A Quick Checklist for Nonprofits in Summer Brand Design
Summer brand design can help nonprofits connect with their communities. Whether you’re planning an event, launching a campaign, or simply staying active on social media your community is experiencing summertime. But as you roll out seasonal content, it’s easy to lose sight of your visual identity in favor of wanting sunny graphics and beachy vibes.
The good news? You don’t have to choose between on-brand and in-season. With a few thoughtful design tweaks, your nonprofit can show up in a fresh, summery way that still feels aligned with your mission.
Here’s a quick checklist to help your nonprofit “summer-ize” its branding without losing consistency or clarity.
Brighten, Don’t Rebrand
Add seasonal accents to your existing color palette rather than swapping it out completely.
- Use brighter tints of your core brand colors for a lighter, more summery feel.
- Try incorporating one or two accent colors. Think of colors like coral, teal, lemon, or sky blue as limited-time highlights in graphics or event materials.
- Keep your logo colors consistent (or only minimally altered for special campaigns) to maintain recognition.
Lighten the Mood with Summer Brand Design
Summer is emotional so use that. Even if your nonprofit tackles serious issues, this is a good time to balance weight with warmth. Consider some adaptations.
- Swapping heavy headlines for a conversational tone in social posts.
- Using photography with natural light, outdoor settings, or real moments of joy and connection.
- Letting visuals breathe by going lighter on text overlays and allow more white space in designs.
Use Seasonal Imagery That Reflects Your Mission
Yes, it’s easy to reach for stock images of sunglasses and sand, but that may not always be authentic to your work. Instead:
- Show your team or volunteers in action outdoors.
- Highlight your community enjoying a summer program or event.
- Use seasonal elements like gardens, parks, sun, or water but only when they support your message.
Think: “What does summer look like through our mission’s lens?”
Summer Brand Design to Simplify for Shorter Attention Spans
People scroll fast in the summer. They’re outside more, working less, and mentally in vacation mode. This doesn’t mean dumbing down your content, just tightening it up to make it concise.
- Use bold, clear headlines that are easy to read even on mobile.
- Stick to one main call to action per graphic or email.
- Favor short videos, carousels, or infographics over long-form content when appropriate.
Add a Summer Signature with Summer Brand Design
Think of a fun, limited-time design element, action or phrase you can weave into summer content. These additions make your summer content feel intentional and unified without overhauling your whole brand.
- Adding a small sun icon or wave pattern as a visual motif.
- Creating a short tagline like “Powered by Sunshine + Purpose” or “Fueling Change All Summer Long.”
- A seasonal content series like “Summer Spotlights” to feature donors, volunteers, employees or impact stories.
Seasonal Summer Brand Design Doesn’t Mean Off-Brand
Nonprofits don’t have to be brand-strict to be credible. With thoughtful and expressive design, you can bring seasonal energy into your visuals while staying true to your voice, your mission and the people you serve. So go ahead and add a little warmth, a little light and a little summer spirit to your brand. Your audience and your team will feel the difference.
