WHY A SPECIALIZED NPO DESIGNER IS THE BEST USE OF YOUR FUNDS
Jack of All Trades…. fill in the blank.
We all know the saying but what happens when you have worked tirelessly for your funding through countless revsions of a grant application or lovingly hounding a loaded donor until they finally helped? Having the responsibility of not only morally caring for your cause (* cough * and changing the world) but ethically managing the funds is DAUNTING. So I get why hiring a specialist would seem like a luxury expense… BUT LET ME EXPLAIN WHY ITS NOT.
#1
SPECIALIZED in saving you energy, time + money
Starting/Running a charity is incredibly hard. AND you want to save all of that money and funds for your cause. I get it. DIY might get you by for a few months but printers, designers, publications etc will call you out for that DIY website or brand… guaranteed. So what are the pitfalls of DIY?
PITFALL #1
You probably do not know or understand what file types are needed for a logo/brand for the myriad of situations where it will be used. For instance, my logo packages usually export out a minimum of 24 versions of a logo in 2 separate file extensions. That is the base minimum. Do you have that many for your DIY logo currently?
PITFALL #2
Mistakes cost valuable money. Time wasted costs valuable money. Even the best intentions in trying to DIY will, in the end, cost valuable money to fix. Now, all of my past clients will attest to tell you that I am the first one to support and cheer you on. But I am guessing you do not have the time to figure it all out, not that you are not brilliant enough to do it.
PITFALL #3
You are likely too close to your cause to see what needs to be seen and said. This is common, not just with charities but with any industry. This is your baby, your cause, the thing that makes you tick. WE GET IT. This is the reason though why you need an objective perspective, one that understands the NPO world to really capture what you are looking to say. Anyone can make a logo but its only effective if it does the following things:
Does it communicate visually what you are or do in a simple and uncomplicated manner? (there are design rules here)
Does it capture the attention of your donors or the individuals you serve?
Does it evoke trust?
Does it separate you from your community partners/competitors in a good way?
#2
SPECIALIZED in keeping your image consistent, recognizable + reliable.
You, as a charity are asking for someone’s money without anything in return EXCEPT for the feeling of joy and hope that your cause provides. You are not sending them a pair of Nike’s or a handmade item from Etsy for their hard earned money. You are just asking for money, cold hard cash, dirty street money (as my kids call it) for nothing tangible in return.
DONORS WILL NOT GIVE TO YOU IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A CLEAR IDENTITY THAT IS CONSISTENT. Why? Because you look flaky AF.
Consistency represents stability so you want everything to appear intentional and DEFINITELY NOT haphazard, rushed or unprofessional! Brand standards, design review (even for social media) and a matching digital presence on a website and social media profiles are minimums for this necessary step of trust and stability. (ALSO honorable mentions are HTTPS, consistent donor acknowledgments + more but you can see that blog post HERE.) Specializing your designer to be someone who knows NPO’s only ensures all of these bases are covered so you are the most visually trustworthy charity possible.
#3
SPECIALIZED Creativity does NOT mean COOKIE CUTTER
Just because a specialized designer has worked with only one industry or type of client, does not mean that their creative well has run dry. In fact, niching creates a greater well of creativity to pull from. To keep using this well analogy let’s take it a step further. If a designer’s well is the chasm from which they gather all of their ideas and concepts, it will need to be replenished no? As “creatives” replenishment can come from a variety of sources, nature, books, family, travel etc. This is individual to the creative and less to do with the industry. Now, the quality of this water and depth of that well of creative concepts and ideas grows from experience and exposure, not the replenishment. True creatives and designers do not burn out because they are inspired by the contents of their well, drawing them further and further into their creative fortress, its a closed infinite cycle. Burn out and complacency in work happen when there is not enough time to replenish the well. If a designer was immortal and could refill their well without having to look up, eat, drink, pee.. I guarantee they would. Being in the creative zone is addictive and a designer who has lived in that zone specifically for your industry will be all the more creative for your project… guaranteed.
#4
SPECIALIZED design can help attract the right DONORS + VOLUNTEERS
Specialized designer can help attract the right donors and volunteers for your cause by making sure you are doing all the right things to get their attention. How can design do all this? A picture is worth 1000 words right?
Well what if I said
a branded picture
+ user experience (UX)
+ brand identity
+ brand stability
= A real life $1 Million Dollar Grant would you believe me then?
A specialized designer can link all of this up and set you apart from the competition/ your community partners. Remember that well?
#5
SPECIALIZED Use of the latest trends
Sorry, that last statement felt “WITCHER-esk”…
I couldn’t resist
The World Wide Web is a behemoth place. There is no way a single person or mega agency could know even their small service industry’s part of it. Its constantly changing dynamics make keeping a foothold on the ever evolving tech, lingo, integrations and trends impossible. However, if your designer is working only for say Nonprofits (* wink wink *) the task is much easier, though still gigantic.
I am honest with all of my clients and let me be honest with you now… NO, I do not know every program, app, plugin, integration or item you will to bring to your project but I do promise you this… I will learn it and I will make it work for your project until you are happy with the outcome. Huzzah!
#6
SPECIALIZED in beating deadlines
Time is money and finding a designer who is specialized in your industry only means that they can work quicker to deliver your end product. The designer has likely already come across any troubleshooting problems a dozen times before and can lead the way to avoid them. They also likely have a process in place to keep roadblocks from happening, only expediting your experience compared to a generalist. Their expertise in your industry means they will not baulk at your mention of a donor management system compared to a CRM and not waste time in convincing you to use tech they are more familiar with.
