Branding for Nonprofits: Why You Need a Brand Guide

What is a brand guide and why do nonprofits need one?

Branding is an important aspect of any business. Your brand represents your company and the values you hold dear, which is why it's so important to be intentional about branding decisions. Nonprofits are no exception! A brand guide will help ensure that every piece of content created by your nonprofit communicates a clear message, while also looking cohesive with past and future brand communications.

A brand guide is a document that outlines the key elements of a company's branding. It can include information on everything from the company's logo and colors to its messaging and taglines. A brand guide is an important tool for ensuring that all aspects of a company's branding are consistent across different channels and communication mediums. Having a well-developed brand guide can help improve both the overall look and feel of a company's branding, as well as its perceived quality. Accordingly, creating a strong brand guide should be one of your top marketing priorities.

Creating a brand guide is an important way to ensure that your nonprofit's branding is on point! It will help keep everyone on the same page as far as how to communicate with your target audience, while also representing the heart of your organization. So don't wait - start putting together your brand guide today!

Nonprofits need brand guides for a variety of reasons. A brand guide helps to ensure that all communications created by the nonprofit are on-brand and cohesive with past and future brand messaging. The key elements that should be included in a brand guide for nonprofits are: mission and vision, colors, fonts, graphic elements, taglines or mantras, voice and tone guidelines, target audiences, media preferences, usage guidelines, etc. Having a brand guide will help keep everyone on the same page as far as how to communicate with the target audience and represent the heart of the nonprofit organization.‍

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So, what goes into a brand guide for nonprofits?

Here are some key elements to consider:

- Your brand's mission and vision

- The colors that represent your brand

- Fonts that reflect your brand personality

- Graphic elements (including logos, icons, and illustrations)

- Taglines or mantras that capture your brand essence

- Voice and tone guidelines

- Target audience(s)

- Media preferences (print vs online, etc.)

- Usage guidelines (when and where can/should the brand be used?)

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How can a brand guide help your nonprofit achieve its goals?

A brand guide is important for any nonprofit organization because it helps to create a unified brand that represents the values and mission of the organization. A brand guide can help to ensure that all communications and marketing materials are consistent and accurately reflect the brand of the nonprofit. It can also be helpful in developing brand standards for employees, volunteers, and partners. Ultimately, a brand guide can help to build trust and credibility with donors, supporters, and other stakeholders.

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How Contive Can Help

A brand guide can be the difference between a successful nonprofit and one that is struggling. In our free, 10-minute consultation we'll go over your organization's goals as well as what you're looking to achieve with your branding efforts. If you want to create an impactful brand but have no idea where to start, we can get things moving in the right direction! With so many options out there for branding services, it can feel overwhelming trying to decide which company is best suited for your needs. We've been working on nonprofits brands since 2020 and would be happy to answer any questions or concerns about how we might work together going forward. To schedule, a free consultation click the button below.