In the dog-eat-dog capitalist rat race — the business one, not the political one — it can be hard for your nonprofit organization to stand out. Between the restrictive costs of advertising space in the city and the capital funding needed to brand you in a recognizable way, you may feel at odds against the corporate competition. As always here in Broketown, we like to do anything we can to give the good guys a leg up, so we found you a way to get some assistance, completely free of charge.
Now in its fifth year, brand lab ThinkSo’s “Give A Brand” is a juried and popular-vote competition that gives one lucky 501(c)-3 charity or nonprofit a makeover. Depending on the current shape of your organization, that could mean anything from a new logo or slogan, to a website redesign, to a total strategic overhaul! It’s like that scene in Wizard of Oz, and your company is Dorothy & friends. Hurry up: the deadline is Saturday!
Check out the eligibility requirements:
- Be a registered 501(c)(3) “nonprofit” with the IRS.
- Have been in operation for a minimum of two years.
- Demonstrate a commitment to your mission with the intention of longevity and impact.
- Be truly “in need.” This means you have no substantial funding or donor base and/or the vast majority of your resources go to realizing your mission or to the recipients of their services — not to cover administrative costs.
- Grant Thinkso complete design freedom over logo, website and other collateral.
- Commit to using and upholding the branding and materials you receive from Thinkso for a minimum of three years.
- Be present and participate in the design sprint as well as preparatory and follow-up meetings.
Ready to apply? All you’ve gotta do is provide some background information about your organization and how it’s currently funded, and offer up a convincing explanation for why it needs rebranding. Once finalists are selected, ThinkSo opens it up to online voting (hint: that’s where your killer Instagram, Twitter or Facebook following comes in handy) to select the final winner.
If selected, your organization will receive one full business day of “extreme branding” complete with free marketing materials, T-shirt fabrication, expert web assistance and more. The day will wrap up with a cocktail party on ThinkSo’s terrace to celebrate your new image. It’s like that scene in Grease, and your company is Olivia Newton John.
You can see past winners’ makeovers here. Don’t have a nonprofit of your own, but know of a friend whose burgeoning, recently-Kickstarted 501(c)-3 could use a fresh coat of paint? Tell them about this contest and then rally the popular vote for them once the polls open!
Applications are accepted until Saturday (March 26) by completing this form. Competing charities will be announced on April 25.