Top 5 Brands in Nonprofit Web Design

Every great nonprofit has an equally great brand. Think about Livestrong or the American Red Cross, for example. These iconic nonprofits have such successful brands that we immediately associate images, colors, emotions, and memories with these organizations. Whether they invested thousands of dollars in graphic designers to pin-point these seemingly perfect brands, or it took a moment of clarification for the idea to come to fruition, these brands resonate online and in-print, across ages, and all over the world.

However, for a large majority of small-medium sized nonprofits, heaps of money can’t be spent on graphic design, and moments of clarity are quickly muffled by a continuously growing to-do list. In light of this ever-present frustration, we’re bringing it back to the basics. Pulling all you creative geniuses, innovative designers, and nonprofit strategists to square one. It boils down to a simple truth – realizing the value of your nonprofit and communicating it well.

What is a nonprofit brand?

A nonprofit’s brand is their identity. It’s a comprehensive idea, phrase, or image that represents everything associated with the organization – it’s purpose, mission statement, beneficiaries, etc.

Building a Nonprofit Brand

As graphic designers and web strategists in the nonprofit industry, it’s easy to focus on the tangibles. Our critical thinking skills combined with a system analysis approach to everything from web design to our fantasy foosball league means we are easily convoluted by technical details. We become obsessed with the perfect shade of red, or the best typography, often forgetting that branding means so much more.

Building a brand for your nonprofit is almost never a one-step process. The various stages of planning a brand strategy, developing it, and then executing it are all part of a thoughtful process to achieve the best results. As part of your daily token of inspiration and in alignment with creating an incomparable brand identity for your nonprofit, here are 5 of the best nonprofit brands.

1. charity:water

2. Livestrong

3. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)

4.  R U 4 Children

5. Foster Youth in Action

Building a nonprofit brand identity goes beyond web design. It’s the color, typography, imagery, and graphic design, but even the most perfect combination of these elements is nothing without the emotion or memory individuals align with your brand.

If you’re looking for more inspiration on building your brand in specifics to logo design, check out our blog on 6 essential graphic design tips for nonprofits.   Additionally, check out some of our graphic design services to see if we can assist you with your nonprofit’s brand identity.