Category — corporate giving

To paraphrase Shakespeare, would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? I’d say NOT.

I have been talking a lot this past week about the value in a strong brand and what branding means to nonprofits. Typically, we have thought of a brand as our logo. There it is. Stick it on all of your materials and call it a day.

This is another area in which we NPOs tend to undervalue ourselves. Just think of some of the best known nonprofit brands out there. According to this New York Times article from last year, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/us/24charity.html?_r=2&ref=us the YMCA has the strongest brand – followed by the Salvation Army and the United Way of America.

What does this mean? Well, it means that their organizations have clear personalities. When people hear or see the name, they know what to expect and it rings all of the appropriate emotional bells in their minds. If someone asks you to support the YMCA, you rarely need to stop and ask “Now what do they do?” That gives them power in the marketplace with stakeholders of all kind, including potential corporate partners.

You may not have a nationally known brand. Face it, few of us do. This doesn’t let you off the proverbial hook. Whatever the size of your universe, make it count. Give your brand the power it needs to speak for you and to represent you well.

Here is a good place to start: set in front of you on a table both your mission statement and a few examples of your brand in action (your newsletter, letterhead, a funding proposal, etc.). Ask yourself this question: do these things all speak the same language and do they say what I want my audience to hear? If the answer is not a resounding yes, get to work!

My daughter is almost ten years old. Recently she had been ruthlessly pursuing the question of Santa Claus. “Mom, admit it! You’re Santa,” she said over and over again. So, I admitted it. She was shocked and dismayed despite the fact that she already knew the answer.

She came back to me a few days later and wanted to know if it was okay with me if she pretended that she didn’t know. She wants to still have a Santa in her Christmas.

I think that many of us feel the same way. We want Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. We want the mythology that makes our lives rich and magical. We especially want the bigger-than-life characters and the textures of our youth. Companies that perpetuate these myths can be among the most powerful icons in society.

Think about the myths in your corporate culture, whether nonprofit or for profit. The Salvation Army kettle, the Red Cross, the conductor of your orchestra… these are powerful symbols that have great value. If weilded with integrity and purpose, they can rally even the most reluctant partners to BELIEVE.

Imagine you are suddenly a celebrity – well known and influential. To what end would you use your new-found notoriety?

Many use celebrity to line their own pockets through celebrity product endorsements. Sometimes, these are very successful but there is always the risk of overexposure (like Peyton Manning and Tiger Woods) and a perceived lack of sincerely. The right check can certainly give one an affection for just that shade of lip color or than medical miracle.

There are some celebrities who take a different route. They use their power and influence in the marketplace to support a cause. For some, this may be a fleeting gesture devised by a savvy public relations firm. These are rarely impactful and may actually detract from long term goals.

However, there are those few who offer us a great model to follow when we become rich and famous. Take Michael J. Fox as an example: he has an intensely person relationship with Parkinson’s Disease and has used his celebrity to raise awareness and funds for a cure. He has a foundation, a facebook cause, billboards and much more. Another of my favorites is Dolly Parton, a cultural icon and brilliant business woman. She created Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library which now partners with 47 states plus Canada and the UK to provide books to children from birth to age 5. Her passion is genuine and her impact is enduring.

Obviously, there are opportunities and pitfalls to working with celebrities but it is a great way to boost your cause and its place in the increasing clutter of the nonprofit world. Just pick your partners wisely. Meanwhile, I’ll check my mailbox for that instant millionaire check I’ve been expecting…

I was talking with a group at a conference recently about the value of a strong visual impression, a good brand. I have often talked in this blog about the value of branding and co-branding with strong partners. This is a tremendous asset for nonprofits and corporations alike. Many nonprofits undervalue their brand when negotiating partnerships – this is seldom a lack of confidence found among for profit companies.

To my amazement, the group at this NPO conference had not considered their brand or their partners’ brands as an issue of consideration. They rarely use the logos and images available to them. Sometimes, using odd and disconnected images in place of the logo… which seems to be a lot of work to take the long way around one’s backside to get to your own elbow.

When asked about the right time and place for using the brand, I told them “everywhere, every time.” There was a bit of laughter and a few nods of agreement so I said again: “really, you need to you it everywhere, every time.” Without consistency, a brand has little value.

So, the next time someone asks you about repeating and reinforcing your company or NPO message, just remember: EVERYWHERE, EVERY TIME.” Easy to remember and worth its weight in gold.

Well, I suppose I should not be surprised that the topic to get me back on the blogging bandwagon would be the upcoming Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Already the newspaper, television and store shelves look like a baby shower gone haywire. Pink is everywhere!

On one hand, I’m thrilled to see that the cornerstone of cause marketing is still going strong despite the economic downturn. On the other hand, the dilution of the message and the saturation of the marketplace make me worry.

If it seems that every product (from boxing gloves to vacuum cleaners) has a pink tie-in, how do you know what really matters? One thing you can do is to read the fine print. For example, many products claim that a “portion of the proceeds” benefit cancer research. What is a portion? It can be as little as a few pennies per product or all of the profit from that product. Is there a preset gift relationship in place? Look to see if a specific organization is mentioned to the promotion. If not, who knows where the money goes?

It has, in many ways, become too easy for businesses to add their float to this particular parade. The point of marketing partnerships is to enhance both brands and to build distinction in the marketplace and in the minds of consumers. Perhaps a few more unique partnerships with realistic product ties would benefit these businesses more? The pie should be big enough for lots of causes to have a piece. In the meantime, on with the parade!

I had the chance last week to speak to a group of young professionals interested in nonprofit leadership about the power of a nonprofit brand. In some ways, it might be closing the barn door after the horse is gone. However, it is still a powerful message: Your brand can save you during difficult times.

Whether you run a billion dollar corporation or a small neighborhood nonprofit, you “are” your reputation. The brands that we trust are our comfort and the backbone of our self image. The less robust brands are blurred even more when we are choosing consumer spending and charitable giving in a tight economy. This is even more true when we try to combine our brands through the strength of cause marketing programs and partnerships.

American Marketers Association defines a brand as basically the logo, icon or image that provides a visual representation of your company. I don’t disagree with this but I don’t think it goes far enough. A strong brand speaks to your audience in an emotional and very personal way.

I drink Diet Coke – not Diet Pepsi. Why? Well, I like the taste but it’s also a brand that means more to me. I remember the group of people trying to “teach the world to sing” on top of a hill and my aunt once had a vintage coke machine full of those wonderful little glass bottles.  Coke tastes better in little glass bottles.

So, even when times are not their best, your brand can evoke strong emotions, revive positive memories and instill confident. Maybe it can also make you smile.

I had the opportunity to speak at an annual meeting of volunteer leaders who support one of our state park systems. Although a small gathering, the enthusiasm and passion in the room was palpable.

It is extraordinary, I think, to consider the strength of a group of passionate people. I was there to give them ideas for building their fundraising programs but many also taught me about the success you can achieve with sheer strength of purpose. Most of these volunteer leaders came to their positions because of their enthusiasm for their favorite park – not because of the politics or networking potential or (heaven forbid) the thought that it would look good on a resume. 

Companies and foundations would be smart to put their efforts behind these groups. If you want to see your dollars stretched to accomplish miracles AND your brand warmly embraced by strong minded people, look no further than these parks volunteers. They may not have legions of members but they are vocal and dedicated.

So many funders in the current market seem to be looking for big numbers and high volume nonprofits to support – with the thought of making their gifts worth more to more people. Perhaps another approach is to give some of these funds to small groups with clear focus and driven purpose. Who knows, they may move mountains.

It has been a while since my last post. Partly, the holidays chewed up my time but I must be honest… it has been tough just keeping up with the economic news.

In case you haven’t noticed (ha ha), the economy stinks. It stinks for consumers, businesses, NPOs, foundations, individual donors and the government. That covers just about everyone who might hope to give or receive a gift of charitable support. I’ve decided that THIS is the proverbial “elephant in the room.”

Over the past few months, I have spoken with quite a few consultants, donors and NPO leaders. I am amazed at h disconnect I see here. The donors are strategizing, making cuts, sweating the options and too many of the NPO leaders are smiling and saying they are just fine. You know, that smile that looks physically painful and has a little twitch in the corner.

Look guys, no one expects nonprofits to be immune to the climate. If NPOs had the magic potion they should be sharing it with everyone else! What our partners and supporters do and should expect is that we face the situation and make the tough choices. Ask yourselves these questions when requesting a gift or considering forging a partnership with an NPO:

1. How is this agency making a difference right now and to whom?

2. How is this agency adapting to changes and preparing for future potential changes. Will they outlast the bumps? Will my gift have long term value?

If you can’t answer these questions, get out the BIG pooper-scooper. That “elephant” has taken up residence in the corner of your office and isn’t leaving any time soon.

In this Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, there was a marketing piece about “The Brand-ness of Strangers.” It focused on the examples of Ralph Lauren’s Polo Brand and Dasani brand bottled water.

Among other things, this article summarized the results of a research study that answers the question” Does seeing a brand in regular use (as opposed to the media) impact our likelihood of selecting the brand? The answer seems to be YES.

I cannot say that I am surprised by this news but it does reinforce the high value of product based sponsorships. If, as the research in the article contends, people perceive a brand more favorably that they see often, then this adds weight to corporate – NPO partnerships that add visibility to a brand.

Nonprofits have loyal and consistent communities. Generally these communities of donors, participants and volunteers trust the NPO and its information. For the company that promotes their brand to this audience in this way, they receive the transferred benefit of these beliefs. Not only does the potential consumer see the logo, it sees it in connection with something they already like, already support.

Add the compact nature of NPO target audiences and the ability to micromarket, and you have solid gold.

A few weeks ago, I presented two sessions at the annual conference for the Friends of Tennessee State Parks.  I have spoken at these types of events dozens of times and usually the audience and the experience is the same – some people listen and some appear more interested in the snacks to be offered at the next break. Not this group.

I have rarely worked with a group, particularly one made up almost exclusively of volunteers, that seems so dedicated to their work.  There goals are clear – they are there to support our state parks.  They are not there for politics, self aggrandizement, brownie points or anything else.  In my humble opinion, this makes them extremely powerful.  I bet they will accomplish anything they set their minds to.

During the past decade, as the money has been flowing freely and NPOs have benefited from a strong market, many new NPOs have sprung up. Some are great but many have not had the outside pressures to clearly define themselves or to achieve to their potential. Times are different now and only the most dedicated and focused NPOs will do well when the flow of funds slows to a trickle.

I predict that these amazing Friends organizations will be among those that thrive.  They are clear and razor focused.  Many are unsophisticated in their ways but funders would make a good bet in looking past the sparkles and fancy trim of other groups to see the true dedication that I found here.  Perhaps this economic downturn will help NPOs and companies alike to separate the players from the pretenders – not such a bad thing.