In the past, nonprofit executives viewed brands as merely a marketing communication tool. They felt it helped increase visibility in their communities, positioned them better against competitors and helped with recognition that would evolve into better fundraising. All of these things are true but the perception was that a nonprofit's brand primarily existed for external purposes.

Branding is not just a marketing department issue. It is crucial that the executive team is engaged from the beginning. Today, executive directors realize that brands have a much more strategic role improving an organization's performance. A nonprofit brand can and should create changes internally. It must authentically express the organization's purpose, mission and values. Oftentimes, this is where the value of a rebrand is created - forcing nonprofits to make time to think about why they exist, where they are going and how they are going to get there.

As you approach rebranding your nonprofit, make sure the person/group you are hiring understands that a brand is not just a name, logo or visual look of your organization. Strategy, operations and branding must be aligned. When these three elements are working together nonprofits maintain a laser-like focus on the mission, reduce busyness and clear away noise that distracts from achievement. Branding often includes bringing different factions together, redirecting people internally toward a shared goal, changing the way you describe your services, removing service creep and aligning with your long-term strategy. It is most definitely not just a marketing department issue.