Reevaluate Your Brand to Appeal to Next-Gen Donors

Nonprofit giving continues to plummet in the U.S. — down $17 billion, in fact, according to The Giving Institute's annual report for 2022. While economic factors — like inflation, a large reason for the decline — are out of everyone’s control, one shining light for nonprofits is the opportunity to appeal to the next generation of donors.

Industry reports continue to validate that both Millennials and Gen Zers are increasing their giving habits, and have the potential to become the “most charitable generations yet.” More so, the “giving shift” is underway. The historically positive correlation between age and giving, which often urged fundraisers to focus on older prospects, is now leveling out. But are nonprofits truly making the necessary adjustments to appeal to and connect with younger donors?

Nonprofits are in a challenging position — they need to stand out amongst a sea of well-established and worthy causes that are competing for donor dollars. In order to earn even one quick look from Gen Zers — 59% of whom donate based on messages or images they see on social media — organizations must have an authentic, visually appealing, and captivating brand.

Nonprofits need to be asking themselves questions like: Does our organization’s name and key messages truly capture the essence of our cause? Do our social channels leverage engaging and authentic imagery and videos? Is our overall brand aesthetic simple and modern?

If the answer to any of those questions is “no,” then it’s time to reevaluate and refresh — or risk losing an entire generation of committed, passionate and vocal supporters.

Where to Start

Donors who have been giving to you for decades may not notice that your logo and website need polishing — because you have already established trust, they believe in your mission and value where their dollars are going. But for those who don’t know your organization, an outdated or clunky user experience may risk losing them.

Take a step back and evaluate, from top to bottom, your brand identity, design and communications. If your organization has refrained from doing a rebrand in its 10-plus years, there’s likely a chance one is needed. And that’s not because your organization has done anything wrong, it’s because your identity and ethos may have evolved over time and the initial look and language may no longer align with the true essence of the organization that exists today.

Getting Reacquainted With Your Organization

It may be time to reevaluate the way you’re positioning your organization, but you’ll never know what resonates with different audiences and stakeholders unless you ask them. Conduct discovery sessions with leadership and staff, the board and even donors. This will allow you to get at the heart a broad range of touch points — such as why people volunteer or donate to your cause, what keeps employees engaged and what makes your organization stand out amongst competitors — that all weave into your identity.

Key insights gained from this discovery process — regardless of how large or small the learnings are — will serve as the foundation for your new identity.

Finding the Cornerstones of a Successful Brand: Positioning and Voice

Following your discovery sessions, you’ve likely gained a stronger understanding of the core essence and DNA of your organization, but putting that into words is a new challenge. Using simple and clear language is the key to achieving powerful and impactful messaging. Millennials and Gen Zers aren’t looking for fluff. They want real, authentic communication, as well as data that validates credibility.

In addition to capturing new language around your key messages, differentiators, purpose and promise, it’s important to also convey those through a tone of voice that aligns with your organization’s identity. For example, is your organization serious, uplifting, candid, fun and upbeat, or something in between? Building an authentic and consistent voice will start to plant the seeds for long-term donor engagement.

Discovering Your Nonprofit’s Visual Identity

Think about colors, photography, logo, website and social media as these are all visual elements that young donors will be looking at in order to gain a better understanding of what makes your organization uniquely you. While you’ll want to establish a consistent photographic style and color palette, staying active and relevant on social media is also critically important. Leveraging trending hashtags, memes, graphics and video reels will increase your chances of being noticed.

Social media is the perfect tool to help your organization build connections and also serve as a doorway into your unique story. We’ve also seen the power of virality achieved through campaigns like those recognised at the Shorty Impact Awards. Imagine if your organization was the beneficiary of one of these campaigns.

At the heart of any budding donor relationship is trust and connection, which is built on authenticity and aspiration. That’s what branding is all about. It’s also about engaging with the next generation of donors, a demographic that has the potential to become lifelong givers and activists, growing your organization and impact to new heights.

The preceding post was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.