Blog

Is Your Logo Meeting Your Nonprofit’s Communication Needs?

Woman writing in a notebook on her lap.

A logo is a key element of your nonprofit organization or association’s branding, however, if it’s not designed to be flexible and usable throughout your marketing and communications outreach, it will quickly become obsolete or unusable.

Since consistently-presented brands are 3.5 times more likely to have high brand visibility, it’s crucial to have all the necessary logos in your logo package. 

When I start the logo design process, we discuss how the logo will be used within the organization so I can keep those potential uses in mind as I’m designing. 

Here are the typical ways a logo is used: 

  1. Print marketing
  2. Website
  3. Social media
  4. Email marketing 
  5. Web ads
  6. Promotional items (ie swag) 
  7. Apparel embroidery or decoration
  8. Exhibition signage

After I determine how the logo will be used, I can choose the most appropriate properties when creating the final logo package. 

Next, you’ll want to consider the different variations on the logo colors, as well as file formats that will be needed for various uses.

Logo properties to consider: 

  • Color
    1. Full-color
      • For print
      • For digital
    2. Pantone color
      • Also called spot color
    3. One-color
      • Black 
      • One or more colors from the brand palette
    4. Greyscale
    5. Reverse
      • White version for use on dark background
    6. Inverted
      • Combination of color and white for use on dark background 
  • File format
    1. Print – high-resolution
      • EPS
      • PDF
      • AI
    2. Digital – low-resolution or vector
      • JPG
      • PNG
      • SVG
  • Taglines
    1. Logo with tagline
    2. Logo without tagline
    3. Tagline alone
  • Design elements
    1. Full Logo with icon
    2. Icon
    3. Logotype
      • Type-only version (no icon) 
  • Logo orientation
    1. Horizontal
      • Most often needed for websites
    2. Vertical
      • Most often used for signage, tee shirts or other promo items
    3. Stacked or square
      • Most often needed for social media profiles

If your logo package is missing any of these elements, a logo designer can help fill the gaps. Don’t wait until you are missing a necessary logo! 

For a quick refresher on color and file formats, visit my A to Z of Design.


Want more branding and marketing tips and resources for your nonprofit, association, or other mission-focused organization? Join my monthly email list—plus get my free Nonprofit Branding Checklist.


Save
Save
Save