What comes to mind when you hear the words, “The breakfast of champions”? What if I said, “Don’t leave home without it”? How about, “Just do it”?
If you’re like most people, you’ll quickly reply, Wheaties, American Express and Nike. And therein lies the power of a good tagline. Power that also is available to nonprofits: strong words.
In just a few words — and the fewer the better — taglines can help nonprofits define their mission and purpose, identify the communities they serve, and reinforce their market and brand positioning.
A good tagline becomes an anchor and a hook for your organization. It can create or reinforce your organization’s personality. And it can aid donor recall and memory.
And a good tagline is not only external-facing; it’s also an internal communications tool, enabling people outside the organization to get to know you better while also serving as a a rallying cry for those who work and volunteer for the organization.
On mission
When creating a tagline, the place to begin is with your mission statement. If your organization doesn’t have a mission statement, write one. And do it now. Your mission statement is a foundational building block, the cornerstone on which all your communications are built.
If you do have a mission statement, check it for freshness. By that I mean hold it up to the light of your organization’s current programs, initiatives and activities. Many organizations grow and evolve significantly over time, but their mission statements often are not updated to reflect these changes.
If that’s the case for your organization, rewrite your mission statement before you attempt to write a tagline.
Don’t repeat, repeat yourself
If the name of your organization states clearly who you are and/or what you do, don’t create a tagline that simply restates this information. You’ll be wasting valuable branding and messaging real estate.
Here’s a hypothetical illustration. Let’s say your organization is the Main Street Homeless Shelter. You don’t want a tagline that says something like “Helping The Homeless.” Your name already communicates that fact.
A better approach would be a tagline that says something like “Renewing Hope. Rebuilding Lives.” Or perhaps your shelter’s mission is to provide a range of services beyond a meal and a bed, which would be important for potential supporters to know. In that case, a tagline such as, “Housing. Counseling. Community Support” would be a much stronger messaging element.
