[wickreconsulting]
integrity in branding
Many nonprofits struggle with integrity in messaging. One common example: an organization aims to develop self-respect and agency in its clients, but the way it generates donations is by portraying its clients as victims. Another common example: an organization develops a holiday gift catalogue that allows donors to give a particular item, but after the gift is given circumstances change and that money is better used for another purpose.
Often organizations blame these problems on their donors. They dont understand the complexity of the organizations work, or they dont appreciate the real importance of overhead costs. But organizations may be part of the problem, relying on old tropes about charity or downplaying important complexities.
How can you strike a balance, conveying the humanity of the people you serve and the reality of their need? How can you explain the complexity of what your organization does without getting potential donors lost in the weeds?
Integrity in branding means developing a message that is simple and compelling and true. Integrity in branding means aligning rhetoric and reality. I can help you develop a brand that is compelling and true, a brand that stretches your donors but not too much, a brand that is simple enough yet complex enough to tell your story well.
[WickReality]
