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Research: Role of Brand in Non-Profit Sector

Help to convert skeptics about the role of Brand in education

In our 30+ years working with independent schools, colleges, and universities, we’ve had many clients ask for ideas on persuading skeptics about the role of Brand in education.  That’s why we’re sharing a link to an article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, called “The Role of Brand in the Nonprofit Sector.”

It’s long, but worth reading if you’re interested in motivating a team or multiple constituencies to:

  • Work collaboratively toward the same goal.
  • Understand the importance of their individual role in achieving the goal.
  • Are enthusiastic about the journey and mission even in tough times.

Who wouldn’t want that?

What is the Nonprofit Brand IDEA?

The authors of the piece, both from Harvard’s Kennedy School, created a set of principles called Nonprofit Brand IDEA, which builds on the unique role that brand plays in the nonprofit sector. The four principals of Nonprofit Brand IDEA are brand Integrity, Democracy, Ethics, and Affinity.

The authors concluded that if organizations can harness the principles of Nonprofit Brand IDEA, they will be much more likely to achieve objectives and to do so sooner. They provide research-based case studies of organizations using their approach.

The article offers a good way of looking at the relevance of Brand in education for the skeptics out there.  Especially when they see how an increasing number of nonprofits are managing their brands to increase their impact and organizational cohesion, skeptics will start to feel more comfortable with the idea that Brand can help their school or institution, too.

Read The Role of Brand in the Nonprofit Sector

For a first-hand look at how Brand has worked for other schools and institutions, see our work.

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