The Brand Level-Up: Do we have to do all 3 phases?
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Lauren Atherton
If you quietly cringe every time someone asks for your website link – you’re not alone. You’re making a meaningful impact in your community, but the face of your organization online doesn’t quite match that power.
This is exactly what I help nonprofits fix inside The Brand Level-Up — a done-for-you rebrand and website project designed specifically for small-but-mighty nonprofits ready to grow their visibility, funding, and credibility in just 90 days.
But I hear this a lot:
“Can’t we just do the website part? Do we really need all 3 phases?”
I totally get why you’d ask that…and you’re definitely not the only one who does. In fact, it’s one of the most common questions I get from potential clients. But today, I want to break down why this isn’t just a minor detail – it’s a decision that can make or break your project.
So in this post, I’ll walk you through:
- Why this objection is so common (and valid!)
- Why skipping the earlier phases actually makes the website harder and more expensive
- How the full process protects your investment, empowers your team, and builds real donor trust
By the end, you’ll have the clarity you need to make a smart, confident decision about whether a website refresh alone is truly the best path forward for your organization, or if what you really need is something more holistic.
Why It Feels Like a Website Refresh Is All You Need
Let’s be honest — the website is the part of your brand you’re most aware of. It’s public. It’s visible. It’s often the first place a donor or partner goes when they’re checking you out.
So when it feels outdated or off, that’s naturally where you want to start.
And hey — it’s where everything comes together, right? Your messaging, visuals, donations, event calendar, impact stats… it ALL lives on your website.
So it makes total sense to think: “Let’s just fix the website.”
But here’s the thing: when we only address the part that’s hurting the most, we often miss the root of the problem. That’s what the Brand Level-Up is designed to fix not just the symptoms, but the systems underneath.
Let’s dig into what really happens when you try to skip to the end.
1. Starting with the website can lead to rework.
When you skip straight to the website without doing the foundational brand work first, things can get messy fast. Here’s why:
- Midway through the build, you realize your logo feels outdated.
- The colors aren’t quite right.
- The homepage text doesn’t clearly explain what you do.
- Those user-generated photos don’t look as good as you thought they would.
- Now you’re editing things mid-development. Redoing pages. Updating colors.
- Rewriting text or waiting for that one board member to “review and edit” it.
This is exactly why people say they hate website redesigns! Because skipping ahead creates a frustrating spiral of rework.
That’s why my 3-phase process is built to protect you from the spiral. We do things in the right order, so:
✔️ You avoid endless revisions
✔️ You don’t overspend trying to “figure it out as you go”
✔️ You launch faster and with more confidence
Honestly? If you’re getting quotes from folks for only the website redesign, they’re likely building in extra time and cost behind the scenes because they know they’ll need to create more assets and do more heavy lifting on the website design.
But when we start with strategy and brand assets, the website build becomes smooth, focused, and grounded in pieces you can use beyond your website project!
2. Looks great online…but what about everything else?
Let’s say you do get a beautiful website built. Great! But what happens next?
If your team doesn’t have branded templates to use in their everyday work — social media, flyers, board presentations, fundraising decks — that gorgeous website starts to feel like a one-off.
Suddenly, nothing matches.
Things look pieced together again.
And your team is back to DIYing every post, presentation, and flyer.
*SIGH*
That’s why Phase 2 of the Brand Level-Up includes real tools your team will actually use:
- Canva templates
- Social post graphics
- Presentation templates
- Email signatures
- Business cards
- And my favorite: a one-page fundraising flyer your team can take to meetings or email as a leave-behind for donors!
These aren’t bells and whistles…they’re essentials. They help your brand live well beyond the website and protect your investment over time.
And remember: donors don’t experience your website on its own.
They see your emails, your social posts, your invites, your annual reports.
If the website looks fresh but your other materials don’t match? That creates doubt – and doubt makes people hesitate, especially when it comes to giving.
The full Brand Level-Up ensures every touchpoint tells a cohesive story. So when someone clicks your donation page after reading your newsletter or seeing an Instagram post, it all feels aligned.
3. You’ll need more than a logo, fonts, and colors to redesign your website.
Even if you have a logo you love, you may be missing some of the other pieces needed for a modern, effective website. Things like:
- Clear, compelling copywriting
- Custom icons
- Strong photography
- Web-safe fonts
- Graphic elements
- Background textures or patterns
These are the visual layers that bring your brand to life online – and they’re all grounded in your brand personality. If you’re not sure what that is yet, that’s where you need to start!
Take the Brand Personality Quiz to get clarity on your brand’s voice, vibe, and direction before you jump into a redesign.
If we skip over brand strategy and visual development, we still end up having to gather (or create) all of these assets during the website phase. That means more back-and-forth, more guesswork, and more rework we could’ve done once — and done better — up front.
That’s why we build these assets together in Phases 1 and 2 of the Brand Level-Up. When they’re in place, the website process becomes smooth, strategic, and efficient.
Why The Brand Level-Up Was Built This Way (Just for Nonprofits)
Let’s talk about what’s actually inside the Brand Level-Up and how it’s structured to avoid all these pitfalls.
On day 1 we kick things off with your SPARK Strategy — a focused session to get crystal clear on your core messaging: who you are, who you serve, what you’re known for, and what you want your supporters to do. This strategic clarity sets the foundation for everything that follows.
Here’s what we build next:
Phase 1: Refreshed Logo & Brand Toolkit
We create all your visual assets — including your logo, color palette, typography system, photography direction, custom icons, and wrap it all up in a brand guideline. These are the practical tools your team needs to keep your brand looking polished and consistent every day.
Phase 2: Consistent Marketing Templates
Once your new brand look is in place, we design matching marketing templates — so when your website launches, everything else (emails, flyers, social posts) already looks cohesive. Because otherwise? You’d have to scramble to make all those pieces yourself and who has time for that?!
Phase 3: Compelling Website Design
Now we’re ready to bring it all together. With your messaging, visuals, and strategy already in place, we can move quickly and confidently to design a website that looks incredible, feels aligned, and works hard for your mission – with fewer revisions and faster results.
And because we only work with nonprofits, everything we design is tailored to your unique needs — homepage, donation page, program pages, and more.
You’re not getting an ecommerce or generic brochure site. You’re getting a site that reflects your impact and drives real results.
What Happens When You Say Yes to the Full Process
Let me introduce you to Cathy from Camp Cocker Rescue.
When she first reached out, she thought she just needed a new website. She had created a logo a few years earlier using Canva clipart, and while she’d built an amazing community of followers using video and photos, she was missing key brand elements like a color palette and fonts.
Deep down, she felt it too…she told me, “I wish we had a real brand with colors and guidelines.”
Instead of jumping straight into the website, we took an extra three weeks to build her brand toolkit first. We created a new logo that matched her Companion brand personality, designed custom icons her team could use in their adorable pup adoption videos, and wrapped it all in a clear brand guideline to keep things consistent and easy to use.
When it came time to build their new WordPress website, we FLEW. Every element was in place. Every decision already made. No delays. No second-guessing.
The result? A website Cathy is THRILLED with and a brand that still looks just as good across all her materials months later.
Oh, and her community is obsessed with Camp Cocker Rescue’s new look too!
Ready to Find Out What Your Brand Really Needs?
If your nonprofit’s website is overdue for a refresh – but you know you need more than a quick fix – let’s talk!
In just 25 minutes, we’ll:
✔️ Review your current website and give you a free mini audit
✔️ Pinpoint what’s holding your brand back
✔️ Outline your best next steps (whether it’s with me or not!)
You’ll walk away with answers and a clear plan for how we’ll get it done. Your mission deserves a brand that reflects your impact. Let’s build it the right way the first time!
Lauren Atherton
Schedule a Free Consult Call
Related Resources
Explore these additional resources for more info on how branding can help your nonprofit stand out:
Why Branding Matters More to Donors Than You May Think (and How It Drives Donations)
From Growing Pains to Gaining Confidence: 3 Phases to Level Up Your Nonprofit’s Brand
