Storytelling is essential for non-profits, and everything on the Internet tells us that the most compelling stories these days are visually based. Creating calls to action that drive emotion are the lifeblood of charitable organizations. Unlike for profit businesses that provide tangible goods, services, or value, the non-profit sector operates in changing lives - a currency somewhat harder to measure.
My degree is in interior design. I graduated in the midst of the Recession and hustled my way to my first job by shifting focus - from picking paint colors to becoming a Jill of all Marketing trades. I started writing for websites and news outlets, and picked up on social as it was becoming relevant for brands. Graphic design, PR, strategy - taking every opportunity available to keep money coming in landed me in the communications department of one of Cincinnati's largest non-profits.
I used my design skills and creative thinking in a myriad of ways that benefited ArtsWave. Over 100 designs for print and web, managing apps and website redesigns, social media graphics and posts, event organization and execution - I shifted my hustle to the cause, and was able to exercise my creativity in ways that directly benefited the organization to help make change in the community - to the tune of 11.5 million dollars, which is what the 2013 ArtsWave "Make Cincinnati Amazing" campaign raised for the arts in Cincinnati.
After shifting to agency work in the public sector, I had trouble putting my creative passion and talents towards projects with the end goal of selling stuff that people may or may not have had a use for. Creativity for the sake of capitalism was harder to muster enthusiasm for... but it paid the bills! And I learned a great deal about people and project management.
Ultimately, I have a non-profit soul. Being able to ignite creatively with the purpose of bringing good things into the world has kept me up late, getting up early, and jam packed the days in between. Driving the creation and development of the Sharp Dressed Man brand is showing tangible benefits - we watch the numbers slowly tick upwards as our crowdfunding campaign soldiers on and continues to grow. One of the first things changes made when I started working with Sharp Dressed Man was revamping the website. We had a good platform with Squarespace, and access to wonderful pictures - I spent a weekend and pulled it together, and after some tweaking and updates, we get compliments and comments on the site every day. Despite the small size of the organization, our design and communication is on par with much larger and better funded non-profits.
Great design and storytelling are no longer optional in a world that is screaming for attention at every turn. By investing in creative, multitalented staffers, non-profits can bring relevancy and emotion to their brand - which will ultimately lead to increased profits and increased visibility. Humans react to beautiful, compelling content - even more so when the brand behind it champions a worthwhile cause.
Take a look at your staffing budget, and consider hiring an in-house designer. Having someone who intimately knows and understands the organization day in and day out and can execute smaller projects quickly, as well as oversee larger projects from outside vendors, will help your organization's message to the world stay relevant, rise above the noise, and draw in new supporters. Invest in a brand champion (or two) - this overhead is worth the cost!