Even though I wish I could just “power down” like a computer, for better or worse my brain never tires.
I’ve been marinating on a big idea that could be huge for how your organization connects with supporters. And over the holiday break my obsession went into overdrive.
I’d love to run the big idea by you, so if now isn’t a good time please flag or star this email and come back to it when you’ve got a minute. Here we go…
There are four core “types” of nonprofits.
This is the driving motivation for your mission and the “why” behind your founding. I first heard about this idea from Dr. JJ Peterson at Storybrand. He explained it through the “give a man a fish” metaphor:
- Relief: Give someone a fish
- Development: Teach someone to fish
- Empowerment: Build networks of sustainable fishing
- Justice: Tear down the fence around the pond
Each of these “types” manifests into a series of unique brand personalities. Just like the brand archetype wheel above, there are core qualities and characteristics that we understand in these “archetypes,” and they can be super helpful in keeping your brand consistent and easily understood by supporters.
Your personality directly affects how you attract and connect with supporters. After sharing a preview of this theory yesterday on Linkedin, Evan Weinstein shared a really helpful resource called “The Seven Faces of Philanthropy” and plan to obsess over donor types next Have you read the book or use their theories in your work?
Your organization is uniquely positioned to solve a unique problem in the world. There is more method to positioning than just picking a hypothetical spot on the landscape.
Borrowing from the book “The Business of Expertise,” David C Baker talks about how expertise is strongest at the intersection of horizontal and vertical positioning:
- ↔️Horizontal positioning: Demographic or practice area (WHO or WHERE you serve)
- ↕️Vertical positioning: The overall problem you’re helping to solve (animal rights, arts & culture, crime & law, environment, literacy, human services, suicide prevention, clean water, etc.)
But what if instead of centering around demographics we focus on how your nonprofit helps? Then we get a clearer picture of how your nonprofit is helping to contribute to the solution of the systemic issue.
You shouldn’t have to stretch to be all things to all people. Instead of going wider with your reach at the risk of stretching yourself too thin, what if instead you could focus on taking your expertise deeper?
Your team would have more clarity. You could finally focus on a unique need and solution. And if you’re hyper-focused on what you do best, it’s much easier to lock arms with other nonprofits.
Everyone brings their strengths to the table.
I love seeing this in practice throughout the nonprofit consulting community. We each have a specific area of expertise that gives us power to say no to projects (or funding) we aren’t the best fit for, referring friends who are better suited for the task instead. This unilateral teamwork relies on a clear understanding of how each person fits into the overall ecosystem. Plus it’s much easier to connect you with a pro who specialize in exactly what they’re looking for. It’s a super-powered super-network!
And I believe that this could also work for nonprofits. Imagine what it would be like if every organization embraced their unique zone of genius? This is very much still a working hypothesis. Unlocking the potential of your nonprofit starts with understanding the four core types and leveraging brand positioning.
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Related Resources
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