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Discursive Resources for Intended Image in Nonprofit Organizations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 February 2026

Giovany Cajaiba-SantanaOpen the ORCID record for Giovany Cajaiba-Santana[Opens in a new window] and
Danilo C. Dantas
Giovany Cajaiba-Santana*
Affiliation:
International University of Monaco- OMNES Education, 14, Rue Hubert Clerissi, Monaco 98000, Monaco
Danilo C. Dantas*
Affiliation:
HEC Montréal, 3000 Ch. De la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Office 4.766, Montréal, QC H3T 2A7, Canada
*
gcajaiba@ium.monaco.edu
danilo.dantas@hec.ca
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Abstract

This paper contributes to the literature on nonprofit social ventures and discourse studies by identifying discursive resources leveraged to craft the intended image of a nonprofit organization. The intended organizational image plays a central role in the way stakeholders, notably sponsors, perceive a nonprofit organization. Nonetheless, we have little research aimed at identifying the resources and tools that organizations mobilize to structure their intended image, especially at the discourse level. Drawing on the analysis of the discourses adopted by a Brazilian not-for-profit organization, we propose a typology of five discursive resources: distinctiveness, identification, justification, storytelling, and validation. These resources operate as discursive-rhetoric tools that allow the organization to assert its uniqueness and shared values, legitimize its mission, narrate impact, and demonstrate credibility. Our findings contribute to a discourse-based understanding of nonprofit image construction by offering a framework that complements existing work in branding and legitimacy. The study also provides practical insights for nonprofit managers seeking to communicate authentically and efficiently with key stakeholders.

Keywords

Intended imageImage managementDiscourse analysisNonprofit organizationsQualitative research

Information

Type
Research Paper
Information
Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , Volume 36 , Issue 6 , December 2025, pp. 952 - 963
Copyright
Copyright © International Society for Third-Sector Research 2025

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Footnotes

“ADMIRING FRIEND:

‘My, that's a beautiful baby you have there!’

MOTHER:

‘Oh, that's nothing - you should see his photograph!’”

(Boorstin 2012, p. 7)

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