Karuna

📋 1 Guidelines

🔗 Connections

Sector

Ngo

Region

United kingdom

Guideline Year

2017

Language

English

Tags

Charity

Official Websites

Brand Guidelines

2017

Brand Summary

Mission
  • Karuna exists to end caste-based discrimination, poverty and inequality in India and Nepal, inspired by Buddhist values and focusing on education, dignified livelihoods, and gender equality to transform communities and change society [^1].
Core Values
  • Individual transformation
  • Authentic communication
  • Opportunity for growth
  • Non-aggression
  • Positive communication
  • Skillful means
  • Ethical and non-violent work
Target Audience
  • Individuals and communities affected by caste-based discrimination, poverty, and inequality in India and Nepal, as well as supporters and donors who value ethical, compassionate, and transformative social change [^2].
Personality Traits
  • Compassionate
  • Empowering
  • Positive
  • Sincere
  • Human
  • Ethical
Visual Identity Overview
  • The visual identity centers on a minimalist lotus flower logo in deep red, with clean, sans-serif typography (FF DIN and Verdana), a core color palette of Karuna Red, Cream, Dark Grey, Donation Green, and Action Blue, and guidelines for logo usage, exclusion areas, and minimum sizes. Imagery is vibrant and positive, reflecting hope and the cultural context of India and Nepal [^3].

Categories

Brand Voice
  • When communicating Karuna’s work it’s important that we focus on themes such as independence, shared values, partnerships and demonstrate the progress we are making towards achieving our purpose. Examples are:
  • Independence - emphasise the individual helping themselves Instead of… International aid has lifted millions out of poverty. Karuna says… The purpose of development is to support people to become independent and stand on their own two feet.
  • Shared values - empathy, not us and them Instead of… There is so much needless suffering in the world, we can’t turn our back on it! Karuna says… People are striving to take control of their own futures. Like us, they want their children to grow up healthy, get an education and reach their full potential.
  • Partnerships - we work together, not alone Instead of… When the earthquake in Nepal struck, we gave rapid assistance to help poor people recover from the effects of natural disasters. Karuna says… Karuna worked with local partners in Nepal, providing resources and sharing expertise to better support people affected by the earthquake.
  • These following bullet points are a guide to communicating our work: • We use Karuna not The Karuna Trust (the latter is for official documents only) • Plain speak • Easy to read and understand • Human not corporate • Not patronising • Positive • Empowering language • Non verbose or flowery language • Not over the top • Factual • Short sentences • Avoid cliches • Speak to an individual • First person • Sincere • Non jargonistic • Explain acronyms • Concise
Brand Imagery
  • Colour picking from images: Images play a vital role in communicating Karuna’s work. Given their importance and the fact that they often drive the literature, colours can be colour picked from the images to extend the core colour palette.
  • Picking out the vibrant colours from the images reflects Karuna’s legacy of focusing on the positive aspects of Indian and Nepali culture. We believe hope is a more powerful tool than guilt so expanding Karuna’s core colour palette with positive bright colours is important to our values.
Color Palette
  • KARUNA RED C 0 R 167 M 100 G 13 Y 95 B 23 K 35 # a70d17
  • CREAM C 5 R 240 M 7 G 234 Y 7 B 231 K 0 # f0eae7
  • DARK GREY C 0 R 64 M 0 G 64 Y 0 B 65 K 90 # 404041
  • DONATION GREEN C 85 R 0 M 0 G 176 Y 55 B 149 K 0 # 00b095
  • ACTION BLUE C 90 R 0 M 0 G 176 Y 30 B 189 K 0 # 00b0bd
  • PANTONE 187c
  • PANTONE WARM GRAY 1c
  • PANTONE 425c
  • PANTONE 3275c
  • PANTONE 7466c
  • Images play a vital role in communicating Karuna’s work. Given their importance and the fact that they often drive the literature, colours can be colour picked from the images to extend the core colour palette.
  • Picking out the vibrant colours from the images reflects Karuna’s legacy of focusing on the positive aspects of Indian and Nepali culture. We believe hope is a more powerful tool than guilt so expanding Karuna’s core colour palette with positive bright colours is important to our values.
Typography
  • The company typeface is FF DIN. Ifs a contemporary and highly legible sans serif typeface that allows an attractive, clean typographic style. FF DIN is available in a variety of weights that can be used to create graphic emphasis and visual hierarchy.
  • FF DIN may not always be available for certain applications, shared documents or the web. In these instances the typographic choice is Verdana. It has excellent legibility on screen and is widely available so can be found on most computers.
  • FF DIN Light
  • FF DIN Regular
  • FF DIN Medium
  • FF DIN Bold FF DIN Black
  • Verdana Regular
  • Verdana Bold
Logo Usage
  • The logo and brand assets outlined in this document should never be redrawn, altered, distorted, recoloured, stretched or squeezed. Graphic effects such as drop shadows or 3D effects should also be avoided.
  • To ensure the integrity and legibility of the logo, there is a protection area in relationship to other graphic elements. The area of protection is defined by the height of the K in the logo.
  • To maintain the legibility of the logo, its minimum dimensions for reproduction are defined as 15mm wide for print and 100px wide for screen.
Tone And Messaging
  • It is essential to provide a consistent message so that we give a clear and accurate perception of our work.
  • Authentic communication has the power to change lives
  • When communicating Karuna’s work it’s important that we focus on themes such as independence, shared values, partnerships and demonstrate the progress we are making towards achieving our purpose.
  • Independence - emphasise the individual helping themselves Instead of… International aid has lifted millions out of poverty. Karuna says… The purpose of development is to support people to become independent and stand on their own two feet.
  • Shared values - empathy, not us and them Instead of… There is so much needless suffering in the world, we can’t turn our back on it! Karuna says… People are striving to take control of their own futures. Like us, they want their children to grow up healthy, get an education and reach their full potential.
  • Partnerships - we work together, not alone Instead of… When the earthquake in Nepal struck, we gave rapid assistance to help poor people recover from the effects of natural disasters. Karuna says… Karuna worked with local partners in Nepal, providing resources and sharing expertise to better support people affected by the earthquake.
  • These following bullet points are a guide to communicating our work: • We use Karuna not The Karuna Trust (the latter is for official documents only) • Plain speak • Easy to read and understand • Human not corporate • Not patronising • Positive • Empowering language • Non verbose or flowery language • Not over the top • Factual • Short sentences • Avoid cliches • Speak to an individual • First person • Sincere • Non jargonistic • Explain acronyms • Concise
Brand Values
  • Inspired by Buddhist values, Karuna exists to end caste-based discrimination, poverty and inequality in India and Nepal. Our work with individuals focuses on education, dignified livelihoods and gender equality, transforming communities and changing society.
  • Karuna believes… • Individual transformation is crucial for genuine social change • Authentic communication has the power to change lives • Every human should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential to grow and develop
  • Since then, Karuna - which means “compassion” in Sanskrit – has grown, always keeping true to those principles upon which it was founded. We still only fundraise using volunteers and never outsource our fundraising to agencies. We do not send gifts and gimmicks nor bombard our donors with letters and we never share donor details with third-parties. We also continue to exercise the Buddhist principles of non-aggression, positive communication and skillful means in our fundraising. In practice, this means that we empower the donor to make a conscious and considered choice to give, rather than feel pressured or manipulated into donating. Our fundraisers incorporate their spiritual and ethical frameworks into their fundraising and do not work to quotas or for bonuses. This is echoed in our salary system, as each employee at Karuna, including our CEO, is paid on a needs basis and not according to seniority.
  • Karuna is a Triratna team-based Right Livelihood - a Buddhist ideal of working ethically and non-violently. Our CEO and Trustees are always ordained members of the Triratna Buddhist Order and we emphasise the importance of working and practicing together, striving to create positive change in oneself as well as others.
  • With more than 40 partners based in India and Nepal, we remain committed to ending caste-based discrimination for good.
  • When communicating Karuna’s work it’s important that we focus on themes such as independence, shared values, partnerships and demonstrate the progress we are making towards achieving our purpose. Examples are: ### Independence - emphasise the individual helping themselves Instead of… International aid has lifted millions out of poverty. Karuna says… The purpose of development is to support people to become independent and stand on their own two feet. ### Shared values - empathy, not us and them Instead of… There is so much needless suffering in the world, we can’t turn our back on it! Karuna says… People are striving to take control of their own futures. Like us, they want their children to grow up healthy, get an education and reach their full potential. ### Partnerships - we work together, not alone Instead of… When the earthquake in Nepal struck, we gave rapid assistance to help poor people recover from the effects of natural disasters. Karuna says… Karuna worked with local partners in Nepal, providing resources and sharing expertise to better support people affected by the earthquake.
  • These following bullet points are a guide to communicating our work: • We use Karuna not The Karuna Trust (the latter is for official documents only) • Plain speak • Easy to read and understand • Human not corporate • Not patronising • Positive • Empowering language • Non verbose or flowery language • Not over the top • Factual • Short sentences • Avoid cliches • Speak to an individual • First person • Sincere • Non jargonistic • Explain acronyms • Concise
  • Picking out the vibrant colours from the images reflects Karuna’s legacy of focusing on the positive aspects of Indian and Nepali culture. We believe hope is a more powerful tool than guilt so expanding Karuna’s core colour palette with positive bright colours is important to our values.
Visual Style
  • The logo and brand assets outlined in this document should never be redrawn, altered, distorted, recoloured, stretched or squeezed. Graphic effects such as drop shadows or 3D effects should also be avoided.
  • To ensure the integrity and legibility of the logo, there is a protection area in relationship to other graphic elements. The area of protection is defined by the height of the K in the logo.
  • To maintain the legibility of the logo, its minimum dimensions for reproduction are defined as 15mm wide for print and 100px wide for screen.
  • KARUNA RED C 0 R 167 M 100 G 13 Y 95 B 23 K 35 # a70d17
  • CREAM C 5 R 240 M 7 G 234 Y 7 B 231 K 0 # f0eae7
  • DARK GREY C 0 R 64 M 0 G 64 Y 0 B 65 K 90 # 404041
  • DONATION GREEN C 85 R 0 M 0 G 176 Y 55 B 149 K 0 # 00b095
  • ACTION BLUE C 90 R 0 M 0 G 176 Y 30 B 189 K 0 # 00b0bd
  • PANTONE 187c
  • PANTONE WARM GRAY 1c
  • PANTONE 425c
  • PANTONE 3275c
  • PANTONE 7466c
  • Colour picking from images: Images play a vital role in communicating Karuna’s work. Given their importance and the fact that they often drive the literature, colours can be colour picked from the images to extend the core colour palette.
  • Picking out the vibrant colours from the images reflects Karuna’s legacy of focusing on the positive aspects of Indian and Nepali culture. We believe hope is a more powerful tool than guilt so expanding Karuna’s core colour palette with positive bright colours is important to our values.
  • The company typeface is FF DIN. Ifs a contemporary and highly legible sans serif typeface that allows an attractive, clean typographic style. FF DIN is available in a variety of weights that can be used to create graphic emphasis and visual hierarchy.
  • FF DIN may not always be available for certain applications, shared documents or the web. In these instances the typographic choice is Verdana. It has excellent legibility on screen and is widely available so can be found on most computers.
🐛 Report