The 20% That’ll Save Your A**
Government grants are drying up. Here’s how to turn your brand into a magnet for private money.
Ciao Amici,
Your Brand Is Your Lifeline Now.
This past week, ANEWBrand had the honor of facilitating a branding workshop at PowerNET 2025, working with some of the brightest nonprofit leaders out in the social space.
The conversation was electric — but also sobering.
Unfortunately, in today’s world, where political uncertainty is the norm and government funding can vanish overnight, nonprofits can't afford to sit back and hope.
Hope isn't a strategy.
Branding is.
Here’s the brutal truth.
The organizations that thrive aren't always the ones doing the best work.
They’re the ones who build brands people believe in.
They build trust.
They build community.
And most importantly, they attract private funding when public dollars dry up.
Here's the shift we talked about…
80% of traditional nonprofit funding strategies are tied to government grants and public sector support.
But that 20% — private donors, foundations, aligned brand partners — that’s the game-changer.
Strong branding turns that 20% into your organization's fuel. Into your freedom.
Your brand isn’t a logo. It’s a magnet.
And in this insanely weird, unpredictable world we're living in, you need a stronger magnet than ever before.
If you're a nonprofit leader reading this, ask yourself:
Does our brand attract belief?
Would someone invest in our mission before they even meet us?
If the answer isn’t a resounding yes, now’s the time to make it one.
We’ll have more resources coming soon.
In the meantime, keep building something people want to believe in.
Because in this climate, belief is the new currency.
✌️🍕
Steven
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