Why a “new brand” won’t improve your fundraising

Wouldn’t it be fun and refreshing to get a new brand for your organization?

Maybe.

But don’t count on it. While there may be good or even urgent reasons to create a “new brand,” doing so by itself will not improve fundraising results.

Branding is not something created by marketing departments or brand experts. It’s not a color palette or a positioning statement.

It’s something that takes place in the experience of your donors. Your marketing and PR can influence it but it’s created outside your organization.

So next time you get the urge to “improve” your brand, start with this question: Is what we do and how we do it unique, remark-worthy, and compelling for a specific group of real people?

If you can say yes to that — and it’s not just mutual back-patting, but really true — then you can ask what it takes to express that with power and clarity.

But first things first. A brand is what people experience, not just a system for communicating.