Article 1: Introduction to Series
Research has shown that many nonprofit organizations do not engage in the strategic planning process and even fewer include a brand strategy and messaging component (Appold, 2021). Branding is a psychological construct and brand management is the work involved in handling or managing these psychological associations with an organization or entity according to the American Marketing Association (2023). Nonprofits have leveraged their brands for fundraising efforts historically but less so for strategic positioning in their marketplaces. This article is from a rapid evidence assessment (REA) conducted of research papers to answer the question: How do brand and stakeholders impact strategic management in nonprofits?
Answering this question will help organizational managers understand the role that brand plays in nonprofit strategy using stakeholder theory as a theoretical lens. Understanding how to communicate their brand is significant because it will allow nonprofit organizations to be more efficient and effective, and ultimately save time, and money, and accomplish their goals.
Ten articles, eight qualitative and two quantitative, comprising international, nonprofit, and public organizations were synthesized to determine themes and findings to answer the question. Findings show that nonprofits need to engage all stakeholders and have an integrated engagement/communication plan to communicate their brand as part of a comprehensive plan. These findings will be fleshed out and explained in this blog series.