leandra's blog

Ask yourself a question... what brands are you loyal to and why? Now take the next step and think about what it would take for you to switch away from some of your favorite products. A compelling commercial? A friend recommended it to you? The colorful packaging caught your eye? Lots of people are already donating to various causes, so why not yours?

What are you known for and what makes you different? You probably know other organizations that serve similiar communities and groups, so what makes you stand above the pack?

Recent surveys have shown that the general public already knows that nonprofits are "understanding, compassionate, dedicated, caring and committed" to their causes, so demonstrating that you are also "efficient, accountable and effective" can go a long way toward people's perceptions of your organization.

The Cone Nonprofit Branding Report is a great listing of organizations that are leveraging their established brands to bring in more donors.

"At a time when donations are decreasing and nonprofits are continuously being asked to work across sectors to solve global issues, leading organizations are evolving and protecting their brands as powerful engines to raise critical funds in the near and long-term. In a sector where more than 1.5 million organizations compete for dwindling resources to carry out their missions, a solid brand identity helps tell an organization’s story. It sets expectations, gains attention, fosters relationships and ultimately helps ensure long-term survival."

Here's a quick exercise for you... think of three key attributes, central ideas or themes that describe your organization. Which of these are unique? Now list three proof points per attribute that support your claim about your organization.

The important thing is to use concrete results-oriented information to increase your perceived value to a donor. When people donate to you, they already care about your cause, so show them (with a mix of actual stories and hard facts) what you are doing with their money.

This is part of an ongoing series of my notes from the NC Center for Nonprofits Conference on September 10 & 11, 2009. Post inspired by Kelly Williamson's talk "Rebranding the Nonprofit Sector."

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting a bunch of fantastic (and tireless!) people at the conference last week and this week I will be putting together some of my notes on what I found most helpful in terms of website design and branding. So stay tuned!

Allan Pressel gave a dynamic and entertaining talk about some things that organizations can do to drive traffic to their websites and then what you want your website to do once those people arrive. My notes on the presentation are in PDF form. So download a copy if you'd like some ideas to jump-start your organization.

I have been a member of the Durham Young Professionals for almost a year now and recently I joined the newly reformed Community/Civic sub-committee to help other like-minded professionals do some good in our local neighborhoods.

This past week, we collected boxes of mac & cheese as part of the DYP Monthly Mingle for Urban Ministries in downtown Durham.

click on the image to read the entire article

I received a call from an old friend of mine this morning when he saw me in the Herald-Sun newspaper and he congratulated me on doing something good for the community and being famous for a day.

I originally joined the DYP to spread the word about my services, but it's great to see this group as more than just a place to make contacts! For more information about how to help out and to sign up for events, check out the DYP website at the Durham Chamber of Commerce or see what opportunities you may find at your own local Chamber.

I am packing up and heading out to the west coast for the NTEN Non-profit Technology conference next week. I hope to meet a bunch of people who are passionate about non-profits and web design, eat some great food and pick up a few tricks! I'll report back what I've learned in the weeks ahead and you can always see what I'm up to each day on Twitter.