Brandraising: How Nonprofits Raise Visibility and Money Through Smart Communications

Branding is often talked about, casually, in language that only branding professionals seem to understand. In "Brandraising--how nonprofits raise visibility and money through smart communications," Sarah Durham has written a book for the rest of us.Nonprofit leaders, as the title suggests, are already managing their agency's communications, with widely-varying budgets and levels of understanding about how best-practice branding and communications optimally work. We're doing this stuff already, one way or another, if we're still in business. The question is, how well is what we're doing working? And how can we do it better? Learning the answers could determine whether or not we stay in business.Full of basics and process, "Brandraising" is a primer, its form elegantly focused but conceptually comprehensive. The deep experience of its author (who has here distilled years of devoted and successful communications consulting to nonprofits) is palpable and authoritative. This book is a methodical, tactical handbook for engineering power (for good). Understated in tone, it contains diagrams, but for those of us who must influence the world in favor of our causes, it is not one bit dull."Brandraising" addresses in detail the current array of media weaponry and how to be heard amid the din. But the discussion of media platforms is grounded in more elemental terms that will still be useful when the media (inevitably) change. The metaphors are plain: brand as logo (a cattle brand) yields quickly to the central theme of communications as collective efforts (as with a barn raising, everybody in our world, including board, staff, donors, clients, must contribute to our brand to make sure it fulfills its purpose and holds up); an eight-month hike along the Appalachian Trail (plan ahead to go the distance). Crafting a communications campaign in the middle of a strategic plan is like installing a window before you've built the wall.Where do we stand in relation to peer organizations? How do we measure how effective our communications really are? The overlooked elephant in the nonprofit parlor: what kinds of messages do our agency's audience(es) really respond to? How do we learn to see and hear things through their eyes and ears? Practical ways to take on these issues and many more are offered positively, and priorities suggested, based on the resources we have.The structure of the "Brandraising" is itself well built, its message is clear, respectful, cheering. We pick up, directly and by example, the ways in which good communication is the language of good leadership.

This book is so full of useful information that I purchased a copy of it last year. It is called Brandraising and it is written by Sarah Durham, the founder of Big Duck Studios in Brooklyn, New York. I have been a fan of Big Duck Studios for the past decade. This studio's purpose is to help non-profits with branding and with communication. If I ever had a dream job (other than working for myself), it would be to become a team member of Big Duck Studios.Brandraising explains why nonprofits have difficultly with branding and why some nonprofits do not invest in it the way that they should. It explains the complexity of brand and that it is more than the visual components that some believe it to be.I've read it three times already and have begged others in the library industry to put it in their personal libraries.As a brand consultant, I preach to clients and anyone else who would listen that the foundation that an organization lays when building its identity is important to the development and a growth of a brand. This book helps you understand what is needed in to create a solid foundation and how to develop it. I wish I could put this book on my head and absorb all of the wisdom in it. It is such a wonderful piece. Kudos Sarah Durham and Big Duck Studios team.

For many not-for-profit organizations the concept of branding their identity is often perceived as entering a world of necessary evils. It is adding another business school practice to its myriad of activities. Who has time to think about creating a brand when we are trying to raise money and save our corner of the world? Luckily for us, Sarah Durham's Brandraising: How Nonprofits raise visibility and money through smart communications arrives just in time to calm the fears of many hard working not-for-profit executives and staff and after reading it, for many it will become an essential book in their library.What makes Durham's book so valuable is that it demystifies the key steps in communicating clearly and coherently. In a series of easy to read chapters, she walks the reader through practical and concrete steps to achieve great communication with all stakeholders. The book is free of business jargon and it is filled with every day examples on how to embrace and value fine communication. Durham makes the process of achieving a great brand so easy and it removes the excuse of putting that activity in the backburner no matter the size of your resources.After reading Brandraising, I immediately shared it with many respected colleagues and now my job in convincing them on the need to think about their organization's brand as part of their activities has just gotten a lot easier.

As a graphic designer for an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico, Sarah’s book was (and is) instrumental for how we created and implemented our identity system, marketing materials, and fundraising communications. The beauty of this book is in how Sarah clearly and concisely explains the principles of Brandraising. The knowledge gleaned can be easily applied to any organization — even for those on a shoestring budget.We found Brandraising to be a great tool for explaining nonprofit communication principles to new arrivals. As many of you know, board members, part-timers, and full-timers do not arrive at your door agreeing on what to prioritize. Brandraising provided us with a common page/blueprint — showing us what to focus our communication efforts on rather than wasting time with trial-and-error strategies.We have applied a number of aspects of this book including those related to the Organizational level. If you are an expert nonprofit communicator then consider getting this book for the waves of volunteers that arrive at your door. If you are new to, or considering a job in, the nonprofit communications arena then Brandraising will definitely increase your understanding of this world.Scott WaltersLos Angelitos Orphanage

This book provides an excellent break down on the basics of a brand and the competitive advantage, if well thought through, it can provide any not-for- profit organization. "Brandraising" is a must read for senior executive, board members and those who are in positions of leadership, faced with the challenges of defining a unique and compelling voice in an increasingly competitive category.I purchased one for each of our NP clients this year.Ric Riordon, Accounts Director at Riordon Design

Esta revision no es sobre el contenido del libro si no del manejo que hizo amazon, llego sucio y maltratado parecía un libro de segunda mano.

Wish I had this resource from day one. Sarah's book is the perfect tool for anyone going through the early planning stages of their nonprofit journey, for those looking to refine their current approach, or start fresh with an all new re-brand. I enjoy working with the book as a guide to help me deal with specific areas which are lacking (in my organizational and identity level make-up). It also provides plenty of interesting examples of how current organizations are putting the Brandraising concepts into play. This sort of clear-cut information on nonprofit management has been especially hard to find, as an expat starting up my own nonprofit in Japan. Yes, plenty of 'lost in translation' moments, cultural differences, barriers and other things to work through. But the Brandraising approach seems to be universal enough to be effective over here, too. Perhaps I'll be the first to give it a shot, Sarah (?) Most of all, I'm happy with the way this book finally got me thinking with the 'long view'. A priceless bit of realization for any social entrepreneur or start-up NPO administrator out there. Take it slow, roll out the brand/rebrand with plenty of care, and try to make sure you know where your organization is going long before you get there...