The Iceberg Effect

1. Trust
2. Service
3. Transparency
4. Difference
5. Relevancy
6. Impact
7. Uniqueness
8. Honesty
9. Consistency
10. Strategic
11. Support
12. Partnership
13. Quality
14. Helping
15. Sharing
16. Caring
17. Dynamic
18. Visionary
19. Spiritual
20. Meaningful
21. Results
22. Excellence
23. Tradition
24. Importance
25. Steward

"Simple" is a very important word. Keep your marketing and branding simple with a reinforcing message. What is your 30-second elevator speech? Be prepared to have success stories ready to go. If you have the opportunity, go beyond the tip of the iceberg with the ultimate goal of having your public understand your total iceberg.

Teach your administration, staff, board, volunteers and supporters what to say to others about your organization. Reinforce your message throughout each fiscal year. Make sure your marketing materials have a consistent message. I suggest from time to time to test your theme and what you want others to think about you with various focus groups. You want to know if you are hitting or missing the mark. Feedback from others is very important. Perception is reality, and you have little opportunity for a second chance with many individuals and constituencies.

If the community is truly not aware of your organization and doesn't have a positive perception of you, how can you raise significant future dollars and recruit quality, passionate people who can bring continuous time, talent and treasure to your door?

Tell many stories around a general theme, and keep it simple. Remember the iceberg and the iceberg effect. Ten percent of an iceberg is a start, but it should not be where you finish! Always engage someone with the belief he doesn't know anything about your charity. I don't like the word "assumption," because assumptions are usually wrong with respect to someone's knowledge about your organization. Make sure people know what you want them to know about you. Try to control the message before it controls you.