Maia Coelho
Support for charities is personal, and a strong brand personality is key to creating lasting emotional connections amongst current and potential supporters. But what makes the ideal charity? Let’s uncover the attributes that truly resonate with people.
People connect with charitable causes that reflect their values, emotions and lived experiences. That’s why having a strong brand personality isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ for charities, it’s essential. It helps create a sense of trust, familiarity and emotional connection, making it easier for people to engage with your cause and feel inspired to take action.
Charities rely on emotional appeal to drive donations and support – people tend to give because they feel something. And that feeling is shaped by how your charity presents itself. The most memorable charities use their personality to shine through in everything they do, from their messaging and visuals to their tone of voice and the way they interact with people. A clear and consistent brand personality makes your organisation feel more human and relatable. Whether your charity is perceived as informative, friendly or practical, your brand personality should reflect who you are and the impact you want to make in the world.
In our nfpBrand research, we talk to those already aware of your charity to better understand what people really think of your brand. We look at the particular attributes they associate with you, a chosen comparator of yours, and an ‘ideal’ charity working in your sector, allowing you to easily benchmark yourself on different traits. So, what kind of brand personality are the public looking for from an ideal charity?
Ideal charity attributes
When it comes to the top three key brand attributes of an ideal charity in general, survey respondents opted for ‘trustworthy’ (75%), ‘caring’ (67%) and ‘supportive’ (66%). Hardly surprising when we consider the role of charities to address issues in society, usually amongst vulnerable groups, by offering direct help, providing reliable information, or raising awareness. These attributes dominate public preferences for charity brands, with these traits ranking in the top three for most sectors. However, we do see some variation on top rankings for some areas of work. For the ideal Armed Forces charity the respondents cited being ‘professional’ as the third most important characteristic; for older people it’s ‘friendly’; and for poverty/homeless charities it’s ‘practical’. Meanwhile, the second most important trait for digestive health charities is being ‘informative’. A summary of the top three traits for each sector can be seen in the table below:
Beyond the top rankings, individual attributes vary in their popularity for different causes. Being ‘professional’ scores highest for health charities (57% vs 44% average), being ‘heroic’ scores highest for Armed Forces charities (33% vs 15% average) and being ‘traditional’ scores highest for older people charities (25% vs 14% average). The chart below shows the top 15 most popular attributes for the ideal charity, broken down by each cause. You can see the exact percentages for each attribute by hovering over each graph and you can also look at graphs individually by selecting from the drop-down menu.
While many charities may be striving towards similar brand attributes, the perception of what an ‘ideal’ charity should be like does vary depending on cause. By understanding the specific traits that people value most in your sector, you can tailor your messaging and identity to better align with their expectations. This strategic alignment not only strengthens your brand but also deepens connections, inspiring greater trust and support.
Our nfpBrand tracker provides valuable insights into how your brand is perceived, offering data-driven recommendations for enhancing your charity’s identity. By talking to those already aware of your brand, we dig beyond brand awareness and into understanding of your brand personality. With a team of experts ready to help you interpret your results, we ensure that your brand resonates effectively with supporters. For more information, consider downloading an information pack below or contact us at Brand@nfpresearch.com.