BRAND POSITIONING IN THE NON-PROFIT WORLD

“We received a $100,000 check today for facility improvements! This was the meeting we created the case statement for!!! Thank you thank you!”

~ Cindi Johnson, Executive Director, Side by Side

Here are the 4 steps we took to position
Side By Side for major donors:

1. Brand Story Workshop

We brought the leaders together to ask the basic question: “Is Side-by-Side a daycare clubhouse – a membership organization – or a clinical program?

We studied the Woodruff Foundation’s mission: “To fund well-established organizations that improve the quality of life for children and adults in need.”

Here are the points from our whiteboard exercise. Click to view:

2. Brand Positioning Statement

We completely repositioned Side by Side’s program as a clinical approach and branded it as the Partnership Model. This new positioning aligned with the goals of Woodruff and other major donors.

Learn more about Brand Positioning.
Here is the brand position developed in the workshop:

Side by Side Brand Position

AUDIENCE: For donors, payers, and policymakers…

PROBLEM: Who seek a cost-effective, positive, and proven impact on the human cost of brain injuries to our society, while improving the quality of life of the people impacted and their families…

UNIQUE SOLUTION: Only Side by Side, with its unique Partnership Model, rebuilds shattered lives by engaging the whole person through a community of mutual support coupled with professional guidance.

PROOF: The success of our Partnership Model is evidenced by our program’s ability to: Achieve incremental goals of self-sufficiency by 90 percent, increase the health and well-being of the family, reduce initial rehabilitation costs up to 85 percent, protect the payer’s investment in rehabilitation gains, and lower the total cost of future care.

3. Brand Story®

Guided by the brand position, we built a Brand Story® that included the brand concept, new brand identity, elevator speech, social media, collateral, Web, and more. Click to view.

4. Case Statement

I told Cindi, “You have to go big on the case statement. This is the pitch that donors will measure you by.”

I learned the value of the case statement years ago when I created media for the inaugural UCLA Campaign – a $100 million fundraising effort. The UCLA Campaign has grown to $5.4 billion.

To play in the big leagues,
Side by Side needed to look like
they belonged.

Read the case statement that won the grant. >>

Results

Executive Director, Cindi Johnson was ecstatic with the campaign’s success. She explained:

“You want major donors to respond to what’s in your heart, but you’re ultimately judged by your professionalism and execution. And that’s okay. Foundations have their own constituencies to be accountable to.” ~ Cindi Johnson

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