Mostly "What Works" focuses on either Why Organizations Thrive  and Why Organizations Go Off Course, both of which detail lessons I learned while growing the Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV), buttressed by my observations of dozens of other groups both in Oregon and across the country.

Why Organizations Go off Course Lesson Nine is: Pay Attention to your Brand.

Too many nonprofits don't pay attention to their organizational communications strategy, focusing only on the tactics of any given communication. Or maybe they plan for communications around a specific program, but never for the institution overall.

I've seen nonprofits that put out great letters, emails, and press releases - but they fail to integrate into any coherent whole. Or worse, they are internally contradictory.

Nonprofit managers often want to reward employees by letting them express their creativity (since high pay isn't one of the perks), but this creativity can undermine the organization's need to speak with a consistent voice.

Why is this so problematic? And how can organizations address the challenge without spending money they don't have on outside consultants?