Key things to think about when embarking on a branding project for your charity
Charity branding (or rebranding or even a brand refresh) is a significant time in the life of a not for profit. For many, it can feel overwhelming, but it is a great opportunity to hone into the essence of who you are as an organisation.
Discover your brand
Before you start thinking about logo ideas and colours, this is the perfect time to reflect on your organisation, do your research and discover (or rediscover) your charity’s DNA. Start by asking these questions:
- Who are you/your organisation?
- What makes your organisation unique?
- Why do clients choose to use you?
- Why do donors like giving to you?
- Who is your target audience and what do you know about them? E.g. volunteers, clients, donors, government organisations etc
- What current perceptions do these groups have of you?
- What are the words that people associate with your organisation?
- How do you want people to feel when they deal with you, your staff or volunteers?
- What are your key messages?
- What are your organisation’s future plans?
- Does your current brand reflect all of this?
Talk to key internal and external stakeholders – donors, supporters, volunteers, staff. Read any previous research you have done, ask for any anecdotal stories, collect as much data as you can. This can be done informally or more formally.
Get creative
Once you’ve redefined who your organisation is and what you’re about, think about how you can represent that creatively.
Take all the information you’ve collected and put it together in a design brief for your chosen graphic designer. Add in your thoughts about the look and feel, tone and manner. Think about colours that reflect your organisation, ideas you have, words that resonate with your organisation’s personality etc.
Give your designer as much background as you can, and then let them take your brief and bring it to life. Ideally, they will present you with a few options to get you going. Choose the option that best represents your organisation, talk to your key stakeholders and refine it until you’re happy with what you’ve got.
Roll out your new brand
Roll out your new brand across your physical and online channels. Communicate the ‘why’ behind your brand change to your stakeholders and let people in on your journey of discovery. Use this opportunity to share your vision for the future and where your organisation is going.
Enjoy the process
Don’t forget to have fun! Branding can be an amazing process if you take the time to do it right. Your brand is so much more than a logo, it is the essence of who you are as an organisation, it includes your logo, your collateral materials, the way you talk, the way you deal with people and many other elements. Invest your time and energy to get it right.
Happy branding.