Report: Taglines an Important (But Underutilized) Tool for Nonprofit Messaging

“A tagline is a terrible thing to waste,” says Nancy Schwartz, president of Nancy Schwartz & Co. and blogger at Getting Attention. “But seven of 10 nonprofits do just that, ranking their taglines as poor — or not using one at all.”

The Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Report shows nonprofits how to make the most of their taglines to effectively engage audiences — both today and in better economic times.

“Pithy, relevant messaging is more relevant than ever in tough times, when nonprofits’ audiences are more distracted than ever,” Schwartz says. “A strong tagline is a powerful way of connecting, especially in these times.”

The report shows that nonprofit taglines that work generally fall into one of four categories: describing an organization’s work focus; impact or value; core values or spirit; or strategic approach.

It also explains that an effective nonprofit tagline:

* relates to an organization’s name, without repeating it;
* is easily accessible, memorable and repeatable;
* is specific to the organization;
* runs eight words or less; and
* features verbs.

Schwartz says taglines are a key tool in building strong nonprofit brands, which are more important than ever in these times of increased competition for dollars, members, volunteers and other supporters.

“Nonprofits can develop a tagline at the organization, program or campaign levels to freshen up their messaging, emphasize their commitment and/or revive tired positioning,” she says.

The report also features these important how-tos and resources:

* The 10 Have-Tos: Your One-Stop Check-up for Powerful Taglines;
* The Seven Deadly Sins: Avoid These to Ensure Your Message is on Point;
* 2008 Tagline Award Winners; and
* More than 1,000 nonprofit tagline examples.

The report is based on a survey implemented by Nancy Schwartz & Co. Nov. 30, 2007 through January 2008. It investigated styles, usage trends, and what’s working and what’s not in nonprofit taglines based on data provided by nearly 1,900 nonprofit marketers.

The report is free to the nonprofit community and can be downloaded here.