, hard to update, and even harder to navigate.

Like most everything, when using the same website every day, you may miss a few “blind spots” that someone with a fresh perspective can catch. A free website review can tell you if your nonprofit’s website has become text-heavy and outdated, whether it’s reaching key audiences or missing key features. For example, an organization that targets a younger audience may have a greater impact if its website is user-friendly on mobile devices. A free website review can help you determine if content is lively and engaging as well as if features have come along that will make it easier for people to engage with your organization.

2. Your nonprofit’s collateral may be harming your brand.

Unlike a website, printed materials are strategically sent out to people you want to engage with your organization or who are already engaged. If they’re not impressed with the way you present your organization, they will be deterred from taking the next step, whether it is donating or becoming a member or signing up for services. Can your nonprofit afford to lose donors, members, or volunteers? Definitely not. A  free brand review can help you find the weak spots, redundancies, and just plain ineffective elements of your printed outreach materials — brochures, newsletters, and annual reports. Just remember: A meal should look appetizing, an organization should look appealing.

3. Your nonprofit’s emails may be going straight to a donor’s junk box.

We’re all bombarded with emails every day, most of which we don’t read. How can your nonprofit’s emails stand out from those that go to someone’s junk box? A free brand review can help you determine specific communication efforts that work, and those that need some work, as well as give ideas for improvement.

4. Name, logo, & tagline are the trifecta of your nonprofit’s brand.

Your nonprofit’s name and tagline can either help or hold back your cause. A free brand review can determine if your name and tagline accurately convey what your organization is all about and if they align with your mission and vision. It can also help evaluate whether your logo depicts your brand well.

Adapting your nonprofit’s communications and design to the ever-changing needs of the market you serve will benefit you tremendously in the short and long run. Luckily for the winners, Red Rooster Group’s free reviews come with solid recommendations, so be sure to listen and learn from the experts.

To stay in business and make the world a better place, nonprofits need to raise funds. Not an easy task these days!

Recent research indicates that charitable impulses are just barely keeping up with inflation but not really adding much in the way of new resources to the overall funding pool for which all nonprofits compete.

About one-third of nonprofits don’t expect their fundraising results to improve in 2014 and almost half only held steady during 2013, according to 2014 Fundraising Technology Trends Study by Find Accounting Software. These fundraisers also noted that finding contributors, deepening relationships with them, and standing out from other nonprofits were their greatest challenges.

So how do you make sure that your organization has what it takes to pay higher rent, increased utility bills, and upgrade to needed new software? One way, according to the Trends study, is to leverage your website. These days, your nonprofit’s website is likely to be the first point of contact with clients, donors, members, and volunteers — whether on a desktop computer as in the old days — or on mobile device as is more likely.

Maximize the impact of your website and you can take on those three fundraising challenges: find contributors, deepen relationships, and stand out.

Focus on your audience

The key to successful website design is user experience. The members of each target audience must easily find the content they seek, in language they understand, and in a design that is visually enticing. The key word in that formula: audience. The website should focus on the audiences you want to reach, and the messages and images that will resonate with them.

Make your case

If you want to reach donors, think like a donor. They want to know what you do, how well you do it, and why you are a better recipient of their generosity than the nonprofit at the next URL. And they don’t have all day to get the answers to those questions.

The design of your nonprofit’s website should give donors those answers quickly while evoking a visceral response that “these are really good guys.”

Keep it simple

Don’t get carried away by your enthusiasm! While it’s good to be passionate about your cause, it’s unlikely that you can share every aspect, and every experience that you and your staff have had that fuels your excitement. Scrolling through lengthy text will not engage people.

Be real

People need people, even when surfing the web. Your website will be more powerful if it has a human face, literally in the graphics, and figuratively in the personality, content, and language it uses to describe its reason for being. Let donors know who they are dealing with. Don’t always ask for something. Give something as well — information, kudos, etc. That’s how relationships are built: person to person.

Make it easy

Have a very conspicuous donate button as well as easy to find links to social media sites so donors can let their friends know they donated and why.

As an added incentive for a website makeover, consider this: Online donations increased 12.7% for three months, ending August 2014, compared to the same period in 2013. But overall charitable giving increased only 4% in the same time period.

Don’t be afraid of the numbers. They can show how well your organization stacks up against the competition.

No matter the scope or size of your organization, get people to talk about it! If you have data to verify your organization’s accomplishments, publicizing it will get them talking.

Statistics Increase Sponsorships

Many corporations today are seeking partnerships with nonprofits. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship: The corporation is perceived as socially responsible and the nonprofit can use the money to provide programs and services. If your organization helped increase a school’s literacy rate by 90%, brag about it! If your healthcare organization gave 1,000 free vaccinations, brag about it!

Flaunting your organization’s success will make it stand out when corporations look for partners. This will ultimately have a greater impact on your clients, grantees, and members. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Let Your Nonprofit’s Numbers Do the Talking

From a nonprofit’s perspective, posting evidence of success on your website — such as graphs, testimonials or statistics — bolsters your brand’s image and encourages donors to contribute. If donors are unsure about which competing nonprofit to support, favorable statistics on your website may sway their decision.

For example, the Jericho Project, which provides services to the homeless, has a visible “Facts and Figures” section showing its success in keeping its beneficiaries off the streets. Pratham USA also does a wonderful job of creating an effective mix of powerful images and strong statistical data to show its wide impact in India. Everyone understands numbers, so if you have the data, use it.

Prove You Don’t Waste Your Donor’s Dollars

As a new or existing donor, you want to see your money being spent wisely. Knowing an organization is utilizing its contributions efficiently makes donating to it even more attractive. Also, knowing your money isn’t being mismanaged may motivate you to increase your donation.

Reassure Your Recipients

From a recipient’s perspective, it’s reassuring to know that the nonprofit helping you is doing the best it can. After all, you are the reason it exists.

Numbers don’t lie. Proving your nonprofit’s positive impact will maximize your reach and potentially increase donations.

By Natalie Glaser, a marketing intern at Red Rooster Group, who works with clients on marketing strategies.

Just as there are many reasons for changing your organization’s name, there are also good reasons for retaining it. You can refresh your nonprofit’s brand without changing its name.

People balk at changing an organization’s name due to gut-level, emotional reactions and for very practical reasons. Make sure you take a good look at why people are against a name change. The opponents may be right. Rebranding doesn’t always require renaming.

There’s a strong emotional connections to the current name. Constituents, both internal and external, may feel a strong personal connection to the organization and may vehemently object to any change. This is especially true of social service agencies whose board or staff members were there at the organization’s founding or who were helped by the agency under its current name. As a result, they may have deep emotional attachments to the name. Or the name is connected to a founder and changing it may feel like diminishing the value of the founder’s contribution to the organization or to society. The potential of a new name to attract more funding and help more people may be enough to overcome these objections. So, too, may a transition plan that introduces the new name slowly as the current name is retired.

The current name has strong brand recognition. Despite its flaws, the current name may have strong brand recognition among clients and donors that will be lost if the name is changed. Or important affiliations may be lost. If the organization is a chapter or affiliate of a larger organization, it may lose the good will and visibility created by that connection.

It will be a waste of money. People may worry that time and money will be wasted because the new name will not bring about the desired tangible results, such as increased donations and brand recognition. This is a valid concern. The advantages of a name change, in visibility and fundraising, should be quantified before undertaking the project.

Changing the name will have negative implications. Some may worry that donors and constituents will view the name-change as an admission that the current brand has been mismanaged or that the organization is changing its mission. “Why now?” is a question that may arise and lead to inaction unless you’ve done the research and can present a cogent case for the change while reassuring constituents that the change is in keeping with current policy, mission, and values. If name-change is due to a change in your mission, that must be made clear to constituents during the process.

Intellectual property will be affected. The organization has intellectual property assets that would be negatively affected, such as a publication, an award, or event. The names of these may need to be changed as well, again risking the continuity of recognition by researchers, donors, clients, etc.

Making the change will be too difficult. Sometimes, people or the organization may not be amenable to change. They just don’t like it. If such feelings are deeply entrenched, it may not be possible to overcome them. However, it may well be that a gradual process that includes eliciting their ideas can unstick them and, if done correctly, even make them enthusiastic evangelists for the new name.

Accomplishments of constituents may be devalued. Changing the name may diminish the value of certificates or designations issued in the past. For example, certifications, degrees or awards issued by the organization may become meaningless when cited by past clients or members.

Search engine results might be negatively affected. If your organization has built up strong search engine results, you may be reluctant to abandon the name that has led to that success. Search engine optimization is one factor to consider when crafting the new name but, if SEO is an important part of your outreach, a new name may not be the best idea.

Too much staff time is required. Staff resources will be redirected from providing services to the name-change project. This is a valid concern. Someone — or several people — will have to focus on the research and creative process required for a name change rather than on their usual work. Even if an outside agency is hired, you will need to designate people within the organization to work with them.

Cost will be prohibitive. Changing an organization’s name costs money in addition to the process itself. Stationery, signage, printed materials, uniforms, etc., must all be redone. The cost can be minimized by phasing in the new name and using up existing supplies before the full launch of the new name.

Legal ramifications. The name change may affect contracts with government agencies and copyrights on printed materials. These peripheral consequences certainly must be examined and understood before undertaking a name change.

 

A name-change should not be undertaken lightly but, in some situations, it may be the best thing that can happen. 

“Change our name? Oh, no!” That’s the usual response when a name change is suggested but it’s an idea that should be considered. In some cases, it may be the best way to boost your organization’s visibility and viability. Or it could be a big mistake. Before making an official decision to change your organization’s name—or to keep it — review the reasons why a name-change may be necessary.

Name is too long.

Nonprofits often have descriptive names that tend to be long and consequently referred to by their initials or some other abbreviated format. The abbreviated version has no meaning for those unfamiliar with the organization and eliminates any value the name had to begin with. The New York City Housing Authority is known as NYCHA (pronounced nigh-cha), which is meaningless to anyone not already familiar with the organization.

Services have changed.

Many organizations modify their services to reflect changing needs of their clients or new demands by funders. The mismatch between name, mission, and current programs may be so great that a new name is necessary. The Jewish Guild for the Blind expanded its services to include healthcare so it became Jewish Guild Healthcare.

Geographic area no longer applies.

When an organization expands beyond the geographic boundaries specified in its name or plans to offer services in new locations, a name change may be needed. Cheshire Occupational & Career Opportunities addressed this issue with their new name Abilities Without Boundaries, which also puts a positive spin on what they do.

Outdated terms are used.

Society’s sensibilities and language change over time. Words like ”Negro,” ”Indian,” and ”geriatric” can raise hackles or are simply no longer effective. United Negro College Fund is now UNCF; the Association of Retarded Citizens is now The Arc.

No one uses the actual name.

Organizations such as the YMCA (which once stood for Young Men’s Christian Association), and the JCC (Jewish Community Center), are referred to informally by their members as ”the Y,” and ”the J,” respectively. Recently, the YMCA has taken note of its public identity by referring to itself as ”the Y.” It has introduced a new logo in which the Y predominates, with YMCA in small letters to the side.

The name is embarrassing to clients.

When the Child Development Center was established 30 years ago, it was among the first special-education facilities in New Jersey. Now the name is both inaccurate — it is an accredited school, not a development center — and embarrassing for teenage students who refer to it as CDC. The new name, Westbridge Academy, instills pride and fits into the expectations of students and parents.

One program has overshadowed the organization itself.

A signature program can become so well-known that other programs — and even the organization itself — get lost to public view, along with opportunities to fund them or increase participation in them, representing lost opportunities for donations and engagement. That was the case for the Council on the Environment of New York, the group behind New York’s noted Greenmarkets. The organization changed its name to GrowNYC to give equal weight to its environmental education and recycling programs, and to dispel the notion that it was a government agency.

Inconsistent use of the name.

In some cases, organizations have an official name but use it inconsistently, and sometimes interchangeably with taglines or other descriptors. For example, a public radio station may use its call letters as part of its name or identify itself as a ”public radio” station, or may use its tagline to describe the type of station it is. This inconsistency can cause confusion among both donors and listeners.

To de-emphasize a religious or ethnic connotation.

Organizations founded by religious organizations may want to expand their fundraising and their services to wider audiences. Some change their names to remove or minimize the religious aspect and emphasize their mission instead. The Christian Children’s Fund changed its name to ChildFund International in order to expand its work in Muslim countries. Sephardic Bikur Holim refers to itself as SBH to attract corporate sponsors, and Incarnation Camp, funded in part by the Episcopal church, emphasizes its division names — Pequot and Sherwood — in its marketing.

Reputation has been hurt by scandal.

After the advocacy organization ACORN was embroiled in a scandal, negative ramifications rained down hard on all its chapters. Several were renamed to distance themselves from the scandal. Larger organizations with longer histories and stronger brands, such as the American Red Cross and the United Way, have overcome scandals without such drastic action.

Legal action may be threatened due to name similarities.

Whether perceived, threatened or actual, legal action from another entity claiming trademark or copyright infringement or other violations may prompt an organization to change its name. Komen for the Cure recently filed suit against other nonprofit cancer organizations using ”for the cure” in their names.

A merger has taken place.

When organizations merge to form one entity, multiple naming options arise. The name of one organization may be kept, the names may be combined, or a new name developed. When Jewish Funds for Justice merged with Progressive Jewish Alliance, the new organization was called Bend the Arc. When VCG — the Volunteer Consulting Group — merged with Governance Matters, the organization created a combined name, VCG Governance Matters.

A large donation requires the change.

A large donation, request from a funder or special requirements attached to bequest may prompt the organization to change its name. After NYU Medical Center received $200 million from Kenneth G. Langone, a billionaire financier and a founder of The Home Depot, the hospital was renamed NYU Langone Medical Center.

If any of these apply to your organization, you may want to consider changing the name of your organization to benefit your brand.

Your nonprofit works hard to reach its donors and constituents, using a variety of tactics. Make those efforts more effective, by measuring results and making changes when necessary.

If your organization is like most nonprofits, you reach out to donors and other supporters in any way you can — on your website, via email, at events, through year-end appeals and, perhaps, on social media. It all take staff, time, and money to get done. But what’s working? Knowing which tactics are effective can help you allocate your resources so you get the most bang for your marketing buck.

Finding out what works — and tweaking what doesn’t — is easier these days, thanks to the almost instant online feedback. Even a snail-mail newsletter’s effect can be estimated by looking for a boost in web traffic after it goes out.

Have specific goals for your marketing so you know what to measure.

Think about possible measurable goals for each outreach effort. Don’t make it complicated, just meaningful. If you launch a new website, perhaps you’ll want to set goals for online donations. If you send out email newsletters, then you might strive to improve your open and click-through rates with every email.

Social media offer the opportunity to set very specific goals and see the results of your efforts quickly. Post a message using one phrase or image one week and a different phrase the next. Check the metrics to learn which got the most attention and if that attention come from the people you wanted to reach.

You can’t measure everything.

It’s not possible or realistic to measure and use every possible piece of data. Pick a few metrics that will give you insight into what’s working for your organization. Consider your goals — are you trying to generate awareness, build community, increase website traffic, advocate for an issue, raise money? Review the marketing metrics list and select the items that will give you the information you need to measure your success in reaching those goals. Focus on what you can use and what you can afford, although you also might consider what you might want to measure in the future. You can add those metrics as you get more sophisticated about your marketing. This list of metrics constitutes your own marketing dashboard.

Review your dashboard regularly so that you know what’s working.

If you are monitoring your website traffic daily or weekly, you’ll be able to see spikes that may be caused by your other marketing activity, such as when a newsletter went out or a Facebook comment was posted. You may even notice spikes related to the news of the day, which point to other opportunities for outreach. How often you check your dashboard depends on what type of marketing you are doing but the general rule is the more frequently, the better. Social media campaigns will give you constant feedback. If you are sending out email newsletters, then review the open and click-through rates 72 hours after the email is sent. Review your web traffic at least monthly, and take time to review your overall marketing efforts quarterly.

Act on what you’ve learned.

The whole point of tracking is to learn how best to allocate your resources. When something works, build on it. If your website is getting traffic from certain sites, see how you can boost your visibility on those referring sites as well as duplicate that response on other sites. It’s also helpful to compare results before and after specific initiatives — such as launching a Facebook page, fundraising event or advocacy campaign — to see if the messages you used are working. If response is low, try different wording. If that message generates a better response, take note for your next campaign. If a blog post gets a lot of views and comments, look at the subject of the post as well as how it was written to get guidelines for future posts.

Use free monitoring tools when possible.

If you don’t already get web traffic reports, use free Google Analytics reports. All you need to do is open a Google account and add code to your website. With it, you can find the source of traffic to your site, and other key information related to particular campaigns. Another Google tool, Alerts, notifies you when specific words are mentioned on the internet, such as  your organization, your competition, or other keywords that you select. It’s a good way to know what people are saying about your organization as well as a way to jump into the conversation on topics about which you want to be known as a thought-leader.  Most social media platforms also give you access to free basic metrics that can help you refine your outreach.

Marketing isn’t magic. It’s work, but you must do it. If you set up your marketing dashboard, monitor your results regularly, and make the necessary adjustments in your tactics, you’ll find your organization making progress toward its goals.