Is a tagline essential for good nonprofit communication? No.
Is it highly valuable in helping people quickly understand your organization and make an emotional connection to it? Yes.
Remember that even a good name can only do so much to explain your work and motivate people to support you. And most nonprofits don’t have good names.
The value of a good name will be realized over time by the attributes that people come to associate with it. A strong tagline, along with great communication and outstanding programs and operations, will help people associate the right things with your work. The tagline is a shortcut to help people more quickly understand and appreciate what you’re organization is doing.
Consider these examples as a reminder of how a good tagline helps give a name deeper meaning. Imagine these names without their tagline:
Marin Education Fund
Everyone should have a chance at college
Pets Unlimited
Do something good for pets
United Negro College Fund
A mind is a terrible thing to waste
Earth Justice
Because the earth needs a good lawyer
If your organization is considering a new name, be sure to plan to create an outstanding tagline to go with it. Not considering a new name, but know the one you have is not the best it could be? Write a new tagline that helps decode the focus of your organization’s work so your audiences can more easily understand and appreciate you.
For guidelines on how, download our free how-to, Taglines that Tell.
Good luck!
—
