The future of the NGO community is unclear as policymakers consider cutting the foreign aid portion of the federal budget. With the current state of affairs, NGOs must consider a new approach to gain support from policymakers and donors. Arlene Corbin Lewis, Communications Associate Director for Government Relations and Advocacy at Habitat for Humanity International, moderated the “Is the NGO Brand at Risk” workshop session.  The session focused on how NGOs can increase their brand value and the importance of a brand to its organization.

The panel, comprised of Diane H. Fusilli, Global Communications Consultant; Vanita Gowda, Director of Advocacy for Women Deliver; and Devi Ramachandran Thomas, Director of the Global Vaccines Campaign at the United Nations Foundation, gave key insights into how NGOs could broaden their brand appeal and target the appropriate audience for their messages.

Fusilli started the discussion by stating that an organization’s brand represents its reputation and the trust an organization has gained from the communities it serves. She pointed out several key strategies that NGOs should invest in to improve their brand, but more importantly she stated that an NGO’s brand is about justice and social good.

Gowda gave insight into the advocacy work she does and the strategies that NGOs can use to expand their influence by targeting the right audiences. She explained how audiences need to be reached using appropriate channels, and that there needs to be diversity at the advocacy table to better shape an organization's message.

Thomas stressed how NGOs need to listen to their supporters and donors because they invest in their brand. She said that although NGOs have authentic brands and the trust of their beneficiaries, they should look to their corporate counterparts to better understand how to determine the financial value of their brand.

The panelists agreed that NGOs need to diversify their message to broaden their appeal and have a greater impact on the lives of their beneficiaries.

The session concluded with the statement that that clarity and identity of a designated mission is at the root of a brand, and that it adds value. An organization’s brand is a true reflection of its mission and it should be invested in.