The National Council for Voluntary Organisations has launched a new logo as part of a wider brand update which it is gradually rolling out.
The umbrella body’s new brand, which cost approximately £30,000, reflects the organisations and identities that NCVO has taken on in the ten year’s since it last rebranded, in particular the merge with Volunteering England.
Megan Griffith Gray, head of digital and communications at NCVO, explained in a blog post how that merger impacted NCVO’s focus.
She said: “Two years ago, we’d just merged with Volunteering England. The name of the ‘new’ organisation was still NCVO but there was no doubt that this was a significant change.
“The new organisation had a far broader mission than either of the original organisations – encompassing both voluntary organisations and volunteering. From the outset the questions of name and identity were very real ones. After we merged, we went through a long process to create a new strategy, vision and mission.”
Griffith Gray explained how the new logo, and in particular the placement of the ‘V’, emphasises NCVO’s commitment “to amplifying the voice of the voluntary sector and volunteer movement”.
Other organisations and identities that NCVO has taken on over the years have included: KnowHow NonProfit, Volunteering England, Institute for Volunteering Research and Charities Evaluation Services. The latest rebrand aims to make these feel part of a “cohesive whole”.
The strapline of the organisation has also changed from “championing volunteering and civil society”, to “championing voluntary action”.
NCVO began thinking about its new brand early last year, and ran a competitive tender process to select an agency, before hearing the views of several hundred NCVO members through online surveys and at its AGM, as well as talking to non-members.
The winning agency was MultiAdaptor, who NCVO first worked with on its branding for Evolve – NCVO’s annual conference. NCVO were impressed with the way the agency had “conveyed the vibrancy of the event”.
NCVO are gradually rolling out the rebrand, updating things over the next few months on the website and other materials as and when they need updating, which it says is more cost-effective than a “big bang” approach.
The new brand design does not just mean a new logo for NCVO, it will also cover typefaces, palette, publications and signage for its conference centres and events.
Griffith Gray said that NCVO’s new identity “gives us a toolkit that will help us tell the stories of our members and reflect the vibrancy and diversity of the voluntary sector”.
She added: “At the end of the day, brand is about how you communicate your strategy and your values. When it’s right, it can really help organisations to make a bigger difference. What matters to us is delivering on our strategy, and how our new brand can help us do this – that’s how we will measure our success.
