Social Impact

As the COVID-19 pandemic upended the country, many nonprofits reconfigured their marketing strategies and budgets to place a sharper focus on their missions and help people through a difficult period in inspiring ways. Here are four examples of how nonprofit organizations successfully dealt with the crisis, as well as lessons learned.

The concept of branding is not new in the nonprofit world, but it now plays a broader and more strategic role. This is most evident in beefed-up efforts to ensure a unified branding message permeates every level of the organization; achieving alignment between branding and fundraising is a big part of that.

With more for-profits involved in societal causes, nonprofits must re-establish trust to advance their missions.

Over the past several decades, Seventh Generation has grown from a fledgling pioneer of eco-conscious home-cleaning products to a significant player in the market. At the same time, the Unilever brand takes highly vocal and visible stands on such issues as climate change and chemical ingredient disclosure.

“Our purpose is to eliminate the idea of waste,” says Michael Waas, global VP of brand partnerships at TerraCycle. To date, more than 202 million people have helped to collect and recycle waste through the company’s 75 recycling programs in the U.S. and 250 programs in 21 other countries.

The nonprofit 826 Valencia is making writing more accessible to kids, and in the process, giving them a voice.

Their lives intertwined by fate, Jackson and Tabitha Kaguri are changing lives and transforming the economies of southwest Uganda.

Over the past two decades, Operation Walk, a volunteer medical humanitarian organization that provides joint replacement surgeries at no cost for those in need across the globe, has operated on more than 17,000 patients in 25 countries. The man behind the successful organization, Dr. Lawrence Dorr, explains how it came about and the impact it’s having.

The nonprofit sector has been talking about diversity matters for years, yet little progress has been made. Learn how ALSAC, Special Olympics, and the YMCA of the USA are moving toward diversity, inclusion, and equity.

Research conducted by the ANA Educational Foundation found that outstanding entry-level professionals simply don’t find the idea of marketing very sexy. It’s a challenge of growing importance at nonprofit organizations.

As CEO of Land O’Lakes, Beth Ford advocates for strengthening rural communities and supporting dairy farmers through agriculture technology and innovation.

Working for a nonprofit isn’t for everyone, but it can be a deeply rewarding experience. Nonprofit leaders from Ducks Unlimited, the Metropolitan Opera, United Farm Workers of America, and the Smithsonian Institution share what attracted them to the industry and keeps them inspired.

When it comes to recruiting new employees, retaining existing ones, and succession planning, nonprofits need to step up their game. Here’s how Boys Town, the Deborah Hospital Foundation, and the Association of the Miraculous Medal are doing just that.

Behind its longtime CEO Jonathan Reckford, Habitat for Humanity International is improving the wellbeing of families across the globe, one house at a time.

Since 2015, this pasture-raised eggs producer, founded on principles for the humane treatment of farm animals, has grown its partner network from roughly 50 small family farms to approximately 200.

To bolster the organization’s impact on cancer research, the V Foundation adopts a more aggressive approach to fundraising, one that emphasizes more rewarding and relevant experiences for donors.

Working to eliminate childhood hunger in America, No Kid Hungry launched a successful summer campaign to raise broad awareness of free meal programs for kids in need. Learn how the campaign came about, the challenges, the actions, and the results.

Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Virginie Helias, P&G has deployed an ambitious plan to protect the environment, cut waste, and better distinguish its brands.

Playing For Change co-founder Mark Johnson believes music brings the people together. His heralded Songs Around the World project is proof of that.

A strong commitment to making the world healthier has led to a successful partnership between SmartyPants Vitamins and the nonprofit Vitamin Angels.