How Nonprofit Branding Strengthens Impact: Part One

It used to be that nonprofits shied away from prioritizing their brands. After 15 years of running MSDS, however, I've noticed that nonprofits are becoming more aware of the link between a brand's strategic value and organizational impact.

One reason for this shift, I suspect, is that competition—for funding, people's attention, human capital—has gotten stiffer. And nowhere is that more apparent than online. When a nonprofit's website is underwhelming, it is not only out there for the world to see, it also sends the wrong message and undercuts the organization's mission.