For a long time, charity brand building has focused on awareness:

• Are we well known?
• Are we visible enough?
• Are we cutting through?

Awareness still matters (if people don’t know you exist, they can’t support you) – but recognition alone is not what drives preference, advocacy or long-term support. The more pressing question today is not “Do people know us?” but “Do we feel relevant?”.

In our nfpBrand research, relevance measures whether a charity meets a genuine need, whether it feels more relevant today than ever and whether it feels personally relevant to individuals. While awareness tells us whether a charity is recognised, and that’s important, relevance tells us whether it feels necessary.

When we model what drives brand preference – how much people say they like a charity – relevance consistently emerges as one of the strongest influences. In a recent driver analysis for a large national health charity, relevance was the single strongest driver of preference in that wave, explaining more variation than authority or momentum.

Relevant is rarely a secondary factor, and this matters because preference underpins so much else: willingness to recommend, intention to donate and longer-term loyalty. Yet even high consideration does not guarantee action. In some sectors, for instance, large proportions of the public say they would consider supporting multiple organisations – but only a smaller share convert into active supporters. Being relevant increases the likelihood of being chosen when that moment of decision arrives.

Being known is not the same as being chosen

In some categories, we see high prompted awareness but much lower spontaneous recall. People recognise the name when asked, but it does not always come to mind unprompted when they think about the issue. That gap is often where relevance lives…or falters.

The current sector context makes this even more pronounced. Supporters are operating in a climate of constant demand, with economic pressure, global crises, social change and digital noise all compete for attention. People are not just asking whether a charity does good work: they are asking (often subconsciously) where their support will make the most meaningful difference now.

(That “now” is critical here, because relevance is dynamic.)

We also see that its importance varies by audience. In recent modelling, relevance was particularly influential among under 45s, while older groups weighted impact and brand personality more evenly. For younger audiences especially, charities must feel current and connected to today’s realities.

Most people can name multiple charities within the same cause area, and many of these organisations are trusted and respected. Only a smaller number, however, really feel essential.

In health categories in particular, we often see considerable overlap in those who say they would consider supporting different charities working in the same space. When differentiation is unclear, organisations can become interchangeable. Relevance reduces that substitution risk.

Relevance is an emotional factor; not just logical

Relevance is also not purely rational. Of course it is linked to need: supporters must believe that a genuine problem exists and that the charity is addressing it. But it also has an emotional dimension.

In cause areas where lived experience is widespread, personal connection is one of the strongest drivers of support. Relevance, in those cases, is felt as much as it is assessed. It reflects whether people see their own story – or the story of someone close to them – within the charity’s work.

This is particularly important for established charities, because high awareness can create a sense of security. But awareness can remain strong while perceptions of relevance soften. When that happens, brand preference can plateau, even if familiarity stays high.

The encouraging news is that relevance is measurable. It can be benchmarked, modelled and tracked over time. And in a sector where many charities are trusted and well known, it is often the clearest route to sustainable preference and growth.

If you'd like to take a closer look at the metrics shaping preference for your organisation, get in touch: we are here to support your brand strategy.

And learn more: What makes a charity brand more than a logo? Insights from our ‘strong charity brands’ webinar.