Competitive positioning for non-profit organizations

How to create a brand positioning statement

It is an important question that every organization must ask itself: what differentiates you from the competition?

Notice I said “organization.” Don’t think that just because you’re part of a non-profit organization that you don’t need to spend time and effort on branding! Nonprofit organizations must be aware of the link between the strategic value of a brand and its organizational impact.

Here are a few things that can happen if you don’t put the time and effort into creating this simple yet powerful statement:

* You will probably be confused with similar organizations.

* Your message will be everywhere.

* Potential donors will not trust you.

It’s true that large charities have the advantage of having a marketing team: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has a director of global branding and innovation, while UNICEF has a head of branding.

Fortunately, even if it’s just you, it’s not too difficult to come up with a positioning statement that will set you apart from your charitable competition. That is, if you’re willing to do a little research and think deeply before you start writing.

What is brand positioning?

First, let’s cover the definition of brand positioning. It is the art of matching your marketing message with the beliefs, feelings, and desires of your ideal customer.

It does this effectively by making itself “visible” as the kind of organization that would appeal to an individual.

However, this statement is not directed at the customer like its slogan is. Think of it as an internal statement that supports ideas before developing specific marketing messages.

It’s also important to remember that non-profit branding is a bit different than for-profit branding. Here’s why the statements are different for a charity vs. for a for-profit business: You want people to donate to your cause, but you’re not focused on messaging about the lowest prices like Walmart does, or the biggest selection of showrooms like Ikea is.

The competitive positioning of nonprofits is more about the “why”: what is their mission? Your product is the good you are doing.

For example, the “why” of UNICEF is “to protect the rights of all children”.

UNICEF is not focused on undermining their competition or saying they are the best charity out there. (Also, some charities want to collaborate and support others in their efforts, not necessarily compete against them.)

How to Create a Nonprofit Positioning Statement

Now that we’ve clarified the difference, let’s look at how to create your nonprofit positioning statement:

Define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

It’s great that there are so many nonprofits supporting various causes, but it means people are faced with an overwhelming number to choose from. You want them to choose yours.

While you’re not selling a product, you’re selling a commitment, whether it’s providing clean water to villages or saving turtles from extinction. Your USP is something unique that you have to offer.

Just as a small business owner conducts competitive research before defining their brand, you should do the same with your charity. Do some research on similar charities and find out:

* Who is your audience?

* How are you positioning your brand?

* What are they doing right?

* What are they doing wrong?

This is one of the ways that Charity:water differentiates itself from similar non-profits. They are not solely focused on the fact that they provide clean drinking water to underdeveloped countries. They emphasize that they check each project “with GPS coordinates and remote sensors so that the water always flows.”

Don’t be afraid to be bold.

Think of creative ways to encourage potential donors to donate to your cause. A website with a few mediocre paragraphs and a donate button is not going to cut it. There are also not a ton of copies that have the same message as similar charities.

Nonprofits have traditionally focused on safe and neutral messaging; that has changed now. Just watch F**k Cancer, a health organization working for early detection and prevention of cancer around the world!

While you don’t need to use expletives in your nonprofit’s branding statement, tagline, logo, or other materials, think outside the “we do good” messages and be a little nervous.

Tell your full story.

Don’t make potential donors try to figure out why they should support your initiative. Spend some time thinking deeply about your nonprofit’s position statement in relation to your story.

Has any family member dealt with the disease you are raising funds to eradicate? Make it personal. Did she become passionate about animal rights when she adopted a pet from a shelter? Consider that angle.

Take a look at their About Us page for inspiration. This is the story of a local dog rescue that is part of everything they do.

Create a narrative around your brand instead of just focusing on what you do. It’s especially important for charities to get this right, as many people are naturally suspicious of people asking for money.

Share the knowledge.

It’s one thing to achieve great nonprofit positioning, but getting everyone on board is essential. Ideally, your team should be involved in developing your brand positioning strategy.

At a minimum, they need to understand why it’s there and how to use it. Everyone in your organization is a brand ambassador, so give them the tools they need to spread the word to potential donors, family, friends, the grocery store clerk…

Once you’ve created your nonprofit positioning statement, don’t just forget it in the depths of a desk drawer or file folder on your PC. Check back often: When you’re writing website copy, developing logo designs, and reviewing materials someone else has created.

By using it to influence everything you create, you’ll have a consistent message across all of your marketing material, leading to increased awareness, trust, and donations.