Telling Your Nonprofit's Story

One could argue that the key to fundraising is presenting a story that is relatable while also telling potential donors what they can do about the particular situation.

So what's your nonprofit's story?

In his book “Winning The Story Wars,” Jonah Sacks suggests the use of what he calls core story elements, the components that will become part of the story strategy. Seeing members of the target audience as heroes in the making and recognizing the organization’s need and ability to mobilize them with a compelling story and inspiring message makes donors feel as though they can make a big difference.

The core story elements are:

• Brand Hero. This is the embodiment of the primary audience the organization seeks to reach.
• Brand Mentor. This is the embodiment of the brand.
• Brand Gift. This is the creative wild card that makes the brand special and makes the brand hero believe higher-level values can be pursued through a relationship with the brand.
• Moral of the Story. This is the core message that underlies, sometimes subtly and sometimes overtly, every story the organization tells.
• Brand Boon. This is the contribution to the world that the brand hero will ultimately make.

Armstrong Dropped By Another Charity

The hits keep coming for Lance Armstrong, as the now-disgraced bicyclist has had his picture dropped from a charity he co-founded in 2007.

The Bethesda, Md.-based Athletes for Hope, which Armstrong co-founded in 2007 with tennis legend Andre Agassi and women's soccer star Mia Hamm, removed his picture from their website after he confessed to using steroids in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. The organization's mission is to encourage professional and Olympic athletes to connect with existing charities rather than founding their own foundations.

The story was first reported in The Wall Street Journal.

The nonprofit's chief executive officer, Ivan Blumberg, told The Journal that the decision was "mutual" and was decided immediately after the airing of Armstrong's interview with Winfrey. While his picture is no longer on the website, his name still is listed as a co-founder.

The charity also lost two other celebrity partners in the past few months: Women's tennis player Andrea Jaeger and baseball hall-of-famer Cal Ripken Jr. Jaeger made the decision to cut ties with the organization after Armstrong was first accused of doping by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in August. Jaeger, whose Little Star Foundation aids children with cancer and other deadly diseases, said she could no longer be a part of the organization because its direction was different from the values that were important to her, presumably referring to its ties with Armstrong. Ripken left after Armstrong's interview with Oprah.

Other celebrities that remain with the nonprofit include former NBA player Alonzo Mourning, boxing legend Muhammad Ali, and skateboarding star Tony Hawk.

Athletes for Hope has also encountered funding problems in recent years, according to tax filings. A multi-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation totaling $2 million expired early last year. Blumberg also told The Journal that his salary, which was at a base of $250,000 with total compensation of $325,000 in 2011, will be reduced to $150,000. He said the lack of funding can be attributed to a weak economy.

Armstrong has had a difficult time since USADA first filed its charges against him. The foundation he created to promote cancer research officially changed its name to the Livestrong Foundation in November, and he eventually stepped down from the organization. He was also dropped by corporate sponsors Nike and Anheuser-Bush in October, the month USADA announced its decision to ban Armstrong from cycling for life.

You can read the full story in The Wall Street Journal.

6 Steps To A Brand Identity

What do you think of when someone utters the words "only you can prevent forest fires?" Smokey the Bear, right? This little exercise is a great example of the power of brand identity.

Every nonprofit and business dreams of creating an identity that is so powerful that people can't help but associate their brand with it. Yet, as Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee wrote in their book “Marketing in the Public Sector,” organizations need to dial down their ambition when beginning the branding process. The two marketing experts instead urged organizations to follow some key steps to create your brand’s identity:

• Establish Brand Purpose: Make sure the marketing objectives of your brand are related to influencing people to support your organization, participate in your programs, utilize your services, and/or comply with guidelines and laws.
• Identify Target Audiences for the Brand: Although many people in the general public will be exposed to your brand, it should be designed with specific groups of people in mind.
• Articulate Your Desired Brand Identity: This is your chance to envision how you hope target audiences will respond. Try filling in the following sentence to help determine your answer: “I want my target audience to see my brand as ______.”
• Craft the Brand Promise: Focus on benefits for your target audience, not your agency, ones they are likely to experience if they engage in the desired behavior.
• Determine the Brand’s Position Relative to the Competition: Challenge yourself to first identify competition, direct as well as indirect.
• Select Brand Elements: What name, slogan, logo, and colors will be associated with the brand?

Brand Promises Are Worth Keeping

A brand has many elements that contribute to its success. One of the most important of these is what is known as the brand promise.

A brand promise is a short yet inspiring statement that will provide the focus an organization needs to make use of its distinctive resources to make a difference. There are many examples of promises, the most famous probably being Smokey the Bear's "Only you can prevent forest fires" tagline.

It's definitely critical for these statements to be catchy but, according to David McNally and Karl D. Speak in "Be Your Own Brand," the most important thing that they reflect is what an organization is and how it wants to engage with others.

McNally and Speak offered the following tips on making a brand promise effective:

• Make it short -- five to eight words.
• Give it a voice that is direct and action-oriented, even exciting and inspirational.
• Orient people directly or indirectly to how the brand pays off for them.
• Base it on the organization’s brand ethos.
• Reflect how the brand provides value to others.
• Fine-tune it through many iterations. Don’t be reluctant to tinker and revise.
• Eventually, get it to be extremely strong. Don’t settle too soon. Go for a great personal brand promise that will keep everyone motivated and focused on the organization’s brand strengths.
• Test it with close friends or family – if their eyes light up and they immediately sense how the promise can help connect with others, it passes the test.

Why Us: Three Questions About Your Brand

A common question donors or potential funders usually ask when approached for money by a nonprofit is "Why should I give to you?" According to two fundraising experts, that question can be answered by asking questions about your brand.

At the Association of Fundraising Professionals' (AFP) 49th International Conference on Fundraising, Bobi Bellows of Bobi Bellows Consulting and Todd W. Ruopp of Unleashing Performance Inc., said that nonprofits shouldn't expect people to know what they do just by looking at their name. To build a case of support for the organization, leaders must come up with answers to these three main questions:

Why Us?

• Are we really worth investing in?
• What is our special promise?
• What makes us unique?
• What opportunities are unfolding?
• What problem(s) do we solve.
• What miracle(s) do we deliver?
• What are we doing to change the world?
• What have we accomplished that someone other than staff and board would think worthwhile?

Why Now?

• What’s the hurry?
• Why can’t we wait?
• If funding were delayed, what bad things would happen and what opportunities would be lost?

Why the Donor?

• How will donors benefit emotionally?
• Why will this make them feel better?
• What do they hope for?
• How is heir fear or anger eased?
• How is something that they care about either healed, preserved or improved?

Five Re-Branding Tips

There comes a point in the life of most nonprofits when its previously healthy brand becomes stale. Whether it's become of some external controversy or a normal change in attitudes, organizations sometimes have to consider re-branding.

This was the case with the organization formerly known as Gifts In Kind International (GIKI). The Alexandria, Va.-based nonprofits changed its name to Good360 a year ago, part of a re-branding effort to refresh their image after 30 years. Good360 also completely revamped its business model as part of that effort.

Re-branding doesn't always have to be that extreme but, whatever form it takes, the results won't come instantly. As Nick Saul wrote in his book "Five Good Ideas: Practical Strategies for Non-Profit Success," change takes time. If you are one of those nonprofits that is considering fundamental change to your brand, Saul suggested five things you can do to re-imagine your organization:

• Listen. It sounds obvious but it’s not just a matter of “sending out feelers” every few years. It must be habitual, part of your organizational DNA.
• Create a plan, but don’t always stick to it. A plan is always a work in progress so don’t get so caught up making it that you stall before taking action. “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.”
• Embrace your inner entrepreneur. Nonprofits need to be as nimble and opportunistic as possible. Your landscape of service delivery can shift quickly and unforeseen opportunities will arise. You must be willing to be bold and think big.
• It’s competitive out there. You must be able to differentiate yourself from others. Be clear about the difference your organization is making and why you have no equals in the pursuit of your mission.
• Contribute to public policy conversations. Advocacy doesn’t turn people off -- it makes you relevant.

Velvet Underground Sues Andy Warhol Foundation Over Visual

How much is a banana worth?  According to legendary rock band The Velvet Underground, it's worth enough to start a lawsuit.

The New York Post reported yesterday that band members Lou Reed and John Cale are suing the Andy Warhol Foundation over its use of of the iconic banana image from the band's debut album, "The Velvet Underground and Nico."  The suit, which was filed in a Manhattan federal court, claims that the Foundation illegally licensed the image for use on iPad cases and accessories in an effort to exploit the "goodwill" generated by the group.  The filing goes on to say that the Foundation is attempting to "deceive the public" into thinking the products have the approval of The Velvet Underground.

Warhol had served as producer of VU's debut album, and created the banana image from an ad that was in the public domain.  Although he never copyrighted the image, the music community widely agrees that it has become a symbol of The Velvet Underground.  The band has gone on to note that the image as its logo in a 1995 box set, and licenced its use in 2001 ad for Absolut Vodka.  In this case, it appears the band was not consulted.  The Andy Warhol Foundation had no comment to The Post regarding the suit.

The use of logos is always a touchy subject legally.  A simple image can define an entire organization and groups are very protective of that power.  That's why branding is so important for any group or organization.

You can read more about this story in The New York Post.

Branding Promises You Should Make

Of all the nonprofit buzz words out there, branding reigns supreme.  You would be hard pressed to find an organization that isn't trying to increase awareness of their brand.

It's all well and good to talk about branding, but a nonprofit won't find much success if they don't follow some essential elements.  One of these is something called the brand promise, which is discussed in the book "Be Your Own Brand" by David McNally and Karl D. Speak.  A brand promise is a short yet inspiring statement that will provide the focus an organization needs to apply its distinctive qualities toward making a difference.  McNally and Speak offered the following suggestions for crafting a brand promise:

• Remember to keep it short.  Anything more than five to eight words is too much.
• Tone is key.  It should have a direct and action-oriented voice to get people excited and inspired.
• Let people know, directly or indirectly, how your brand will pay off for them. 
• On a related note, show how the brand provides value to others.
• Don't be afraid of revisions.  There's nothing wrong with fine-tuning until it is just right.  After many iterations, your brand promise should keep everyone motivated and focused on your organization's brand strengths.
• Test it with your friends and family.  They are the ones who will be the best judge of how it reads.  You will know you have a success based on their reactions.

An Unfortunate Case Of Branding

File this one under unfortunate cases of branding.

You probably know by now that Jerry Sandusky, the central figure in the Penn State child sex abuse scandal, founded a charity called The Second Mile.  It's stated mission is "helping young people achieve their potential as individuals and as community members and providing education and support for their parents and youth service professionals."  Worthy goals, no doubt, but that mission has now been tainted by the charges against Sandusky.  As a result, a lot of people don't view The Second Mile in a very positive light.

In a recent article on The Huffington Post, we learn about the unfortunate effect the Penn State scandal has had on a Philadelphia-based organization called The Second Mile Center, a nonprofit thrift shop that helps ex-cons get back on their feet.  Although it shares a similar name to Sandusky's organization, they are in no way connected.  But given the similarity in the two names, people have confused the store with the scandal plagued charity.  Since the charges against Sandusky became public, The Second Mile Center has experienced a 30 percent drop in sales. 

Ron Lucas, who sits on the board of the nonprofit, told Weeklyxpress.com that they have received countless angry phone calls from people, most of whom hang up before they can explain that they have no connection to The Second Mile.  They have even put up signs on its door, one of which reads:

"We are not in any way connected to the Second Mile of the Penn State scandal. We are the Second Mile Center."

The Second Mile Center has been in existence for 30 years, while The Second Mile was formed in 1977.  It would be a shame if the negative attention towards that organization bought down this Philadelphia thrift shop.  In the mean time, Lucas and everyone else at The Second Mile Center can only hope people will start to learn the truth.

A Story of Re-Branding

Re-Branding is done for a variety of different reasons.  Sometimes an organization wants to move away from some controversial events that had soiled their previous brand.  Other times, its just the result of an evolution in the organization's thinking.  In the case of Good360 and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), it was clearly an effort to "refresh" their brand.  In the newest issue of The NonProfit Times, the story behind the re-branding of these two nonprofits is discussed:

When Gifts In Kind International (GIKI) changed its name earlier this year, it wasn’t just some tweaks at the edges or a few nips and tucks to its logo. The Alexandria, Va.-based nonprofit unveiled its new name, Good360, this past spring, in the midst of revamping its business model in a sort of mashup of Kiva, eBay and DonorsChoose.org.


And, it’s not done yet: Phase II will launch by the end of the summer, integrating its two websites and rolling out an online catalog where individuals can become “microphilanthropists” by underwriting the shipping and handling costs of product donations. Charities often must consider when to transition image and brand, which might have grown from a small, fledgling effort into a nationally recognized organization. It’s not uncommon for nonprofit managers to think about whether the brand needs to be revamped with age or whether to retain the equity in a name it’s had for so long.


For Good360, it turned out to be a new name, web portal and business model, leaving behind a name, and more, that it had for almost 30 years. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), also some 30 years old, didn’t want to lose its established name and brand, so a new logo was characterized as a “refresh” of the brand.

(read the full article here)

The article goes on to paint a fascinating story of the process behind the rebranding of these two organizations.  There comes a time in the life of any nonprofit where major changes have to be made in order to ensure continuing success.  Change can be difficult but, as you can see with Good360 and MADD, they can ultimately be for the better.  Has your organization ever had to undergo changes like these?  Please feel free to share your stories with us in the comment section.

NPTtv Summary: Livestrong Gets a Stadium

Note: This is a summary/reaction to a story from the latest webcast of The NonProfit Times.

Despite allegations by team mates that 7 time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong used banned performance enhancing drugs, his brand hasn't appeared to suffer much.  Want proof?  Look no further than Kansas.

Sporting Kansas City (SKC) is set to open its new $200 million Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium in Kansas City with the name Livestrong Sporting Park. The Livestrong Foundation licenced the use of its name on the stadium, and will receive a cut of its revenues without having to pay a dime.  Typical MLS naming rights range between 2 and 2 million dollars, so the Foundation got quite a deal here.

To make that deal even sweeter, SKC has guaranteed a donation to the foundation of at least $7.5 million over six years. This money will come from a portion of ticket and concession stand sales to Major League Soccer matches, as well as other stadium events. Overall, The Livestrong Foundation will get between 1.2 and 1.5 million dollars each year.