BRANDING AS THE BRIDGE TO CONNECTION
Once a nonprofit’ s brand identity is clear, Ebert Design Co. connects organizations with the right people and resources to bring that brand to life. Their flexible team model— built on a network of skilled freelancers and contractors— means nonprofits get tailored support for their unique needs.
We are sharing insights from Ebert Design Co., a strategic connector and brand consultancy at the forefront of this movement. Specializing in helping nonprofits clarify their identity, align their messaging and access the resources they need to thrive, Ebert Design Co. is transforming how nonprofits tell their stories, engage supporters and fulfill their missions.
IT STARTS WITH BRAND CLARITY
Before launching a branding campaign, Ebert Design Co. begins with foundational questions about brand identity and longterm vision. For Zach Ebert, founder of the company, it’ s all about understanding the heart of the organization: Where do you want to be in three to five years?
“ We’ re looking for several key elements: their authentic mission and values, their target audience’ s real needs and pain points, the organization’ s unique strengths and positioning and the gaps between where they are now and where they want to be,” Ebert said.“ All of these elements come together into a clear roadmap of where we need to go and how to get there.”
Through discovery workshops and stakeholder engagement, Ebert’ s team helps nonprofits uncover blind spots, internal disconnects and opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed. It’ s not about selling services— it’ s about helping organizations build a brand roadmap to a more sustainable, strategic future.
“ Rather than connecting nonprofits to outside resources, we provide comprehensive solutions through our flexible team model. We work with a network of skilled freelancers and contractors, which allows us to craft the perfect team for each project’ s specific needs,” Ebert said.
Ebert likens the process to assembling a crew for a heist:“ Imagine it like a bank heist. The nonprofit comes to us with a bank to crack( their specific problem), and we bring them together the perfect team to take care of the job, the getaway driver, the security expert, the lockpick— you get the picture.”
“ It’ s not just about making things look pretty; it’ s about helping nonprofits become more effective at fulfilling their missions. That benefits everyone in our community.”
BEYOND TACTICS: BUILDING BRAND ALIGNMENT
A strong brand identity isn’ t just about logos or taglines— it’ s about ensuring every team member, volunteer and supporter understands and embodies the organization’ s mission and values. Ebert Design Co. helps nonprofits achieve this internal alignment, which is essential for consistent communication and authentic engagement.
This alignment helps solve problems many nonprofits don’ t realize they have, such as:
// Inconsistent communication between departments // Lack of shared language around the mission or values // Confusing or fragmented experiences for volunteers or community partners
// Misalignment between what leadership wants and what front-line staff or audiences experience
“ Consistency builds trust. Without clear brand positioning and audience understanding, marketing efforts become scattered and ineffective, and you start to lose that vital trust,” said Ebert.“ We’ ve seen too many organizations waste resources on beautiful websites or social media campaigns that don’ t connect because they don’ t fit into a bigger picture.”
14 CentrAL Inc!