Big heart brand

Charities are facing challenging times with a difficult economic climate, lack of trust and reductions in government funding and services leaving non-for-profits under pressure.

At times like this it might seem frivolous to be concerned about your organisation’s brand.

But Big Heart believes this is precisely the right time to show your image some love.

There are so many good causes out there that it is a challenge to attract attention.

If it is not clear who you are and what you do, people are unlikely to pledge their support. Make it easy for them – demonstrate how your cause is unique, effective and worthy of support.

Good branding will help secure good partnerships with both the public and private sector, increase trust, donations and volunteering rates.

The value is not only external. The cohesion of image outwardly is important but a strong brand is equally valuable inwardly to an organisation – a shared understanding of what the charity wants to achieve. Give staff and volunteers a clear mission with which they can align and it will make their work so much easier.

Branding is more than just a logo. It is a consistent identity and positioning communicated by visual material, tone and on-brand behaviour.

It is a shorthand that states an organisation’s values, mission and personality in an instant.

Sometimes it is just about fine-tuning what is already there. But on occasion a complete overhaul is required, maybe to bring the image in line with the changed focus of a charity or resolve a drop in membership.

Does your name reflect what you do or does it exclude people you are trying to reach? Could you use rebranding as a strategy to broaden appeal and secure more support?

The key to any branding activity is investment. There is no point skimping and ending up with an amateurish result.

It is the public face and the internal guiding light of your cause. A poor job will lead to confusion, mistrust and disinterest from both your staff and supporters.

Being wary of allocating hard-won funds to something that appears so superficial is understandable.

There is widespread concern about the optics of paying out for commercial-style branding but getting it right can really pay off.

If you need some help to get your charity wearing its heart on its sleeve, get in touch with the Big Heart Network at hello@yellowjigsaw.co.uk and why not join our Big Heart webinar from our partners ATTAIN on branding, click here.