Besides finding an appropriate name for your nonprofit, nothing is more important than your logo.

In this age of advertising and promotional excess, the logo of a business or a nonprofit must be exceptional to stand out.

But, stand out it must. A logo is a shortcut to your brand. It should be instantly recognizable and evoke not only information, but an array of emotions connected to your brand. Think, for instance, of the logos of iconic nonprofits such as the cross of the American Red Cross, the red shield of the Salvation Army, or the BBB of the Better Business Bureau.

Michael DiFrisco, branding expert and president of BrandXcellence, suggests that if you are designing your first logo or revising an old one, you should look for, at minimum, the following attributes:

• Your logo should be simple and readable. The viewer should “get it” immediately and be able to get a “sneak peek” into your brand through the mark itself. The challenge then, is to create a logo that is simple and immediate without being boring or institutional.

• Your logo should convey a sense of emotion and personality. Think of it as the layers of an onion. As you peel away each layer—the typography, the symbols, the shapes and textures, and color palette—you learn more and more about the brand (the organization) behind the logo.

• Your logo should express the appropriate tone and voice articulated in your brand strategy. When you think about this critical alignment, consider the necktie. If a businessman walks into a boardroom with a loud and garish pink flamingo-print tie, that tie would speak clearly to everyone in the room even before the businessman uttered a single word. Conversely, a conservative silk tie will “speak” in an entirely different voice. Your organization’s logo can act as the reputation that precedes you into the marketplace.

• Your logo should be flexible and work well in a multi-channel sales environment—not just on letterhead and business cards. It should work in all mediums from black and white, tiny, low-resolution, fax, web, and four-color printing. With today’s broadband delivery, animated logos—or avatars—can also be a desirable option.

• Your logo should look different than other logos—especially those who share your same marketspace or prospect base. Having a “me too” logo design will weaken your organization’s uniqueness and the differentiation you tried so hard to establish in developing your brand essence.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that since you are a nonprofit, you don't need to spend time and resources to create a memorable logo. Creating an effective and classic logo that will "age" well is as important in the nonprofit world as it is in the business world. A good logo will pay for itself many times over.