Let’s start with a little exercise: pick three adjectives to describe a nonprofit that serves a good cause. You have 5 seconds – starting now.

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Time’s up, what did you come up with? Inspiring? Charitable?  Helpful? Nice?

How about sassy, business-savvy, and sexy?

That’s the image that charity : water has achieved, thanks to its founder Scott Harrison’s vision. If charity : water were to become a real life character – and it already has plenty of it – it would be sharp, posh, and undeniably sexy. Partnering with Hollywood celebrities and high-end fashion retailers, charity : water has raised over $7 million and funded 1,247 water projects, bringing safe drinking water to over 650,000 people. It has also built a brand for itself. Not just water, but clean, safe and sexy water.

In his recent blog “Clean, Sexy Water”, Nicolas Kristof wrote about this organization that is revolutionizing how nonprofits operate and market. A look at their press kit shows an organization that is focused, committed, sophisticated  and trustworthy. Today, it’s no longer enough for a nonprofit to say that it makes the world a better place. To be successful, it also needs business smarts and marketing savvy.

What’s in a name? As it turns out, a lot. Brand equity, or the value of the name of an organization, is something traditionally associated with Coca Cola, Apple, Dove and Armani. However, we are seeing more and more nonprofits realizing the importance off a strong brand name, and working harder than ever to build it. Global problems call for global solutions, and that calls for a brand name.

How do you build the brand, its personality and its image? Does having a brand name make the organization seem too commercial? Leave your thoughts!