Nonprofits are powerful influencers in the brand activism era

This is a story about unrealized power by nonprofit leaders.

As the story goes, big businesses write checks to nonprofits as part of a CSR or ESG initiative (aka cause marketing). Some are motivated by a sense of purpose. Some are seeking positive press mentions and applause points in their annual reports. All are getting a boost in the hearts and minds of people who want businesses to demonstrate values.

Some nonprofits have firmly understood this value — think Komen Pink or ONE (RED) — and have in turn invested heavily to make their own brand more valuable as an accessory big corporations can wear around their necks.

Often, these nonprofits face criticism from people who, I can only guess, believe nonprofits should be forced into a position of begging for table scraps from philanthropists vs. holding a few cards in this capitalistic card game we’re all playing.

I get it. The game can feel a bit antithetical to the mission sometimes. But any nonprofit leader busting their ass for a cause knows that more time spent shaking down money trees is less time making an impact. Having a great brand makes the money come easier.

Now, here’s the new opportunity. We are seeing two major trends in the world of brand marketing:

  1. The rise of brand activism, with brands seeing more and more market pressure to have an active role in shaping a better society and orienting their brand position around social good; and,
  2. The shift to influencer marketing and design collaborations. The influencer market grew almost 20% over the past year and is now valued north of $16 billion. It seems like every day some new hot collaboration drops.

Both of these trends are rooted in trust. With declining trust in institutions, trust is now a scarcity. By aligning with beloved people, brands, and causes, corporations are essentially seeking a “trust bump” in the marketplace.

This is where nonprofits have the power to write the next chapter. You are powerful influencers in this new era. Brands NEED you. Not only for CSR/ESG/philanthropic initiatives but for their foundational branding and marketing efforts. There is a $300 billion pie in U.S. advertising alone that your nonprofit could be getting a slice of life.

But you must first invest in your own brand and audience and start thinking like a media operation. With more followers and subscribers the more power you have. It doesn’t matter if they never donate or volunteer. As long as they engage with you and believe in your cause then they are immensely valuable to your story, and your bottom line.

When you seek corporate partnerships (not donations), you carry yourself with swagger. You aren’t there to beg, you’re there to discuss an opportunity for a collab: they bring the cash, you bring the trust.

With an estimated (only) $2.25 billion invested in cause marketing in recent years, I think we are poised to see this number double, then triple this decade so long as nonprofit leaders understand the opportunity and seize it.

My brand strategy and creative agency BRINK is currently working with both sides of the equation, building up values-driven corporations to integrate activism into their brand story and nonprofits who just want to build a great brand.

My aspiration is to also be a matchmaker. Because when corporations spend money elevating nonprofits instead of buying forgettable ad spots, humanity wins.

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