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How Nonprofits Can Use Digital Branding to Engage a New Breed of DonorThe nonprofit community has reached a critical inflection point—a point where donors are younger and choosier, digital is mandatory, and nonprofits must focus on branding to survive.

It’s no secret today’s population of donors is aging and as they age they pass wealth on to younger generations. This inheritance coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit of Millennials will result in serious spending power; some estimates claim Millennials will spend as much as $1.4 trillion annually by 20201. The for-profit world has been eager to jump on the opportunity by changing marketing plans, introducing new products, and even latching onto cause related messaging. On the other hand, the nonprofit world has been slower to dive in.

Many nonprofits are hesitant to focus on the Millennial generation because “they don’t give enough,” but we found that nearly 1 in 3 already donate over $100 when they do give2. Millennials just give differently than previous generations. For starters, they’re incredibly choosy when it comes to giving up their wealth. Millennials’ top motivation for getting involved is passion3, and they’re more influenced by peers than previous generations. They seek inspirational stories and a mission that fits with their beliefs and are more likely to give when that story is communicated through friends or family. They are more interested in the cause than the company and want to know the impact of their contribution. Creating a strong brand story that accomplishes all of this isn’t easy, but without it, nonprofits and the important work they do risk becoming obsolete to this new wealth-wielding generation.

For many nonprofits, ‘brand’ has long been considered taboo, but donors today think about brand differently than they have in the past. Not only are today’s donors seeking out meaningful interactions with brands, they’re actually using brands to represent themselves. Creating a brand story that resonates with the Millennial mindset is an essential first step to attracting a new generation of donors.

It’s worth taking a moment to define ‘brand’. Some define ‘brand’ as a company’s visual identity—logo, packaging, website, etc. But brand is so much more. It is the emotional connection your audience has with you. It can be the difference between someone who simply knows what you do and someone who loves what you do so much they would actually defend the company.

1 Mintel, Marketing to Millennials, February 2014.2 Compete/Google Non-profits Study, July 20133 Achieve.com, Millennial Impact Research, 2013

written by: Alison Walker, Brand Strategy Lead, Google, September 2014

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Your brand lives in the hearts and minds of your donors as it is the result of every experience your audience has with your company—from your help desk support to your latest advertising campaign. However, with Millennials, digital channels are even more important. Digital is already an integral part of the giving process with 85% of Millennials using the internet to research nonprofits4. Unlike other communication channels, digital tools can facilitate a direct relationship between donors and the nonprofits they support—something that wasn’t possible a few years ago. Digital channels allow donors to become more deeply involved in the issues you address, to showcase their support, and to encourage their peers to engage as well.

It’s clear that Millennials are important for the future of nonprofits. However, in order to draw the attention of this new brand savvy generation, nonprofits need to think differently about digital branding. This doesn’t have to mean spending more on digital marketing. It means thinking critically about how to use digital tools to tell your story. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting and sometimes surprising ways nonprofits are using digital tools to tell their brand story.

Note: The following examples will not focus on what a brand is or how you define it for your organization. There are plenty of resources that espouse the importance of branding and help nonprofits create their own (see Nathalie Kylander, Senior Research Fellow, Harvard’s Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations). These examples will focus on how, once you’ve defined your brand, you can use digital tools to communicate your brand and maintain a consistent message.

Digital branding doesn’t have to be serious, even if the issue is.

The Rainforest Alliance created this video as a part of their Follow the Frog campaign to encourage consumers to buy Rainforest Alliance certified products that help ensure the future of our rainforest. The video received 4.5M views, more than 25 times over the second most-viewed video on their YouTube Channel.

Although rainforest preservation is a serious issue, the brand used a humorous tone that resonates with young supporters. They got in the Millennial mindset and spoke their language. This is an example of digital branding that makes young donors think “this company gets me.” Of course, as with all your marketing efforts, you should evaluate how the message will be received by current donors as well as new, younger generations.

Note: For more nonprofits that get web humor, check this out, including my personal favorite from Metro Trains Melbourne.

4 Compete/Google Non-profits Study, July 2013

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Digital branding can take advantage of transactional initiatives.

They may not have been thinking about branding at the time, but the ASPCA’s Adoptable Hangout produced in partnership with Google and Yahoo! was the perfect opportunity to communicate the ASPCA’s brand story. During the Hangout, nine partner animal shelters featured stories of pets currently up for adoption. The initiative allowed viewers to get to know the animals before deciding to adopt, and the adoption process was facilitated by Shoppable Hangout links.

The initiative was clearly focused on driving adoption, but the company took advantage of the opportunity for consistent branding, both visually and tonally. The hangout was informative, featured touching stories, and made it easy to adopt—exactly the message we expect from the ASPCA.

Digital branding doesn’t always mean talking about yourself.

On their 5th birthday, charity: water called on their employees to create videos thanking donors for their support. The resulting 250 videos called out specific donors and fundraising initiatives and generated over 79K views combined.

charity: water is known for their ability to create a tangible connection with donors and leveraged video to speak directly to their supporters at a relatively low cost. This initiative reinforced the company’s mission and connected with supporters on a personal level. Not coincidentally, this organization has frequently targeted their communications toward Millennials and has an average donor age of 335.

5 Time.com, How Nonprofits Convince Millennials to Give: Customize the Cause. December 2012. <link>

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Digital branding loves a partner.

Water.org sent Hank Green, a popular YouTube personality to Haiti to experience the importance of addressing the severe lack of access to water around the world. He created a video to document the journey and communicate the levity of the issue to his fans in a way that was both educational and relatable.

The video has nearly 247,000 views and over 7,000 likes. By partnering with a personality that already resonates with younger generations, Water.org was able to bring relevance and urgency to this widespread issue. Furthermore, working with content creators can be an alternative to using more costly agencies and production vendors to create video assets. These content creators are often able to develop content that doesn’t feel overly stylized or produced, qualities that also resonate with the Millennial audience.

Digital branding can also be about innovation.

Sabita Malla, a Senior Research Officer for the WWF is exploring how Glass can help protect Rhinos. She uses Google Glass to record observations in the field including GPS locations, photos, videos, and other notes. The video explaining the initiative has over 480,000 views, showing that

today’s donors want to know what’s going on inside the company. They’re interested in your innovations.

This initiative may have been born out of the desire to make the task of collecting field notes easier while perched atop an elephant, but the footage is a great way to showcase the company’s dedication and passion for their research. It tells a story of innovation that appeals to younger audiences.

For more about the nonprofits mentioned in this article, visit their websites listed here: Rainforest Alliance, ASPCA, charity: water, Water.org, World Wildlife Fund