Chapter 27. Branding Nonprofit Organizations and Foundations

Even in the nonprofit sector, branding is necessary to highlight uniqueness, express values, and create a clear message to donors of the foundation and the beneficiaries the foundation supports.

A compelling story leads to the point where the initiative is formed, driving the founders of the initiative to define the goals of the organization. It all starts with text carrying meanings that transform into slogans and metaphors, then symbols, logos, possibly flags, and statutes - a set of rules based on a system of values whose purpose is to unite people with similar values in achieving the goals of the nonprofit organization.

Let's take the globally recognized "Red Cross" or WFP (World Food Programme) as bright examples, where the idea embodied in the symbol unites people altruistically to help others, unfamiliar to them, out of humanitarian motives. Could these organizations exist without well-defined values, symbols, and identity systems that make them recognizable worldwide? Perhaps yes, but would they become global entities? Certainly not. Branding is not a mandatory condition for a company's operation; it is a tool for effectiveness in achieving the organization's goals, be it profit generation or redistributing benefits.