Why All Non-Profits Should Know the Value of Their Brand
At last week’s Fundraising Nest’s "Nest Fest Down Under," I was asked, “What advice would you give to your younger self?” My answer: Be your authentic self and be discerning about whose advice you listen to. Reflecting on this led me to write this blog, but I hesitated to publish. I was then inspired by Kamala Harris’ bold stand for the truth and calling out misinformation, so here it is. I’d love your thoughts.
Some time ago, I was forwarded a document, written by a purported corporate partnerships expert. It dismissed the importance of non-profits valuing their brand, claiming, “Getting your brand valued is a waste of money,” and “It won’t get you more partnerships.”
As someone who, in collaboration with experts, has developed the only rigorous process for valuing a non-profit’s brand, in Australia and New Zealand, I felt this criticism was pointed at me and my tool.
I’m all for being challenged and being open to others’ contributions (I doubt I would have survived in business 29 years if I didn’t!), but when a tool that’s helped so many non-profits comes under fire, I feel compelled to respond.
First let’s address the consultant’s criticisms.
1.“Getting your brand valued is a waste of money”
Most companies value their brand when preparing to sell, list on the stock exchange, or merge. It’s costly—sometimes up to $60,000—and for non-profits, which won’t be selling or listing, I wouldn’t recommend such an investment. It’s unlikely to deliver a meaningful return.
However, in the 1990s, I saw many non-profits struggle when asked by corporates to provide a dollar value for their brand in partnerships, especially in Cause Related Marketing campaigns. Early in my career, I worked on partnerships like Kleenex (12 years, $2.6m for Guide Dogs Australia) and Kellogg’s (6 years, $5m for Kids Helpline). Back then, we were pretty ballsy, and we’d come up with a figure based on what felt right. Without having any figure in mind, these non-profits would have been very weak and vulnerable in negotiation with corporates.
As corporate partnerships became more sophisticated in Australia during the early 2000s, I realised that a gut feel wasn’t going to cut it. I knew non-profits needed a robust process, that could stand up to scrutiny by a corporate, to place a dollar value on their brand. I developed a brand valuation tool in collaboration with media and branding experts. It’s since evolved with market changes and became part of the BePartnerReady.com® 7-step process under the name BaFF (Brand Affiliation Fee) in 2019.
If you don’t have a dollar value on your brand, what’s the alternative? You make one up, or just accept what the corporate is offering you. I don’t believe either is acceptable.
BePartnerREady.com® offers the brand valuation tool in a 2.5-hour workshop for just $250 + GST. Students walk away with a dollar value on their brand. This will hardly break the bank of any non-profit and in the 20+ years of offering this tool I’ve never heard it described as “a waste of money”, quite the opposite. Words like ‘game-changer’, ‘rigorous’, ‘practical’, ‘excellent’ are commonplace.
2.“Getting your brand valued won’t get you more partnerships”
This is simply false. Numerous non-profits have secured valuable, publicly promoted partnerships using our tool. Examples include Conservation Volunteers Australia with BUPA, Hello Sunday Morning with Vodafone, Pet Rescue with PetCircle and Woolworths, Greening Australia with Sukin, School Fun Run with Nature’s Way, and Bully Zero landing five partners including TikTok, securing $2.6m in untied funds.
These partnerships offer not just public visibility but also untied funding. And as we all know, non-profits need all the untied funding they can get!
Why Knowing Your Brand’s Value Matters
All non-profits should understand their brand’s value, especially when negotiating with larger, well-resourced corporates. Consumers now expect companies to support societal and environmental causes, our research proves it [1]. It’s therefore increasingly likely that a company will want to promote its partnership with a cause or charity, thereby utilising its valuable brand.
If a corporate wants to use your brand, how will you price it if you haven’t valued it? At BePartnerReady.com® we believe that non-profits play an important role in society and their value should not be diminished. We believe that non-profits should stand up for what they’re worth and not hand the calculator to corporates.
Whilst a brand valuation isn’t needed in every type of partnership, it’s crucial in negotiations with corporate departments like Marketing or CSR/ESG. These areas focus on brand reputation, promotion, storytelling and differentiation—where your brand is a major asset to them.
A corporate partnership is different and distinct from a corporate donation. The word partner implies mutual benefit, yes? Working together on a shared goal. So therefore, in any negotiation with a corporate there is an exchange of value, an exchange of assets and benefits. Your brand is one of your most valuable assets, so knowing the value of it is crucial.
To imply that our brand valuation process is a waste of money and won’t get you a partner, is not only inaccurate but also disrespectful to the many people that worked on developing the tool, but also, the many non-profits that have successfully used it to negotiate and win corporate partnerships.
If you would like to calculate your non-profit brands’ value, join our final workshop of the year on October 9.
Hailey Cavill-Jaspers
