When donors and funders only want to support programs and not overhead, how do you get the money needed to ratchet up your organization’s brand so you can ratchet up the funding for those very programs? It’s not just who you ask but how.
Building your organization’s brand can bring in far more than the rebranding project costs.
If you have clear, measurable objectives, you are more likely to get support for the project. Present a strong case to the board. Plan a targeted fundraising effort. Approach a major donor for a dedicated donation.
How Do We Ask for Money?
A clear statement of what your branding budget will be is very helpful when soliciting funding from foundations or donors. Make the link between cost and benefits. Build a strong case when asking for funding to rebrand your organization. Describe why your organization needs a new brand, the benefits a new brand can bring, and the level of work required. Present a realistic budget, timeline, and benefit analysis. A branding project for you also has benefits for your funders. It can help them leverage their own resources. The money to rebrand that might otherwise be used to help 10 clients may increase donations enough to help 100 clients. Funders with multiple grantees can also use the successful rebranding of one grantee as a model for their other grantees. Lessons learned can guide others in developing professional, cohesive, compelling brands for their organizations.
Who Do We Ask for Money?
- Current funders, whether individuals, foundations, or corporations.
- Use resources, such as The Foundation Center’s database, to find funders who focus on capacity-building grants and one-time projects. There is a cost to obtaining this information but the cost is low and the information can be invaluable.
- If you are a member of an umbrella organization, ask the national group for financial assistance. A well-executed rebranding, monitored for effectiveness, can provide a model for other member/affiliate agencies. Research can be shared to help other agencies build their brands and elements of the new brand – color palette, messaging – can become the basis of an organization-wide, unifying brand.
- Apply to corporate foundations for a grant; they may better understand the importance of branding and so be more willing to help. Funding such an effort underscores the corporation’s willingness to be innovative. This is also a one-time funding need, not an on-going commitment, which some donors prefer.
- Wealthy individuals may be willing to invest in capacity-building. If they’ve come through the corporate world, they appreciate the value of a strong brand.
- Apply for a grant from the Taproot Foundation and similar agencies that offer expertise rather than money. Another resource is Cause Populi, whose focus is marketing grants for nonprofits, http://causepopuli.com/marketing-services-grant-for-non-profits/
What About In-kind, Pro-bono, and Other Options?
For organizations that can’t pull together funding for the whole branding process or for outside consultants, other options are available. While less expensive in dollar outlay, they each have drawbacks.
- Pro-bono services are offered by some nonprofit groups or by professional organizations. While you may get very experienced help, your rebranding project may not be the top priority for the person doing it. The level of commitment may be limited and the timeline may stretch out as other projects come along.
- Design-firm competitions offer packages of free services to winners but there is no easily accessible list of agencies hosting such competitions so you’ll have to search for them. If you do take this route, make sure you know the conditions of the competition. What you get and what do you have to give up? Will your organization be used in agency advertising? If so, is this an agency with which you want your organization associated? Who are its other clients? Is the project for logo design only or will it include research about audiences and messaging?
- Individuals and freelance designers may be found through board members, staff, and by recommendations from other nonprofits. Newer agencies may provide low-cost or pro-bono services in order to build their portfolios. While a freelancer may be less expensive than a branding agency, freelancers may not be able to provide the range of skills — writing, design, research — needed to lead your team to a consensus or provide the level of steady service required to get your brand initiative completed in a timely manner.
- Colleges and universities may require design students to complete projects for their portfolios. They are often happy to work with nonprofits.
