Branding for an organization tries to capture its essential spirit—its purpose, ideals, actions, and products—and convey it in a way that leaves a lasting impression. Companies communicate their brands through graphics, slogans, trademarks, color choices, and writing style, so it’s easy to assume that branding is only superficial.

But a true brand is a statement of what an organization stands for, where it’s been, and where it’s going. It raises awareness about the organization’s purpose. It reinforces the mission, if it has one. And ideally, it invites others to jump on board. A brand, particularly for a mission-driven organization like ours, doesn’t just say, “Hey, come buy our stuff.” It says, “Come help us make children’s lives better.”

Our brand is our promise of quality and integrity to our clients and community, and as such it helps us stand out in the crowded market and compete for ever-scarcer funding. It’s built on and backed up by our outstanding research-based programs and exceptional customer service. It encompasses our advocacy and desire to seek new partnerships with like-minded organizations, both domestically and abroad. When people buy our programs, they also buy into this promise. And their dollars and commitment allow us to fulfill our mission.

Recently, [Name of Organization] created a new message platform consisting of ideas that we want to communicate through our brand. Join us in strengthening these messages by adopting the guidelines in this toolkit. They’re designed to make all our communications—and thereby the image of [Name of Organization]—clearer, more consistent, and more representative of the great things we stand for.