Building a mission-driven brand worth trusting in a guarded world

How to stay mission-driven: the game of earning and keeping trust

For mission-driven organizations, values drive everything (and every dollar). Earning and keeping trust is continual, especially in a culture of increased skepticism and fickle public sentiment. People are guarded with how they give, and for good reason.

In our work with the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, and for many mission-driven orgs, the answer isn’t to reinvent your values with every new ideological movement, but to clearly and consistently communicate your mission and why it matters today.

As the world constantly changes around us, consistency is its own differentiator. Unwavering belief in a singular mission expressed with clarity: that’s the refreshingly sincere brand stance our culture craves.

In the words of Sruthi Sadhujan, Senior Strategy Director at Hyperakt, “In a nonprofit sector experiencing rapidly shifting norms and rules, it takes courage to decide to be yourself rather than to become something you are not.”

Two brands are always at the top of our nonprofit clients’ list of inspo, and there’s a reason for it.

• Charity: Water doesn’t beat around the bush with their mission. Even their name gets straight to the point: they’re a charity about water. A cursory glance at their website is enough to know what they do and how they’re making a difference.

• For decades, Patagonia has led with their values at every turn, and they’re incredibly transparent about measuring themselves against those values (even when they fall short). They’re a brand people trust because of that honesty and consistency.

In short, brands worth trusting speak clearly and stay true.

Breaking through perceptions as a healthcare nonprofit

As a nonprofit in the healthcare space, the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center was dealt a complicated hand. The existing donor base was loyal and committed, but beyond that strong group, they faced a unique set of perception challenges:

• Lack of Awareness:
  “The hospital doesn’t need more money.”

• Perceived Elitism:
  “Giving is only for people who want their name on a building.”

• Ethical Concerns:
  “Philanthropy is just a well-disguised VIP pass to priority care.”

These perceptions came from 1) general public sentiment around the healthcare system in the U.S., and 2) investigations into other nonprofit hospitals for priority treatment of donors. Neither of these factors had anything to do with this Foundation or hospital specifically, but it was enough to plant a seed of hesitation.

While the specific context around healthcare is unique, the takeaway is not: non-profits organizations are always under the microscope, having to prove their values and their impact anew.

In this case, the answer was simple: Put aside the complications and simply tell the story.

The story is already there: Getting to the heart of it

This wasn’t a moment for the Foundation to pivot their values or evolve their mission. We simply helped them clarify what was already true: Giving saves people’s lives, and the hospital couldn’t stay up on the latest treatments, technology and resources without it.

We gave them the tools to communicate their story, with the building blocks of a brand worth trusting:

• Clear and direct:
  Getting specific in their language was key to breaking down barriers of trust and awareness: Here’s the need. Here’s how you can help. or Here’s what we fundraised. Here’s how it changed this person’s life.

• Warm and inviting:
  With their look and voice, we infused a warmth and energy that authentically reflects their team and invites new audiences. Because not only is giving important, it’s for everyone.

• Real and human:
  A man who gave to emergency care after surviving a near-fatal motorcycle accident. A couple who donated to palliative care after their family member’s battle with chronic illness. Elementary school kids who ran a lemonade stand to benefit pediatric care. These stories and more were already there. We just brought them to the forefront.

Through our years of partnership with the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, these building blocks have been put to work across their brand: A visual evolution and messaging guide, a rebranded donor recognition program, a more authentic video storytelling format, to name a few. The result is a mission-driven brand worth trusting.

Deanna Rosa, Senior Designer
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