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Executives from many of the Top 10 organizations discuss their brands and offer advice to others on how to build and protect a leading nonprofit brand.
(For video commentary from the CEOs of the United Way, Catholic Charities and the American Cancer Society, please click here.)
What does it mean to be one of America’s most valuable nonprofit brands?
“Being named one of the country’s most valuable nonprofit brands is both an honor and a humbling experience. We are gratified so many put their trust in us, but with that trust comes a heightened responsibility to make sure we direct as much of every dollar given to us by donors to help the people who need us.”
-- Gail J. McGovern, President and CEO, American Red Cross
“Boys & Girls Clubs of America takes great pride in being one of America’s most valuable nonprofit brands as we realize that having a strong brand is critical to achieving our mission to serve and impact America’s youth.”
-- Roxanne Spillett, President, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
“Catholic Charities USA cherishes the reputation it has achieved for its resolute commitment to working with and among the poor to reduce poverty in America. Name recognition gives us the opportunity to speak on behalf of the voiceless and marginalized in our society as we continue to advocate, serve and convene on behalf of the poor.”
-- Father Larry Snyder, President, Catholic Charities USA
“The strength of our brand underscores that for millions of individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families, The Arc has and continues to champion the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and is leading the way in providing services that enable people to be fully included in all aspects of community life.”
-- Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc of the United States
“Goodwill recognizes the responsibility that comes with leadership. Our organizations continually work to identify new and innovative opportunities to meet the needs of our communities and the people we serve.”
-- Jim Gibbons, President and CEO, Goodwill Industries International
“We have a responsibility to leverage the power of our brand to drive long-lasting change in communities.”
-- Cynthia Round, Executive Vice President, Brand Leadership, United Way of America
What is unique about your organization that placed it among the top 10 most valuable brands?
“As part of a worldwide humanitarian movement, we have the ability to quickly mobilize this large network of volunteers to make a difference in highly visible, high-impact, life-altering situations.”
-- Gail J. McGovern, President and CEO, American Red Cross
“Boys & Girls Clubs have a proven track record of effectiveness. Look no further than the millions of alumni who credit a Boys & Girls Club with making a major impact in their lives. A recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive indicates that 57% of alumni say the Boys & Girls Club saved their lives.”
-- Roxanne Spillett, President, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
“Catholic Charities USA represents a movement of more than 1,700 local Catholic Charities agencies and institutions nationwide who provide help and create hope for nearly 8 million people a year regardless of religious, social or economic backgrounds.”
-- Father Larry Snyder, President, Catholic Charities USA
“The Arc is more than an organization, it is a movement. It is the one place where the families of people with Down Syndrome, autism, Fragile X Syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome or dozens of other intellectual and developmental disabilities can work together to protect the civil and human rights of their family members.”
-- Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc of the United States
“Goodwill believes that its strong brand comes from results against its mission, its reputation among internal and external stakeholders, its values and its commitment to provide meaningful services to people who need them the most. Though marketing campaigns and logo development are important, Goodwill fundamentally believes that without commitment and a demonstrated record of results, no nonprofit organization can fully reach brand potential.”
-- Jim Gibbons, President and CEO, Goodwill Industries International
United Way has a 120-year history of mobilizing and empowering millions of people around the world--from all walks of life--to change the conditions in which they live, advancing the common good.
-- Cynthia Round, Executive Vice President, Brand Leadership, United Way of America
What makes a powerful nonprofit brand?
“A powerful nonprofit brand is one that people can rely on, knowing it will be there when the need is urgent. The Red Cross is instantly and universally recognizable as a symbol of hope and help for anyone who needs it, whether they are young or old, living in a rural area or in a city, or in need of assistance in the U.S. or in another country.”
-- Gail J. McGovern, President and CEO, American Red Cross
“Behind strong nonprofit brands are strong leaders to ensure consistent brand communication penetrates every aspect of the organization.”
-- Roxanne Spillett, President, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
“Consistent commitment to an unwavering mission that is recognized as credible and honest, stands with integrity of purpose and is unbendingly true to its purpose.”
-- Father Larry Snyder, President, Catholic Charities USA
“Durability and the endurance of the brand has also served to power us forward even within a growing landscape of peer organizations – people know The Arc will be there when they need it.”
-- Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc of the United States
“Trust and relevance are the corner stones of building a powerful nonprofit brand. Community members, policy leaders and other organizations trust Goodwill to consistently deliver on its mission.”
-- Jim Gibbons, President and CEO, Goodwill Industries International
“A nonprofit brand is powerful for the same reason as a commercial brand: because it is meaningful in the lives of its users. Every strong nonprofit brand is different, is relevant to the lives and values of its supporters, and has enough critical mass to make change happen.”
-- Cynthia Round, Executive Vice President, Brand Leadership, United Way of America
What approach does your organization take to build, evolve and protect your brand?
“Trust is at the root of our brand. With every decision we make, we must consider whether it will help the people we serve and whether it is a good use of donor dollars. Reinforcing the grassroots nature of the Red Cross helps make our brand accessible and relevant in every community.”
-- Gail J. McGovern, President and CEO, American Red Cross
“Partnerships are a key component of our brand. Boys & Girls Clubs of America has consistently been a leader in cause marketing, partnering with some of the most respected corporate brands. We continue to build effective relationships with leaders from federal, state and local government. We are also fortunate to partner with many well-known and respected figures in America who serve as advocates for our cause, including Denzel Washington, General Colin Powell and many others.”
-- Roxanne Spillett, President, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
“Catholic Charities USA works to integrate purpose with platform, to deliver messages in a cohesive and focused manner and to project a consistent graphic image in order to penetrate a crowded market place. Grounded in the principle of Catholic Social Teaching, we serve those in need with no respect to race, gender, religion or economic condition.”
-- Father Larry Snyder, President, Catholic Charities USA
“We never take the brand for granted. We are constantly critiquing and re-examining the brand and thinking about how to take it to the next level. We are never satisfied. We are very hard on ourselves that way.”
-- Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc of the United States
“We evolve our brand by maintaining and expanding our mission efforts and results and by keeping up with current communications and marketing communications trends. We appeal to younger audiences by adapting our brand to fit into new technological applications including social media and social networking sites like Facebook. Once again, this is where such a strong network of local Goodwill agencies is key. Not all communities are the same, so they should not be force-fed information in the exact same manner.”
-- Jim Gibbons, President and CEO, Goodwill Industries International
“Build: Create a consistent and positive brand experience that demonstrates value and relevance. Focus on differentiation, relationships and reach. Evolve: Place high priority on continuous improvement and relevance. Protect: Use Standards of Excellence and membership requirements to ensure brand performance, financial accountability and good governance; use brand identity and architecture guidelines to ensure consistency of presentation.”
-- Cynthia Round, Executive Vice President, Brand Leadership, United Way of America
How does your organization capitalize on your brand awareness and favorability to generate revenue?
“We capitalize on this recognition in many ways: putting out a call for help when disasters strike; collaborating with corporate partners who want to provide help on behalf of their employees; leveraging our brand symbol to expand our products or services with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering. We are grateful for the public’s generosity and their deep affection for the Red Cross, whether it’s a large corporation or a family that digs deep during these tough economic times to give what they can to help others in need.”
-- Gail J. McGovern, President and CEO, American Red Cross
“A favorable brand profile helps communities to choose to establish and support a local BGC organization; helps to attract strong board leaders, a committed professional staff, and dedicated volunteers; and assures parents and children that the Club is a positive place to belong.”
-- Roxanne Spillett, President, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
“Faithful stewardship over assets donated to sustain our work is an essential focus of our daily endeavors. Attention to donor intent, frugal management of resources and communicating the results of our work equip us to communicate effectively with prospects and donors.”
-- Father Larry Snyder, President, Catholic Charities USA
“At the national level, we’ve only begun to scratch the surface; we are very decentralized in our operations. The real impact at present is within local communities where our chapters clearly report that The Arc name helps them raise money from individuals, foundations, corporations and government. As a community-based, grassroots organization, the challenge we face is tying it all together, nationally and internationally.”
-- Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc of the United States
“Recognizing that Goodwill’s name recognition and brand awareness centers mostly on our popular thrift stores, we capitalize on this to further strengthen our mission awareness. In our retail stores, we educate shoppers and donors on how Goodwill helps the community through a variety of interactive, social, and visual forms of marketing. This encourages people to donate to Goodwill, allows us to sells those donations in our stores and provide job training programs to people with disabilities, those who lack education and work experience and others facing economic challenges.”
-- Jim Gibbons, President and CEO, Goodwill Industries International
“We invite individuals and organizations to partner with each other and United Way and then create ways for them to give, advocate and volunteer in the workplace, online, on campus, in the community. We have to be where they are and to demonstrate a return on their investment.”
-- Cynthia Round, Executive Vice President, Brand Leadership, United Way of America
What advice or steps do you have to help other nonprofits build a powerful brand?
“Building a powerful brand doesn’t happen with one large event, but by working day after day, month after month, year after year to consistently deliver on your mission. Every nonprofit must be relentless in demonstrating that hard earned donor dollars support the mission. The Red Cross is proud that an average of 91 cents of every dollar goes toward the people we serve.”
-- Gail J. McGovern, President and CEO, American Red Cross
“Understand that building a brand takes time, and patience is required….while destroying a brand can happen in an instant, so vigilance is required.”
-- Roxanne Spillett, President, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
“Clarify purpose and be able to articulate the work of the organization in a very concise manner. Be simple and straight forward. Remember that a brand or logo has to penetrate a very crowded market place. While crowded images might reflect different facets of the history of the organization or portray an array of services rendered they will not make for memorable images.Guard your image as you would your personal reputation. Protect it. Present it consistently and proudly.”
-- Father Larry Snyder, President, Catholic Charities USA
“Once you decide what you want your brand to mean, everything about the way the organization does business must be aligned with that meaning. Finally, you must remain diligent about keeping that alignment, but also about constantly reevaluating and refining your approach.”
-- Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc of the United States
“You must live the brand internally before you start to externalize it. Be aware that brand is more than your logo and color palette, it is in every customer interaction and every message. Tangibly communicate key brand standards to all aspects of the organization. Create a brand manual. A brand is not owned by just one group within an organization, it is owned by everyone.”
-- Jim Gibbons, President and CEO, Goodwill Industries International
“Make sure your staff and volunteers understand your mission, your goals and your positioning. Everyone in your organization is a brand steward, and every experience someone has with your organization either strengthens or weakens your brand. The brand is everybody’s job.”
-- Cynthia Round, Executive Vice President, Brand Leadership, United Way of America
