Branding agency for nonprofits

Courageous branding from the inside out

We help purpose-driven organizations find the clarity and confidence to claim their place in the world.

See What We Do
Branding is change management

We work at the moments that matter most

A new leader. A strategic pivot. A funding shift. A merger. These are the moments when brand clarity becomes the difference between moving forward with confidence or getting stuck.

We build the alignment that makes a brand actually work. See how we work as a branding agency for nonprofits and foundations.

How We Work →
Moments we work in
New leadership or restructuring
Strategic planning & repositioning
Fundraising campaign or capital push
Brand lacks coherence and standards
Relevance at risk with key audiences

Featured Work

More Work →
The New York Community Trust
The New York Community Trust
A refreshed brand identity to mark 100 years improving the lives of New Yorkers.
Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
One of the most influential funders in the world cedes the spotlight to grantees who advance justice.
NYCLU
NYCLU
Telling a powerful story about social change across New York State.
Climate Lead
Climate Lead
Redefining climate giving with a brand that inspires immediate and far-reaching action.
DonorsChoose
DonorsChoose
After 20 years of bringing joy to classrooms, DonorsChoose reintroduced itself with a fresh face and new visual story.

Insights

More Insights →
Mission Statement
Is It Time to Ditch Your Mission Statement?
Why purpose and promise communicate what mission and vision often can't.
Community Foundation Playbook
The New Community Foundation Playbook
From grantmaker to community hub.
Three Ways to Evolve Your Logo
Three Ways to Evolve Your Logo
Refresh, replant, or reseed — each path reflects a different strategic moment.

"Hyperakt's email newsletter Insights…is one of only a few that I read regularly with interest."

Steven HellerThe Daily Heller, author of over 100 books on design
Why it matters

A strong brand raises more

When leadership aligns around a clear brand, organizations raise more, attract better partners, and move faster.

46%
average increase in donations after a Hyperakt rebrand
Legal Action Center
$18M
3 yrs before
2020 rebrand
→
$32M
3 yrs after
2020 rebrand
78%
increase in donations
Girls Who Code
$44M
2 yrs before
2020 rebrand
→
$55M
2 yrs after
2020 rebrand
24%
increase in donations
Vera Institute
$169M
3 yrs before
2016 rebrand
→
$380M
3 yrs after
2016 rebrand
125%
increase + $211M net gain

Don't take it from us

"Hyperakt is deeply passionate about the issues we work on. You come to it with a commitment that's not just about a contract and deliverables. Imagination, creativity, and heart end up being reflected in the work."
Nicholas Turner
President & Director, Vera Institute of Justice
"The deep understanding and research and discovery phase felt different from other engagements with past partners. Hyperakt was not afraid to push back on us when needed."
Meg Lazaros
Deputy Director of Brand & Creative, Supermajority
"Hyperakt's workshops were carefully curated, provocative, and detailed, leaving our team energized and teeming with ideas for the future of Ford's brand."
Victor Ng
Creative Director, Ford Foundation
✏️ Content note: Seek a quote from a board chair, incoming ED, or philanthropic advisor that speaks to organizational transformation or fundraising impact.
Our Clients
ACLUAmnesty InternationalAmplifyBrooklyn DefendersClimate LeadDonorsChooseFord FoundationFountain HouseGirls Who CodeLegal Action CenterMalala FundNAACPNatl Endowment for the ArtsNY Community TrustNYCLUSesame WorkshopSkoll FoundationTEDVera Institute

News

More News →
Hyperakt's Work for NYCLU Selected as a 2025 Webby Nominee in the Law Category
The Webby Awards
↗
Why Nonprofit Marketers Should Think of Their Organizations as Living Beings
Campaigns & Elections
↗
Hyperakt Wins Bronze at the 2024 Transform Awards for Rebranding Ford Foundation and NYCT
Transform Awards
↗

Ready to unlock the potential of your nonprofit's brand?

Reach Out

Unleash your brand courage

Hyperakt is a branding agency for nonprofits, foundations, and arts and culture institutions. Whatever your brand needs, from a first checkup to a full transformation, we work with your leadership and your team to build a brand your whole organization can believe in.

Branding Services

Brand Evaluation
Diagnose the state of your brand and create a roadmap for improvement.
Brand Strategy
Align on the central truths of your organization.
Naming
Rethink the first word of your story: your organization's name.
Verbal Identity
Create the strongest messaging to communicate your value.
Visual Identity
Stand out with a distinctive visual presence.
Implementation
Bring your new brand to life on web, key collateral and more.

Who we work with

Mission-driven organizations at a moment of transition, growth, or renewed ambition.

Nonprofits

NYCLU, Girls Who Code, Vera Institute of Justice, DonorsChoose

Foundations and philanthropies

Ford Foundation, The New York Community Trust, Skoll Foundation

Branding for foundations
Arts, culture, and media

Sesame Workshop, TED, National Endowment for the Arts

Political campaigns

Pete for America, Supermajority

Branding is change management

Branding happens at moments of transition, growth, or renewed ambition. We operate at the intersection of organizational strategy, communications, and design.

We work directly with organizations, and alongside the advisors and consultants who support them.

For Advisors & Partners
The people at the table
Executive Directors — navigating transition or building board alignment around a new direction
Communications Teams — inheriting a fragmented brand or driving internal consensus
Board Members — finding shared language for the organization's identity and value
Development Directors — making the case for funding with a brand that matches their ambition

From discovery to rollout

Our codified process for developing brand identities, then launching them with your team.

01
Define

Uncovering the core tensions and insights about the organization and its context.

02
Envision

Identifying the positioning for your brand and creating the core brand language for external usage.

03
Create

Creating a complete visual language and design system for your organization.

04
Build

Developing production-ready tools for the brand launch and operations.

Then we launch it with you, in four steps: Seed internal excitement, Share the new brand with your staff, Embed it in day-to-day work, and Activate it with the world.

Work our clients point to

More Work
Ford Foundation
A new brand that cedes the spotlight to grantees who advance justice.
The New York Community Trust
Brand identity refresh for 100 years of improving New Yorkers' lives.
NYCLU
Telling a powerful story about social change across New York State.

The voices that matter most

Strong brands are built with the people closest to the organization, not handed down to them. At every stage we deliberately bring your team along as active participants.

Stakeholder Engagement Design — mapping who needs to be involved and how
Collaborative Workshops — structured sessions that surface tensions and opportunities
1:1 Interviews with Leadership & Board — understanding the range of perspectives at the top
All Staff Surveys — giving everyone a voice in the process
Board Presentations & Alignment Sessions — building the consensus that makes a rebrand stick
Brand Rollout Support — equipping your team to own and use the brand confidently
"Hyperakt's workshops were carefully curated, provocative, and detailed, leaving our team energized and teeming with ideas for the future of Ford's brand."
Victor Ng
Creative Director, Ford Foundation
"The deep understanding and research and discovery phase felt different from other engagements with past partners."
Meg Lazaros
Deputy Director of Brand & Creative, Supermajority
"Simplifying who we are helped potential donors understand us more quickly."
Amy Wolf
Senior Director of Marketing, The New York Community Trust

What a rebrand takes

Brand engagements typically start at $45K.

What you invest depends on your organization's size, how many people need a voice in the process, and how much you need to build. We design websites as part of a brand, once the strategy and identity are in place.

How long it takes
Brand Evaluation4–6 weeks
A full rebrand, strategy to launch9+ months

Questions we hear first

How much does a nonprofit rebrand cost?

Brand engagements with Hyperakt typically start at $45K. The investment grows with the size of your organization, the number of stakeholders who need a voice, and what you need at the end: a strategy and identity, a new name, a website, a launch. Our guide to nonprofit branding budgets shows what organizations of different sizes plan to invest.

How long does a rebrand take?

A Brand Evaluation takes four to six weeks. A full rebrand, from strategy through launch, typically takes nine months or more, because it brings your leadership, staff, and board along.

Where should we start if we're not sure we need a rebrand?

Take the free Nonprofit Brand Score with your team, or start with a Brand Evaluation: in four to six weeks we benchmark your brand's health and give your leadership the proof points to decide.

Do you design websites?

Yes, as part of a brand. Our websites grow out of the strategy and identity work, so your site tells the same story as everything else you make.

Ready to unlock the potential of your nonprofit's brand?

Reach Out
Work

Selected Projects

AllCitiesCultureDemocracyEducationEnvironmentHealthEconomic JusticeLegal JusticeRightsSocial JusticeTechnology
The New York Community Trust
Brand identity refresh for 100 years of improving New Yorkers' lives.
Ford Foundation
A new brand that cedes the spotlight to grantees who advance justice.
NYCLU
Telling a powerful story about social change across New York State.
Climate Lead
Redefining climate giving with a brand that inspires immediate action.
DonorsChoose
A fresh face and new visual story for 20 years of classroom joy.
Brooklyn Defender Services
Redefining public defense — showing clients their humanity, clarity, and commitment to serve.
Pete for America
2020 Democratic presidential campaign branding for Pete Buttigieg.
Girls Who Code
A bold brand empowering a generation of women in tech.
Vera Institute of Justice
Brand work for one of the most respected criminal justice research organizations.
Supermajority
A bold brand for a new organization building women's political power.
Malala Fund
Brand identity for the global champion of girls' education.
Skoll Foundation
Brand evolution for a leading driver of social entrepreneurship worldwide.

Ready to unlock the potential of your nonprofit's brand?

Reach Out
Insights

Ideas and perspectives on nonprofit branding

All Branding 101 Strategy Visual Identity Verbal Identity Leadership & Teams Brand ROI
Collections
What's the ROI of a rebrand?

What nonprofit leaders expected from their rebrands, what changed, and how to make the case to your board.

What a rebrand takes
Does your organization need a new brand?

The signs that it's time, and how to find out with your own team before you commit.

Nonprofit Brand Score
Foundation branding

How grantmakers become trusted, visible partners to their communities.

Branding for foundations
Nonprofit logo design

When to refresh, replant, or reseed a logo, and what makes one work.

Visual Identity
Content note: each collection page gets a 150–300 word intro and a closing link to its service (growth plan, Insights collections).
Verbal Identity
Is It Time to Ditch Your Mission Statement?
Why purpose and promise communicate what mission and vision often can't.
Read Article 6 min read
Strategy
The New Community Foundation Playbook
From grantmaker to community hub.
5 min read
Visual Identity
Three Ways to Evolve Your Logo
Refresh, replant, or reseed — each path reflects a different strategic moment.
7 min read
Brand ROI
The Ultimate Guide to Nonprofit Branding Budgets
How much organizations of different sizes should plan to invest in branding.
8 min read
Speaking Engagements
Bring these ideas to your team or conference

Deroy speaks on nonprofit branding, organizational identity, and the intersection of design and social change — at venues like Adobe Max, Brand New Conference, AIGA, Type Directors Club, and the UN Refugee Agency. Available for keynotes, panels, and workshops.

Request a Speaker
Brand ROI
Rebranding is Expensive. Is it Worth It?
Real nonprofit leaders talk about expectations and outcomes from their rebranding projects.
9 min read
Branding 101
Branding Is Not a Bad Word
Your brand isn't BS — it's your reputation.
4 min read
Brand ROI
Building a Business Case for Nonprofit Branding
How to secure support from your executive team and board.
6 min read
Strategy
Take Control of Your Brand or Someone Else Will
Building a strong brand lets you define the narrative before others do.
5 min read
Branding 101
Does Rebranding Really Transform Nonprofits?
An honest look at what a rebrand can and can't do for your organization.
7 min read
Strategy
Brand Architecture for Nonprofits
How to organize a complex portfolio of programs, initiatives, and sub-brands.
6 min read
When Is It Time to Rebrand
Strategy
When Is It Time to Rebrand?
There are some predictable indicators and some less obvious ones worth knowing.
6 min read
The Branding Process Is Change Management
Strategy
The Branding Process Is Change Management
Change is hard. Here's how to make it easier for your whole organization.
5 min read

"Hyperakt's email newsletter Insights…is one of many missives that I receive from design firms around the world, but one of only a few that I read regularly with interest."

Steven HellerThe Daily Heller, author of over 100 books on design
Brand Score

How powerful is your nonprofit's brand?

In under 10 minutes, your team will get a personalized report measuring your brand's strengths and weaknesses across four key dimensions.

Take the Assessment
Clarity
How clearly does your brand communicate your mission and value?
Resonance
Does your brand connect emotionally with your audiences?
Distinction
Does your brand stand apart from peer organizations?
Influence
Does your brand drive action and advance your mission?

Your team's perspective matters

The Brand Score is designed for entire teams — the more people who complete it, the more accurate your results.

After completing the assessment, each team member receives a personalized report with a shareable link.

5 minutes
Quick to complete
Personalized report
Shareable with your team
Benchmark data
Compare to similar orgs
Start Assessment

A nonprofit brand assessment your whole team can take

The Nonprofit Brand Score is a free brand assessment for nonprofits and foundations. Everyone on your team answers on their own, so you see how your brand looks from every seat, not only from the top.

It measures your brand's confidence across four dimensions and sixteen attributes: approachability, simplicity, standardization, consistency, purpose, positioning, authenticity, affinity, memorability, relevance, adaptability, representation, trust, magnetism, connection, and engagement.

What each dimension asks
Clarity — Is your brand clearly and consistently expressed?
Resonance — Do you understand and believe in your brand?
Distinction — Does your brand stand apart from peers and competitors?
Influence — Do your peers and partners look up to your brand?

How your score compares

Your report sets your score beside the Nonprofit Brand Score benchmark of 67, drawn from hundreds of assessments taken since 2023, and shows where your team agrees and where it doesn't.

Content note: confirm how the benchmark of 67 is calculated, and add a sample report image, before launch.

What your report points you to

Under each score, your report suggests what to read and how we can help. A sample:

If Clarity is lowRead Is It Time to Ditch Your Mission Statement?Verbal Identity
If Resonance is lowRead The Branding Process Is Change ManagementBrand Strategy
If Distinction is lowRead Three Ways to Evolve Your LogoVisual Identity
If Influence is lowRead Building a Business Case for Nonprofit BrandingBrand Evaluation

Brand Score questions

Who should take it?

Your whole team. The Brand Score is designed for entire teams: the more people who complete it, the more accurate your results.

How long does it take?

Under 10 minutes. Each person gets a personalized report with a shareable link.

What does it cost?

Nothing. The assessment and the report are free.

Is it private?

Yes. Your organization's name and score will not be published publicly.

Ready to unlock the potential of your nonprofit's brand?

Reach Out

Foundations, philanthropies, and funders

Building trusted, transparent brands for organizations that give grants and support important causes.

Selected foundation work

More Work
Ford Foundation
A new brand that cedes the spotlight to grantees who advance justice.
The New York Community Trust
Brand identity refresh for 100 years of improving New Yorkers' lives.
Climate Lead
Redefining climate giving with a brand that inspires immediate action.
"Hyperakt's workshops were carefully curated, provocative, and detailed, leaving our team energized and teeming with ideas for the future of Ford's brand."
Victor Ng
Creative Director, Ford Foundation
"Simplifying who we are helped potential donors understand us more quickly."
Amy Wolf
Senior Director of Marketing, The New York Community Trust
Content note: add a third foundation quote and a short "what changed" outcome for Ford (growth plan, Fuller case studies).

Where foundations usually start

Brand Evaluation diagnoses the state of your brand and creates a roadmap for improvement, with the proof points your board needs to decide.

Not sure yet? The free Nonprofit Brand Score shows how your own team sees your brand.

Explore Brand Evaluation
Read next
The New Community Foundation Playbook
From grantmaker to community hub.
Foundations we've worked with
Bloomberg PhilanthropiesBlue Ridge Foundation New YorkClimateWorks FoundationCollaborative FundFord FoundationMalala FundRobert Wood Johnson FoundationThomson Reuters FoundationRalph C. Wilson, Jr. FoundationSkoll FoundationSpark Youth NYCThe New York Community TrustNewSchoolsClimate LeadSusan Thompson Buffett FoundationMargaret A. Cargill PhilanthropiesMelinda French Gates

Ready to unlock the potential of your foundation's brand?

Reach Out
For Advisors & Partners

A strategic branding partner your clients can count on

Hyperakt works alongside fundraising consultants, strategic planners, executive coaches, and philanthropic advisors. We operate at the leadership level — helping organizations build the internal alignment that makes your work with them more effective.

Get in TouchSee Our Work

Who we work with

Fundraising Consultants
We help your clients show up to major donors and foundations with a brand that matches the ambition of their case for support.
Strategic Planners
We translate strategic planning outcomes into organizational identity — giving new direction a face, a voice, and a story.
Executive Coaches & Search Firms
We partner with incoming leaders who need to build team alignment and signal a new chapter without erasing what came before.
Philanthropic Advisors
We help grantees and portfolio organizations build brands that clearly communicate impact — strengthening your relationships with them.
What sets us apart

We don't just design. We facilitate organizational change.

Hyperakt sits at the intersection of design, strategy, and organizational development. We're a collaborative partner who works alongside your clients' leadership teams, boards, and staff.

Patient & Collaborative

We take the time to bring every stakeholder along. Our process surfaces internal tensions early and turns skeptics into brand champions — before launch, not after.

Operating at the Leadership Level

We facilitate board presentations, executive alignment sessions, and leadership workshops. We're in the room where the decisions get made.

A Bridge, Not a Handoff

We don't disappear after delivery. We provide the training, tools, and ongoing support that help your clients actually use the brand you helped them build.

When to refer us

The moments where Hyperakt adds the most value

If you're working with a nonprofit organization navigating any of the following, Hyperakt can help.

Leadership transition
New ED or CEO who needs to signal a new chapter without erasing institutional memory.
Pre-campaign clarity
Organization preparing for a major fundraising campaign that needs a stronger case for support.
Strategic plan follow-through
New strategic direction that needs to be expressed externally — not just internally documented.
Board misalignment
Boards and staff who can't agree on who the organization is or what it stands for.
The fundraising case

Rebranding → board alignment → fundraising capacity

When an organization's leadership and board are aligned around a clear brand, they raise more.

46%
average increase in donations after a Hyperakt rebrand
Legal Action Center
$18M
3 yrs before rebrand
→
$32M
3 yrs after rebrand
78%
increase in donations
Girls Who Code
$44M
2 yrs before rebrand
→
$55M
2 yrs after rebrand
24%
increase in donations
Vera Institute
$169M
3 yrs before rebrand
→
$380M
3 yrs after rebrand
125%
increase + $211M net gain

Let's explore working together

We're always interested in meeting fundraising consultants, strategic planners, executive coaches, and philanthropic advisors who work with nonprofit organizations.

If you have a client who might benefit from our work — or if you'd like to explore how we might collaborate — we'd love to hear from you.

Fundraising consultants & development directors
Strategic planning consultants
Executive coaches & leadership search firms
Foundation program officers & philanthropic advisors
Board governance consultants
Get in touch

Julia Zeltser

Partner & Growth Director

julia@hyperakt.com

Tell us about the organization you're working with and the moment they're in.

Send a Note
About

Established in 2001. Led by immigrants. Women-owned.

Hyperakt is a NYC-based branding agency for organizations and businesses building a more just, joyous, and inclusive society. For more than 25 years, we've helped purpose-driven organizations find the clarity and confidence to unlock their fullest potential.

We work side-by-side with executive directors, founding teams, communications leaders, and boards — guiding, coaching, and challenging them to rediscover and communicate the fundamental truths of their brands.

Hyperakt is a NYC certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE).

Founders Photo
Who we work with

We work at the leadership level

We work with executive directors, founding teams, chief communications officers, and boards — typically at moments of transition, growth, or renewed ambition.

Executive Directors & CEOs
Leaders navigating transitions, new strategic direction, or the need to build internal alignment around a shared identity.
Boards of Directors
Governance leaders who need to align on organizational identity before authorizing a major brand investment.
Communications & Marketing Leaders
CCOs and brand directors who need a strategic partner, not just a design vendor.
Advisors & Intermediaries
Fundraising consultants, strategic planners, and philanthropic advisors who refer clients or co-engage with us.
New executive leadership
A new ED or CEO who needs to signal a new chapter without erasing what came before.
Pre-campaign preparation
An organization preparing for a major fundraising campaign that needs a stronger case for support.
Strategic plan follow-through
New direction that needs to be expressed externally, not just documented internally.
Board & staff misalignment
When leadership can't agree on who the organization is or what it stands for.
What we believe

Clarity. Confidence. Courage.

In an increasingly complex world, it's harder than ever to tell your story with confidence. Hyperakt helps you change that.

01
Find Radical Clarity

Our highly collaborative process aligns your team to the central truths of your organization.

02
Express it with Confidence

With this alignment, your team will speak to your work without hesitation.

03
Act with Courage

With radical clarity, your organization will cut through the noise and make bold steps forward.

The Team

Julia Zeltser
Partner, Operations & Growth Director
Deroy Peraza
Partner, Creative & Marketing Director
Kade Burns
Strategy Director
Ariel Henriquez
Project Manager
Megan Canning
Senior Strategist & Project Director
Genesis Henriquez
Art Director & Designer
Kevin Ng
UX / Product Designer
Clients We've Worked With
ACLUAmnesty InternationalAmplifyBrooklyn DefendersClimate LeadDonorsChooseFord FoundationFountain HouseGirls Who CodeLegal Action CenterMalala FundNAACPNatl Endowment for the ArtsNY Community TrustNYCLUPete for AmericaRWJFSesame WorkshopSkoll FoundationSupermajorityTEDVera Institute

What clients say

"Hyperakt is deeply passionate about the issues we work on. You come to it with a commitment that's not just about a contract and deliverables. Imagination, creativity, and heart end up being reflected in the work."
Nicholas Turner
President & Director, Vera Institute of Justice
"Hyperakt's workshops were carefully curated, provocative, and detailed, leaving our team energized and teeming with ideas for the future of Ford's brand."
Victor Ng
Creative Director, Ford Foundation
"Simplifying who we are helped potential donors understand us more quickly."
Amy Wolf
Senior Director of Marketing, The New York Community Trust
✏️ Content note: Seek a quote from a board chair, incoming ED, or philanthropic advisor that speaks to organizational transformation, leadership alignment, or the change management dimension of the work.

Recent News & Recognition

Hyperakt's Work for NYCLU Selected as a 2025 Webby Nominee
The Webby Awards
↗
Why Nonprofit Marketers Should Think of Their Organizations as Living Beings
Campaigns & Elections
↗
Hyperakt Wins Bronze at the 2024 Transform Awards
Transform Awards
↗

Ready to unlock the potential of your nonprofit's brand?

Reach Out
Contact

Find your clarity and courage today.

Are you ready to start your brand journey? Tell us about the moment your organization is in, and we'll follow up quickly.

Julia Zeltser
Partner, Operations & Growth Director
julia@hyperakt.com

Not sure if you need a rebrand? Take our proprietary benchmarking survey to see how your brand stacks up.

Take Brand Score →

Are you an advisor or consultant referring a client?

For Partners & Advisors →

Brand engagements typically start at $45K. We design websites as part of a brand.

Let's get started!

Hyperakt Website Prototype