Review of "Branding for Nonprofits"
By: Jeremiah Casey Jr., 05/19/06

Within Branding for Nonprofits: Developing Identity with Integrity, written by DK Holland, the author attempts to demystify the strategy behind the branding and design process as it applies to the nonprofit sector. While corporate institutions often have the ability to finance an expensive branding initiative in an effort to spur growth, nonprofits can rarely afford the same comfort. Holland positions this resource as a guide aimed at "enhancing the effectiveness of your nonprofit organization," regardless of size. With the advent of the $41 trillion wealth transfer projected to take place over the next 50 years, nonprofits have begun to change their concentration from purely program related services to a more entrepreneurial and business-minded approach. Holland draws from her extensive experience as both a graphic designer and nonprofit consultant to provide current and historical examples that clearly illustrate the process and benefit of successful brand identity.

Through the designer's critical viewpoint, Holland analyzes current nonprofit organizations with fuzzy, poorly developed brands, showing the dangers of deferring to initialism. Initialism refers to the hasty, cause-focused naming, the convenience of which nonprofits often find appealing (ACLU). While the main focus of this collection of articles deals specifically with the steps of the branding process, the author continuously augments her insightful strategy with clearly relevant case studies that showcase the strategy at work.

Outlined in Chapter Two, the first aspect of nonprofit branding is the construction of a design brief. The author comments that, "many nonprofits are too quick to hand the organization's branding over to an outside consultant and assume a reactive rather than proactive approach to the process." Her main emphasis is placed on the creation of a unified understanding of vision, mission, and branding strategy, of those involved in the process. The theme of building consensus is introduced in this section and remains a recurring theme throughout the resource.

The next chapter outlines the roles and responsibilities of the branding team, with an emphasis on the brand steward. This person is responsible for the collection of materials and information to be included in the design brief. In addition, the brand steward is responsible for conveying the views and concerns of everyone with a stake in the brand.

Chapter Four delves more deeply into the roles of the branding team and the other issues involved with the initial research and orientation phase culminating in a complete design brief. Through an examination of an organization's strength of current materials and competitor brands, the author discusses another important aspect of complete brand identity development. With regard to the assessment of proposed brand appeal by the branding team, Holland comments, "If you don't ‘get' what a brand is trying to convey just by looking at it, then the chances are good that the brand or its strategy is flawed."

The next article deals solely with the selection process for a suitable graphic designer. It contains an abundance of relevant information on the strategy, ranging from the suggested methods for assessing portfolio strength to the interpretations of a prospective team member's design school background.

The subsequent chapter breaks down the phases of the design process. While made up largely of more intricate research and orientation, the most important aspect of this section deals with Holland's recurring theme that the success of the branding program relies on the level of understanding of the brand strategy for all those involved. The section also includes a list of key questions for the design presentation phase that may prove useful in aligning the branding team through meaningful dialogue.

In the next two chapters, Holland discusses the steps associated with assessing the brand identity and design prepared by the graphic designer. The chapters even include an "intervention" section that attempts to deal with potential problems, mainly stemming from non-branding team members.

The final three chapters discuss the other roles necessary in the creation of a successful brand identity. Holland discusses the imperative role of developing strong language and relevant visual imagery. While she does not go to the same depth in describing the hiring strategy for copywriters and photographers as seen in her section on graphic designers, she includes valuable information on pricing and the preparation necessary prior to hiring. As the author lays out the final stages of brand implementation, she continues her use of relevant and interesting examples showing the strategy at work.
 
The final chapter is a return to the theoretical discussion of branding. Holland raises common misconceptions such as the frequent association of branding with commercialization or instances of manipulation. Within this final section, she provides a powerful, historical reference concerning the history of the swastika, as a prime example of brand manipulation. Holland reminds us that branding is everywhere, acting as a function of differentiation, on a national, business, and individual level.
 
This collection of articles is woven together gracefully, creating a cohesive strategy that could serve nonprofit organizations of any size looking to create or re-create their brand identity.

Branding for Nonprofits: Developing Identity with Integrity, by DK Holland. Published by Allworth Press (http://www.allworth.com/)

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About The Author:

Jeremiah Casey, Jr. is an Associate Director at Changing Our World, Inc.

You may contact the author at: jcasey@changingourworld.com