Mission Minded will lead the popular webinar “Messages That Move: How to Write a Tagline That Gets Results” through the Colorado Nonprofit Association on August 17 at 1pm MDT.

If you’re a nonprofit communicator, this training is for you! In the 90 minute training, you’ll learn:

• How to make your tagline powerful
• Tricks of the trade
• Examples of the best and worst in nonprofit taglines
• Resources for writing a new tagline
• How good tagline writing can improve all your messages

This training is for you! Sign up today!

Around the world, organizations like CHPL, MRCD, and PoRUG are rejoicing. NPR and the Y have officially adopted shortened versions of their old names (National Public Radio and YMCA). Does that signal to the rest of the nonprofit world that they should follow suit?

It shouldn’t.

Most nonprofit organizations face an uphill battle to be known and understood by their most important audiences. Using initials or an acronym presents a barrier to understanding who you are and what you do.

Take BayCES, for example, an organization that believes every child has a right to a quality education. The name was understood only by insiders and ardent supporters. Every introduction required an explanation, which hampered the organization’s ability to achieve its mission.

With Mission Minded’s help BayCES has renamed itself National Equity Project. The full name explains who they are and what they do — they are an organization dedicated to ensuring an equitable education for every student in the country. And, they have resisted the urge to shorten the name to NEP. Doing so would only serve to obfuscate their important work.

Even major national nonprofit brands face this challenge. Ask yourself this: Which organization would I rather support, the SPCA or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals? Which name paints a picture and has punch?

So Why Can They Do It?

NPR and the Y are special cases. For NPR, the three letter abbreviation is a standard practice in the world broadcast journalism. NPR isn’t competing with other nonprofits for attention; it’s competing with CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC and FOX for market share.

More importantly, NPR owns the airwaves. Most nonprofits have only a few opportunities to get people to know and understand their name. NPR can remind its listeners many times a day what the NPR brand stands for.

For the Y, the organization has had more than a century to build brand awareness for its shortened name. It is one of the best-known nonprofit brands in the world, and as such can marshal the resources needed to make such a move. Additionally, the original name is now so irrelevant that it’s comical. If being a young male Christian were still a litmus test for membership, the organization would lose most of its clientele.

So What to Do?

Choose a name with meaning and stick with it. If you need to shorten it, let the shortened name have meaning too. This means that an organization like American Heart Association should use its full name whenever possible and shorten it to “Heart” in casual conversation, rather than as “AHA.” The result will be greater understanding and support for the organization’s mission.

When your organization develops a new tagline, designs a new logo, or publishes a great annual report (perhaps with the help of Mission Minded), often the next question is about protecting your intellectual property.

How do you ensure that your investment in effective communications isn’t watered down by plagiarism?

Kate Spelman offers a good overview of nonprofit copyright issues in the most recent issue of Blue Avocado. It’s a good basic primer for any nonprofit professional.

Of particular note is her discussion of Creative Commons, an alternative to traditional copyright and an approach favored by Mission Minded.

Address Those Most Likely to Care About Your Organization’s Work

One common mistake nonprofits make when drafting marketing materials is failing to tailor them to a specific audience. You may think that everyone should care that your organization, say, helps low-income students attend college. But the fact is that some people will be more receptive to your message than others. When you have a limited marketing budget, the people you need to reach are those most likely to care.

Spend some time thinking about the kind of people who tend to support your organization. What are their values? How do they communicate? How do they spend their time? Then craft your message so that it appeals to them.

For example, if you run a shelter for neglected pets and your potential donors are animal lovers, they will probably respond better to pictures and stories of real kittens and puppies that need their help than to dry statistics about animal mistreatment.

On the other hand, maybe your organization focuses on using technology to solve social problems and your target audience includes Silicon Valley executives. These people might appreciate knowing that your organization is innovative, efficient, and collaborative—all values prized in their industry. If your organization serves people in a particular geographic area and most of your supporters hail from there, you may want to connect with their pride in their community.

One great instance of message tailoring, documented in Chip Heath’s excellent book Made to Stick involved the Texas Department of Transportation’s efforts to put a stop to littering on state highways. Agency employees created a profile of the typical litterer—a male truck driver tossing beer cans out his cab window—and even gave him a name, Bubba. What kind of slogan, they wondered, would catch Bubba’s attention? The phrase “Don’t Mess With Texas” was born, and eventually became the state motto.

Taking the time to understand your audience makes them feel understood…and more likely to take action in support of your work.  While everyone is not your audience, those most likely to support your organization will be more inclined to help when you address their needs, values, and interests.