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Branding, Identity & Positioning

Your brand isn’t your logo—it’s your reputation, your voice, and the expectations donors bring with them. This category focuses on building brands that earn trust, differentiate clearly, and endure long after campaigns end.

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A lemon beside a mirror reflecting a lemon half, symbolizing a mismatch between appearance and reality.

Digital Dissonance: When Your Website Contradicts Your Mission

December 18, 2025 No Comments

Nonprofits often build websites that look impressive but feel hollow. In chasing “professional,” they erase their own voice, personality, and lived reality. The result is digital dissonance—a subtle but powerful mismatch between who an organization actually is and how it presents itself online. Visitors feel it instantly. They don’t complain. They just leave, unconvinced and unlikely to return.

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Six Building Blocks of a Strong Nonprofit Brand

September 1, 2025 No Comments

First impressions shape how people judge both individuals and nonprofits. Just as social interactions can hinge on superficial questions like “What do you do?” or “Where do you live?”, donors often gauge an organization’s credibility by its branding, not its actual impact. A strong nonprofit brand—through name, logo, messaging, voice, typography, and color—signals capacity and potential, attracting trust, resources, and partnerships that fuel meaningful growth.

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Illustration of fundraiser with "jargon nonprofit speak" confuses couple

Say What? Stop Using These Words!

March 12, 2025 No Comments

Nonprofit jargon is a surefire way to lose donors. Too often, fundraisers either get lost in technical language or lean on overused buzzwords that mean little to the average supporter. Phrases like “making a difference” or “impactful” are vague and uninspiring—donors want specifics. Instead of empty jargon, use clear, engaging language that shows exactly how their gift helps. The right words can transform your appeals, strengthen connections, and ultimately drive more meaningful support for your mission.

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Depicted illustration of a male fundraiser with a glass of beer.

A Fundraiser Walks Into a Bar

November 18, 2024 No Comments

Every good story starts with a setup. It doesn’t matter if it’s a joke, a novel, or a blockbuster movie—the beginning is where you learn what’s happening, who’s involved, and why it matters. Without it, the rest of the story just doesn’t land.

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