A lot of people don’t realize just how important effective branding is when you’re running a charity. How else can people trust you with their money?

Trust is important inany industry - but it’s especially vital if you’re running a charity. After all, if people are going to give your organization money in support of a good cause, they need to be able to trust that their contribution is actually being used for that cause, right?

As such, it’s important that you regularly work to keep your charity’s brand image positive. To that end, we’re going to go over a few methods you can use to do so. Follow the advice laid out here, and you’ll keep the donations flowing and your cause strong.

Make Sure You Have A Clear Mission, Vision, and Values

Believe it or not, people don’t give money to charity because they’re moved by human suffering - at least, not in most cases. Donors choose charities based on whether or not those charities have meaning to them. A man might support a muscular dystrophy fundraiser because he lost his mother to the illness, for example; a woman might donate to Mothers Against Drunk Driving after seeing her best friend injured by a drunk driver.

That’s why you need to make sure your core values, your purpose, and your goal are clearly stated and easily-discerned. It’ll help people better determine whether or not they want to donate to you. And if you’ve played your cards right, it’ll draw in exactly the sort of donors you want to attract.

Speaking of donors…

Work Towards A Relationship With Your Audience

The thing about charity work is that even though you often have to think like a brand or a marketer, you’re not doing business the same way an enterprise organization might. You need to be more personal, more personable, and more understanding. You need to actively foster relationships with the people who donate to you, particularly local supporters.

Part of that is brand image and brand messaging, but it’s equally important that you regularly reach out to your supporters with thanks.

“Different charities within the same area have very distinct audiences and it is important to make sure your brand resonates with the right people,” explains The Guardian’s Briony Gunstone. “A good example is the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals. With a mission to care for the pets of people in need by providing free veterinary services, the charity speaks loudest to those on the lowest incomes. Not only is its reputation score highest among those earning less than £25,000 but the lowest earners are also the group most likely to donate to it.”

Visual Branding and Consistency

Last but certainly not least, your brand needs to be recognizable - you need to have imagery that people immediately associate with your charity. Look at popular charities like Greenpeace or the World Wildlife Fund, or movements like Movember. They all have unique imagery designed to appeal to their desired audience, and they’re all immediately recognizable as brands.

“Your visual identity is made up of many components: your logo, the colour palette, images, fonts, typography, illustration and much more,”  advises the Electric Putty blog. “All of these components when put together help to convey the personality of your charity and most importantly allow your supporters to instantly recognise you...Consistency is key for your supporters to recognize who you are.”

“Consistency isn’t just about visual identity, however,” it continues. “Charities with strong brands are consistent with everything they do: the messages they communicate, their values and their beliefs.”

Closing Thoughts

Too many people neglect the importance of branding and marketing in charity work. In order to truly flourish, you need to have a strong brand image, an understanding of your audience, and a set of core values and ideals that attract people to your organization. It’s all well and good to want to change the world for the better - but you can’t do that if no one recognizes or trusts you.

About Brad: Brad Wayland is the VP of Business Development at Blue Cotton.