David’s Nonprofit Tips: Logos are Important!

Companies spend billions of dollars annually to create and promote their brands – often in the form of a logo – which is short for logogram, defined as a letter, symbol or sign used to represent an entire word. These logos are seen in all forms of advertising and are imprinted on stadiums, airplanes, you name it. They are also common on articles of clothing, pens, writing pads and a host of other items we all use regularly.

As a long-time Verizon employee, if I’m watching television or a movie, etc. and I see even just a small portion of a Verizon logo – I can recognize it immediately. I spent years surrounded by that logo and it represented the company that helped me support my family, put my kids through college, etc. I can also spot a competitor’s logo pretty quick because we were sensitive to our opposition. Why is this important?

I can’t tell you how many times as the person responsible for making grant decisions for the Verizon Foundation, people from various nonprofits would come into my office to ask me for a grant and plop down their smartphone that had the logo of one of our competitors on it. They are about to ask me for money from Verizon – but they clearly spend their money with my competitor. This is a big mistake. I never expected everyone who requested a grant to be a Verizon customer – but don’t rub my nose in it! It didn’t mean they couldn’t get a grant – but it did make a bad first impression.

This goes for other items as well. Always do a logo check before going to meet with a potential donor company. Get rid of pens, portfolios, and any other items sporting a potentially offending logo. Because trust me, they will be noticed. I was always polite and never mentioned my disappointment at seeing an offending logo – but it always bothered me.

I guess those in the nonprofit world just aren’t as sensitive about logos and brand identity as those in the more competitive sectors – but you need to be aware that this is important. And if you have items with the “right” logo on them, feel free to bring those along and show them off. That’s always okay.

If you find this helpful, consider contacting me at Philanthropology to see if there are other ways I can help your nonprofit be more successful. I’ve given away millions of dollars in grants and I have the unique perspective as a funder to help nonprofits become more effective at seeking support from businesses. I’m at www.russellgiving.com

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