Non-Profit Organization Grants: How to Increase Your Monetary Contributions by Establishing a Brand
The most frequently overlooked, yet vital, aspect of many non-profit organizations, is the development of their brand. It's a crucial part of the evaluation process that many funders use to help distinguish which organizations they're allocate money to. After all, we live in a world where we're constantly evaluated by our appearance.
Unfortunately, it's a catch-22 for most non-profits since outside funding is what keeps their organization afloat, and the budget for marketing is practically non-existent. Yet, most funders prefer to invest their money in the organizations that are well established, organized and are generating a steady profit. In other words, you have to make money, to get money! Although it sounds like there's little hope for these non-profits who left marketing on the back burner, it's never too late to establish a brand.
So, how can you boost your chances of getting a grant when your budget is at an all time low? Easy. Make building a brand your first priority. Most non-profits put this last on their priority list, which in the end leads to a lack of funding, notability and even organization. You have to treat your non-profit like a business, instead of a charity case. By creating a communicative custom brand, you're essentially evoking professionalism, organization, legitimacy and personality. You want your organization to be noticed right? The problem is, most non-profits feel that they do not have a budget to create a custom brand for their business, or know how to go about getting one.
Essential components of branding that will land you more funding:
1. A logo. It's an eye-catching way to set you apart from similar establishments and a quick way for funders to recognize your organization. It will make you seem professional, organized, valuable and established, even if you're anything but. Think about it this way: Would you go to an important business interview wearing sweatpants and baseball cap? At least I hope not! You want to dress the part of success, and a logo does exactly that for your business. By creating a recognizable, cohesive brand, you're showing investors your organizations worth. And why settle or anything less than important and successful?
2. Business Card. Hopefully you're networking, since it's one of the greatest ways for a non-profit to market themselves, at little to no cost. After meeting with a prospective funder you want them to take home your business card, remembering you, your organization and what you stand for. Business cards are typically mini advertisements for your organization, and a well designed card will make a great first impression by making someone take a long look, and want to find out more.
3. A website. By now, if you have not already learned already, a website is the number one way for the world to take notice of what you do. Creating a site that's donor friendly, is an easy way for you to solicit pledges, while making it easier for recurring donors to contribute additional funds. Not to mention, it's an easy way to help you stay organized with a list of donors and contacts right at your fingertips. Keep in mind, having no website at all is better than having one that's cluttered, extremely hard to navigate or just plain ugly! The last thing you want is to have someone visit your website, become frustrated, and give up-and even worse, donating to similar organization which site is easier to navigate and appears more reliable based on looks. I can not stress it enough that a simple, clean, and well navigated site with a mission statement, contact info, upcoming events, and ability to donate and take action are all you really need. Less is more, so think simple. Your logo and business card design (color and fonts) should be the basis for your website's design.
Tips on How to Establish a Brand for Your Organization:
1. Hire A Senior Graphic Design Student. By hiring a student it's a win-win situation. Most design students need professional experience to help build their portfolio, while you need a FREE or cheap brand. A good student will come up with a great concept and design, so let them do the work! One of the biggest mistakes I see with non-profits, is that they do not let the designer take full control. For example, although it sounds obvious, do not push for a red logo because it's your favorite color when your non-profit's name contains the word blue. Let the designer do the designing. Hiring a senior designer to build your website is the cheapest and best way to go for organizations that legally have no money to spend on branding. A simple one page HTML website is all you'll need to get started. Basic HTML is easy to learn and you'll be able to update text or image changes yourself. First try finding a student willing to create a website for you for their senior project. Most likely they'll do it for free or almost nothing. If you decide to hire a freelance designer or a student in school, a one page HTML site should cost no more than $ 500.
2.Hold A Contest On The Internet. Open your doors to invite a world of designers looking to broaden their portfolio or sometimes give back to an organization like yours with a winning logo design. Post an ad online, college websites or campuses about the contest, and you may be surprised how many people respond.
3.Hire A Freelance Designer. Custom logos are not as expensive as you think. It's well worth hiring a designer who can create an entitlement brand for you, including business card, letterhead, envelope and even website for you as a total package. For a custom logo expect to pay anywhere from $ 100- $ 250. Be aware of "custom" logo websites for $ 99. Instead, find a freelance designer willing to work with you directly for nearly the same price.
4.Do It Yourself. This is what most non-profits try to do this themselves and I do not recommend this because the output can be truly disastrous, unless you are truly creative. Creating a logo for your own business is tricky business because you're probably too objective and most likely do not have the skills or necessary program (Adobe Illustrator) to create one. In its simplest form a unique, but legitimate font is all you need to create a logo. Whatever you do, do not use cyan or straight magenta for the color of your logo. And steer clear of clip art please for the love of God! But, if you feel that you're truly creative and willing to learn, go for it.
5. Hire an Intern. Most junior and senior design students take a class where an internship is a requirement for graduation. It's as essential for them, as it is for you to get a brand for your organization. An advantage to an intern of course is that they have to complete projects for you, in order to get credit. If your organization has been up and running for some time, look into getting Americorps or City Year volunteers to work for your non-profit.
Once your brand is established, you'll begin to realize how much more people take notice, gain interest and invest in your organization. Spending money on developing a brand is not necessary but if you do, it's well worth it. Remember that a picture says a thousand words, and you do not those words to say unorganized and untrustworthy but rather structured, stable and worth every penny!
