Rebranding for Good? Elevating Nonprofits to New Heights

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Are you one of the nonprofits lost in the sea of sameness? If so, you’re losing donors, supporters, and volunteers. And I am talking about something you have 100% control over: your brand.

Having just completed two new nonprofit brands, I decided to write this new article to help nonprofits slay some dragons.

Let’s dive in.

Nonprofits: An Ocean of White Noise

In this article, I show you how to stand out and get heard against that “ocean of white noise” and how to go from forgettable to unforgettable, leaving a lasting and compelling impression on donors and volunteers alike.

I also share with you the transformations these brands have gone through.

The Pattern Hiding in Plain Sight

I first learned about this when I rebranded a city in the Midwest. It was the first city I rebranded.

Twelve months after the rebrand, they experienced a 500% increase in tourism.

Yup, a 500% increase in tourists using the same marketing budget and ad spend.

The only difference? Nailing the brand first so potential visitors and travelers now had a clear (and properly differentiated) reason to visit their city.

Then after rebranding my second city, I saw a similar result, pushing them to their highest-ever attendance at their annual vintage auto show and airplane event.

This was followed by being commissioned to rebrand the United Cerebral Palsy of Philadelphia.

I started to notice certain patterns of why some nonprofits seemed to skyrocket while others struggled.

This was followed by branding a community betterment initiative which I named Influence Made Good (the video that introduced them to the world is shown here).

The transformation was eye-opening. And here’s the really crazy part.

$250K Raised in 30 Minutes? Yes.

I witnessed firsthand the power and impact of how a rebrand could open eyes and change minds, raising over $250K in less than 30 minutes after unveiling the brand (as told by the CEO here).

The breakthrough in their narrative? Discovering the problem was not the number of non-profit organizations, the number of people who cared, or the number of worthwhile intentions, but overcoming any barriers to the needed help arriving.

Stories: The Lifeblood of Nonprofits

I remember when we played this video for the 600 community members in attendance.

You could hear a pin drop.

And in 30 minutes, we raised a quarter of a million breaking all previous records.

Because a brand is so much more than just its identity and logo.

It’s the story that adds depth and meaning to the brand as shown by this video we wrote and created for their unveiling:

Ready to dive into the power of rebranding, revealing how it can elevate your organization to unprecedented success? Let’s dive in.

Following these, I will share a fresh-from-the-oven rebrand for a nonprofit that empowers kids and restores to families the lost legacy of sports across America.

7 Tactics Nonprofits Must Implement To Protect Their Legacies

Here are 7 ways nonprofits can be elevated immediately; 

1. Boost Donor Engagement:

Did you know that 93% of nonprofits believe a strong brand identity positively impacts donor engagement? Why?

Without a strong identity, donors lose the passion and vision of why they’re supporting you. The right brand keeps them emotionally connected to your cause.

2. Increase Fundraising Revenue:

Here’s a crazy statistic: nonprofits that invested in professional design in the last two years are 50% more likely to see an uptick in fundraising revenue.

This is why ignoring your visual brand leads to stagnation, making it harder to attract funds.

Rebranding isn’t just about looks; done correctly, it boosts your bottom line and keeps your financial health robust.

3. Enhance Recurring Donations:

74% of organizations recognize a strong brand identity ramps up confidence and recurring donations.

Without a strong identity, donors lack confidence and hesitate to give again, questioning the reliability of your organization.

4. Attract More Volunteers:

68% of nonprofits report that a strong visual brand increases volunteer interest.

Rebranding can make your organization more appealing, attracting new eyes, opening new hearts, and attracting dedicated volunteers who are crucial to your operations.

5. Quick Financial Gains:

Nearly half (47%) of nonprofits that rebranded in the past two years have already seen a revenue increase.

Failing to rebrand when you need to (due to blending in, or losing your relevance) leaves money on the table since outdated or unclear branding will fail to attract or interest potential donors.

It’s why smart strategic rebranding leads to notable financial benefits, increasing stakeholder adoption, and community impact.

6. Build Trust:

64% of nonprofits believe a professionally designed logo and brand identity is crucial for building trust with the public and donors.

Without a polished brand identity, your credibility takes a hit, and public trust wavers.

A rebrand, including a logo redesign, amplifies your differentiation so you don’t blend in that “sea of sameness” out there, significantly boosting your organization’s credibility and making it the noticed (and trusted) cause while supporting your community.

7. Communicate with Confidence:

58% of nonprofits rebrand to communicate more consistently and confidently.

Without a clear brand message, your outreach adds to the ocean of those asking for help and is ineffective.

Changing the Face of Sports: A Rebranding Revival

Recently, I had the honor of branding a non-profit that’s ready to restore dignity and value to the 30-40 billion dollar sports industry in America.

I did the homework necessary to look at their industry and find a narrative they could own.

What I learned: more than 70% of US kids drop out of organized sports by age 13. Crazy but true.

So instead of family dinners and celebrations together, entire phases of the lives of kids today are spent on smartphones zoned on TikTok and social platforms with zero outdoor activity and no community interaction.

To leverage everything this nonprofit had, I developed:

• A new story: Bringing sports back to life so kids remain in the game of living and not on the sidelines of life.
• A new name, True Winners, that was powerful and easy to remember based on a new league of winners: kids and their parents, their communities and schools, and community-based programs. 
• A powerful slogan, Bringing sports to life, and
• Designing a new brand identity (notice the negative space above the “W” to create the “T”?) that functions as a mark (like Nike’s Swoosh or Apple’s “bitten apple”) that could used everywhere there are kids and sports.

These stats — and the 7 strategies I’ve outlined — demonstrate how rebranding can significantly impact:

• donor engagement,
• fundraising,
• volunteer recruitment, and
• overall trust-building.

Done right, a rebrand will elevate your nonprofit to new heights of effectiveness and impact while respecting your legacy.

Remember: legacy is about the future. Not merely about the past.

Don’t let outdated branding hold you back—embrace the change and watch your organization thrive.

Protecting Your Nonprofit. Now It’s Your Turn.

I hope you got value from this discussion on surviving a rebrand, the journey details, and the collaboration to usher in the future.