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Nonprofit
Organization Graphics
The
following are tools, solutions, tips, tricks,
secrets, and best practices for nonprofit organizations.
Be sure to share this page with your colleagues
so they can benefit from them as well.
Nonprofit
Organization Web Resources
The
Influence of Graphics for Nonprofit Organizations
One of the fastest and easiest ways Nonprofit
Organizations can reach donors is through effective
visual communication. People think using pictures.
Before we can talk, we learn through seeing and
responding to our surroundings. Dr. Lynell Burmark,
Ph.D. Associate at the Thornburg Center for Professional
Development and author of several books and papers
on visual literacy, asserted that ideas and concepts
not associated with an image are harder to process
by our long-term memory. In short, words are processed
by short-term memory, and images are immediately
tucked away in our long-term memory. If this assertion
is correct (and many other researchers have proven
so), then using visuals for marketing materials
to promote a Nonprofit's goals, presentations
to how funding is applied, and all other communications
will help reach your audience and promote your
organization's goals.
Consider the following:
- Professional, visually appealing
graphics increase your likelihood of success
by 43% (3M-sponsored study at the University
of Minnesota School of Management).
- Research at the 3M Corporation
concluded that we process visuals 60,000 times
faster than text.
- 83% of what we learn is through
our eyes according to a study by the United
States Armed Forces
- According to Dale Carnegies Training,
graphics allow the audience to follow at their
own speed because visuals accommodate all learning
styles.
- 200% improved learning when
visuals were used. (University of Wisconsin
study)
- 40% less time to explain complex
ideas with visuals. (Wharton School study)
- 38% improved retention because
of graphics. (Harvard University study)
This does not mean that graphic
communication is better than text. However, the
combination of graphics and words has a communicative
power that neither singularly possesses. J.R.
Levin said it best in A Transfer of Appropriate
Process Perspective of Pictures in Prose: 'Pictures
interact with text to produce levels of comprehension
and memory that can exceed what is produced by
text alone."
Creating
Graphics for Nonprofit Organizations
When creating graphics, ask
yourself the following:
- What is the most important idea
or concept this graphic should relate?
- Who is your audience? Would
they understand any technical terms or prefer
an overview?
- How do you want to say it? What
form of graphic (photograph, area chart, illustration,
timeline, etc.) will best reach your audience
and help them to understand the idea/concept?
Seven
Rules for Creating Graphics for Nonprofit Organizations
- All graphics should play a specific
role and have a reason for being chosen and
incorporated.
- Stay consistent.
- Show or say it correctly. Don't
try to be original.
- Keep it clean and simple. Too
much visual clutter can be overwhelming and
lose the primary objective of your message.
- Label elements directly to avoid
confusion. This rule is especially true if you
are introducing new image and ideas.
- Use recognizable imagery. Seeing
a familiar face evokes trustworthiness in your
audience. This is one reason celebrities are
used in advertisements.
- Focus on your audience. Show
your audience in your graphics. Allow your audience
to see themselves learning and benefiting from
your services or applying your services.
Creating
Graphics for Nonprofit Organizations
Consistency throughout your communication materials
is the main reason to create a template for your
presentations and maintain a database of graphics.
You don't want your audience wondering why certain
slides in a presentation are colored differently
(if there's no reason) or why different illustrations
are used to explain the same concept. These differences
will distract from your message and you want your
message to be communicated clearly and remembered.
To maintain a database of graphics
for your Nonprofit Organization, consider the
following:
- On your server create a folder
specifically for graphics (primarily photographs,
illustrations, charts, and logos).
- Create subfolders for each graphic
type (i.e., Photos of Donors, Photos of Sponsored
Events, Photos of Services Provided, Charts
of Funding Statistics, Organization Logos).
- Inform everyone in your organization
of the availability of these images.
- Create a standards guide to
inform your associates when, where, and how
they can use these graphics. Include the following:
- Photo or illustration size limitations
- Colors
- Fonts
- Type of communications in which to use
the graphics (i.e., for newspapers, brochures,
advertisements, etc.)
- Logo guides for size, colors, and style
- Stationery guidelines (i.e., logo, margins,
body text, colors, etc.)
To create a template for presentations,
use the following guide. Open a blank document
and populate it with this information:
- Title slide template
- Background templates (be sure
to include all versions for different sections
or larger titles)
- Colors
- Primary color
- Secondary color
- Tertiary color
- Color palette of boxes tinted
with your chosen colors
- Font and text styles
- Font style
- Font size (For graphics, use at least
12 pt. for best visibility when projected
on a screen)
- Font color
- Bullet styles
- Labeling styles
- Box styles (different boxes
for org charts, flow charts, benefits boxes,
etc.)
- Arrow styles
- Line style (width and color)
- Logos for your organization
and any sponsors/donors
- Samples of graphic icons/photos
used in other graphics (e.g., blue cylinder
equals database)
- Samples of graphic styles (area
charts, bar charts, etc. used within presentation)
Nonprofit
Organization Graphic Solutions
You need a powerful campaign,
presentation, ad, document, or website. Unfortunately,
you have to make it happen with very little time,
money, and resources. You know you need your material
to look great, effectively communicate your messag,
and leave the a lasting impression
that motivates your audience to take action. You
know you need high-quality, powerful graphics.
What do you do? Great news, you have a choice:
1.
Do-it-yourself graphics guide
2.
Ready-to-go graphics on DVD
3.
Graphic how-to training
4.
Fast Class seminars (1 hour quick classes)
5. Graphics library
Successful nonprofit organizations
use Billion Dollar Graphics' solutions to help
conceptualize persuasive graphics. Other professionals
like you use the easy-to-learn processes to turn
their ideas and words into clear, communicative,
compelling:
- Fundraising graphics
- Presentation graphics
- Brochure graphics
- Medical graphics
- Explanatory graphics (information
graphics)
- Pie charts
- Bar charts
- Area charts
- Gantt charts
- Timelines
- Promotional graphics
- Web graphics
- Multimedia graphics
- Any visual solution
needed
 Don’t
waste anymore of your valuable energy, money,
and time. Help your audience better absorb your
solutions, concepts, data, processes, and ideas.
Influence and motivate your audience to take
action. Use these books and learn to
quickly communicate your ideas effectively. (Learn
more about the book.)
 Kick
start or add to your existing proposal graphics
library. The Billion Dollar Graphics Master Collection
DVD contains 111 editable graphics (Illustrator
and Photoshop CS2 or better for Mac and PC).
All graphics are professionally
conceptualized and rendered at print resolution.
(Learn
more about the DVD.)
Billion Dollar Graphics training/workshops
will show you how to use visual communication
to reach your goals. The training is applicable
to anyone who needs to communicate information
for a desired result. Whether you are a business
developer, presenter, financial consultant, teacher,
attorney, graphic designer, sales or marketing
specialist, or in almost any other profession—visual
communication training will help you and your
organization succeed. (Learn
more about the Training and Workshops.)
Custom
Solutions for Nonprofit Organizations
Your challenges are unique.
Perhaps your goal is to increase the quality of
your visuals or analyze your existing process
and develop a better system for generating clear,
communicative, compelling graphics. Allow Billion
Dollar Graphics to be of service. We are available
for consultation. (Learn
more about custom solutions.)
Design Services
with 24 Hour Company
Billion Dollar Graphics and 24 Hour Company work
together to provide:
- Graphic production (conceptualization
and rendering)
- Desktop publishing
- Eediting
(Learn
more about 24 Hour Company.)
 Click
on the solutions below to purchase...
Billion Dollar Business Graphics Book +
Free Virtual CD ($49.95)
More
Information
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Get More. Save BIG!
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BDG Master Collection ($549)
FREE Book + 111 ready-to-use,
editable business graphics + 41 bonus graphics
+ FREE tools and resources on DVD.
Only $4.95 per graphic.
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Information |
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Click
here to download a fax order form, if you have
a PO# or prefer not to order online.
Other
services are also available:
Conceptualization Training and Workshops
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Graphic Conceptualization
Online Training
(coming soon) |
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Custom Solutions for
Nonprofit Organizations |
Design Services
(through 24 Hour Company) |
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Fast Class Seminars |
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