The Nonprofit Brand IDEA: Driving Mission Impact

Background to Research  18 month study by the Hauser Center funded by the Rockefeller Foundation  Interviews with 73 individuals in 41 organizations  What is the role of brand in the nonprofit sector and how is it evolving?  Article in the SSIR Spring 2012, “The Role of Brand in the Nonprofit Sector” hauser

Next Steps  Book to be published by Jossey-Bass in 2013  Take the Brand IDEA framework further  Additional examples of nonprofit brand management  Brand Building and Brand Management guidelines and recommendations hauser

Initial Findings: Brand and the Role of Brands  Across sectors:  Brand as a psychological construct  Promise, short cut, the what and why  Strong brands enable  Gain resources, access, partnerships and trust  Difference in the Nonprofit Sector:  Role: long term social goals; multiplicity of audiences; and internal role of the brand hauser

Brand Skeptics and Sources of Pride hauser SkepticismSources of Pride Commercial pursuitMission Top down enforcement of brandParticipatory process Reflect leadership’s vanity or counter organizational values Values and Culture Bully BrandsPartnerships

 Brand plays key internal and external roles (Identity and image)  Clear brands build cohesion internally and trust externally  Cohesive, highly trusted brands result in greater capacity and impact  Capacity and impact reinforce identity and image  Nonprofit brand reflects and serves the organization’s mission and strategy Nonprofit Brand Cycle hauser

 Integrity  Aligns mission, identity, and image  Democracy  Trusts stakeholders to participate in building brand identity and communicate the brand  Ethics  Reflects core values of the organization  Affinity  Attracts partners and shares credit and space, rallying around a bigger goal Brand IDEA Framework hauser

One of WWF challenges is how to convey the breadth of the organization’s work in a way that is coherent with the powerful image it holds with the public To address this WWF simplified its vision and mission statements and introduced a set of story themes that helps aligns the organization’s identity with its image Brand Integrity hauser

In 2006, Amnesty International took on the challenge of developing a clear, global identity. The outcome is captured in a Little Yellow Book which articulates a unity of purpose across Amnesty International, while encouraging translation and adaptation to suit a variety of contexts Brand Democracy hauser

Publish What You Pay (PWYP) global campaigning coalition of many diverse NGOs whose mission is to increase revenue transparency in the extractive industries Creating equitable, transparent governance procedures and establishing common membership standards across the broad coalition help protect and uphold the credibility, legitimacy and values of the overall PWYP brand and network Brand Ethics hauser

The Girl Effect brand seeks to create a platform for all girl champions to use — from passionate citizens to NGO partners like CARE and BRAC to the World Bank to girls in developing countries A variety of “open-source” tools and resources are freely available for use on the Girl Effect web- platform, and partners are highlighted in order to encourage and reinforce the inter-connectivity of this initiative Brand Affinity hauser

The Brand IDEA in Practice hauser  Thinking differently about the role and potential of brands (not just fundraising or communications)  Assessing the role of brand at each step in the theory of change and making it explicit  Using brand democracy to manage internal brand identity (rooted in ethics and values) and external brand image  Embracing brand affinity and the role brands can play in collaborations and partnerships

hauser “An anarchy of information was reflected in both the mission statement and the visual identity.” ~ Angha Childress, Executive Director Helping Communities Shape Their Own Future Through Education Donate

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Niger Delta Women’s Movement for Peace and Development

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Concluding Thoughts hauser  Thank you! Obrigada!! Merci! Gracias!  This is a work in progress…We invite your questions, suggestions and feedback! “Everything we do and the decisions we make, depend on our brand positioning. In order to deliver on our mission, we need a clear, strong, well managed brand.” Meghan Reddick, Vice President, Communications YMCA Canada