Top Nonprofit Brands Named in Unique Report
The top four nonprofit brands, according to a new report, turn out to be the YMCA, the Salvation Army, the United Way of America, and the American Red Cross.
For the first time, an analysis of brands has attempted to put a value on nonprofit brands. According to a New York Times article, Cone LLC, a cause-related marketing firm, and Intangible Business, a brand-valuation company, have used financial data, projected growth in revenues and a survey to find the top 100 most valuable nonprofit brand names. They analyzed nonprofits in the social, environmental and animal-related sectors.
The creators of the report say that companies will be very interested in strong brands, since those brands can enhance their own reputations when companies team up with nonprofits to create cause-related marketing programs.
Interestingly, according to the report, the fastest growing nonprofit groups are in the environmental area, but their brands scored lower in this analysis. Alison DaSilva, executive vice president of Cone suggested that these groups spend a lot of time " raising awareness of the issues through things like calls to action — put a brick in your toilet, turn out the lights — but not for their brands."
The Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100 report is worth studying. Just why do brands work? Why do they endure? How can your nonprofit build a strong brand? Are these the nonprofit brands you would have picked as the best?
The top ten nonprofit brands from the report:
- YMCA of the USA
- The Salvation Army
- United Way of America
- American Red Cross
- Goodwill Industries International
- Catholic Charities USA
- Habitat for Humanity International
- American Cancer Society
- The Arc of the United States
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Related:
Despite the fact that Cone’s top nonprofit brands list includes organizations that are household names to many of us, small- and medium-size nonprofits–regardless of their financial or staff resources–need to know that they too can build solid brand recognition within the communities they serve.
Here’s how:
1. Be clear and aggressive in letting your target audiences know who you are, what you do, how you do it, and most importantly, why they should care enough to support you.
2. Turn everyone affiliated with your organization–including board members, staff, volunteers and clients–into knowledgeable Brand Ambassadors.
3. Make sure that all of your dealings and relationships–both internal and external to your organization–are honest, responsible, accountable, transparent and trustworthy.
Do all these things and you’ll be well on your way to raising the brand visibility and value of your organization.
Hope this helps.
Larry Checco
http://www.checcocomm.net
Thanks, Larry! Great advice. Yes, this list is made up of big, in-business-a-long-time, well-heeled nonprofits, by and large. The nonprofit equivalent of Blue Chip corporations. They are iconic American nonprofits, but where are the newer, entrepreneurial ones?