Color Theory 101: Part III

Rainbow Re-Education

Coca-Cola. Nickelodeon. Snapchat. Starbucks. Zoom. Yahoo. Barbie. New York Times. Tesla. Apple.

You just saw the rainbow as those logos flashed in your mind’s eye. And with astounding speed and minimal thought, might I add! Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, Black, Silver, White. 

Am I a mind reader? Definitely not. But these companies are in your head in a way. Each has purposely and skillfully made themself –even the mention of their name– synonymous with a color. What is this mind-reading trickery? Let me introduce you to color theory. 

What is color theory?

Color theory is communication through color. We live in a colorful world, so we’ve been learning and forming mental associations with colors our entire lives. (What color is a stop sign? Case in point.) Color theory works on a subconscious level by tapping into those ingrained connections. 

How it works for you

Skillful color theory aligns your brand so closely with your chosen color that, in a way, you’ve hacked an audience’s mind to associate that color and its message with your brand and its mission. Your mission is reinforced by your brand color, which is reinforced by your mission and so on. 

With great power comes great responsibility.

On the flip side, you create cognitive dissonance when your mission and color convey opposite things. Imagine a nonprofit dedicated to replanting the rainforest that uses an aggressively red color. Or, worse yet, if that same nonprofit used all of the colors. They wouldn’t be conveying anything at all, except confusion. (They want to replant the rainforest, not the rainbow forest, right?) 

A masterful designer may be able to subvert traditional color expectations to create competitive differentiation, but typically nonprofits, as mission-based organizations, benefit more from being direct and overt. 

Remember, a good rule of thumb is keep your main palette as minimal as possible. One, or two colors maximum, is perfect for logos. Have a secondary palette that supports, doesn’t compete with, the main palette and use it for supporting elements of your brand (like websites and print materials). 

The main color you’ve chosen to represent your brand has a powerful and persuasive impact on how people perceive your company and mission. So, dear nonprofit reader, it’s imperative to choose wisely. Here are some quick color associations to help you out:

Red 

A high-octane, high-energy color typically associated with action, aggression, urgency, passion, and power. 

• Nonprofit example in the wild: (RED). This one may be a little on the nose, but (RED) was founded to fight AIDS and other epidemic health crises. The emergency, fighting spirit, and call to action is evident in both their color and verbiage. "Red is the color of emergency. (RED) uses the force of consumerism to defend the world's most vulnerable. That's it. It’s that simple." – Bono Shriver, founder of (RED). Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Orange

The most creative and youthful color, orange is a combo of red’s energy and yellow’s optimism. It’s vibrant and brings to mind words like energetic, playful, and fun.

• Nonprofit example in the wild: The Trevor Project. Their mission is protecting LGBTQ+ youth and ending suicide among that vulnerable population. The orange color emphasizes the focus on youth boldly being themselves and pursuing bright futures.

Yellow

A cheery, hopeful, and happy color. Yellow also has an association with signaling alerts, typically informational ones. 

• Nonprofit example in the wild: Amnesty International. Their vision is a world without human rights abuses. The yellow echoes that optimism for the future through their work.

Green

Green is the versatile combo of blue’s stability and a bit of yellow’s energy. It’s associated with many things: nature, money, growth, health, food, freshness, permission, renewal. 

• Nonprofit example in the wild: Girl Scouts. (You thought I was going to choose an eco-friendly or environmental nonprofit, huh? Another case in point.) Girl Scouts are on a mission to empower young people to grow their courage, confidence, and character. This is a match made in heaven: a youth development organization and bright green’s sense of youthfulness and growth.

Blue

A favorite for nonprofits as it conveys calm, serenity, trustworthiness. Depending on the shade, blue can be either safe and neutral, or friendly and soothing. 

• Nonprofit example in the wild: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Their mission is to to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide. The calming blue of the lifesaver mark mirrors their mission for community, respite, and stability.

Purple

Back in the day, purple dyes were expensive and hard to come by, which is likely why its connection with royalty and luxury remains. As a combo of red and blue, purple strikes the balance of being stimulating and calming simultaneously. It represents dignity, creativity, imagination, and spirituality. 

• Nonprofit example in the wild: Nebraska Humane Society. It draws on purple’s associations with loyalty and dignity to underscore its mission of protecting, saving, and bettering the lives of Nebraska’s animals. What more loyal companion is there than a furry friend?

Pink

Largely connected with femininity, pink is a powerful relative of red. It can pack a playful punch or take on qualities of a subdued neutral. 

• Nonprofit examples in the wild: Planned Parenthood, and, you guessed it, Susan G. Komen. Both with missions of urgency in support of women, pink evokes a sense of action, strength, and femininity.

Neutrals –

Black

…. Is always the new black. A timeless classic, it’s a strong and versatile neutral. Black can take on a conservative or modern tone when combined with different colors.

White 

Ah, sweet relief, white provides visual rest for people. It offers a clean and simplistic canvas for other colors to shine. White is special, because it gives the impression of space. Giving your content breathing room with white can direct attention to what’s most important. 

Brown

Brown is the warm, earthy neutral. Like wood, it seems natural and dependable. 

Grey + Metallics

Go figure, it’s a rarity for a nonprofit to use a gray or metallic in their main palette. It’s a neutral, solemn, and quiet color typically used for corporations and expensive, luxury items, rather than mission-driven organizations solving problems.