BIMI: Why your logo belongs in the inbox

You’ve done the hard work on email deliverability: DMARC is enforced, SPF and DKIM are clean, and your messages are reaching supporters.

But your emails still look like everybody else’s. Just a gray initial next to your name rather than your cause’s shiny icon. 

That’s the gap BIMI fills. And a change in the last few years makes it much more accessible for nonprofits to implement.

What BIMI does
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) puts your logo next to your emails in Gmail, Yahoo, Apple Mail, and others. 

If your domain passes DMARC, you publish a record that tells inbox providers where to find your logo.

The data for why this matters is mostly from commercial senders, but nonprofits should pay attention. 

Yahoo’s pilot found 10% higher engagement for BIMI-enabled emails. 

A Red Sift and Entrust study of over 1,000 adults found open rates (even as unreliable as they can be) climbed as high as 39% when a logo was present, regardless of brand size.

Think about it: When someone donates to your organization, they’re extending trust. A familiar logo reinforces that every time you show up in their inbox. 

When they’re deciding what to open or skip, that split-second recognition is doing real work.

Common Mark Certificates
Until recently, getting your logo to display in Gmail required a Verified Mark Certificate, which meant a registered trademark.

For many nonprofits, that’s a non-starter.

In September 2024, Google started accepting Common Mark Certificates. A CMC doesn’t require a trademark — just proof your logo has been in use for at least a year. 

You won’t get Gmail’s blue verified checkmark (which still requires a VMC), but your logo will still display.

Apple Mail still requires a VMC. But a CMC covers Gmail, and Yahoo already covers logos for senders with a good reputation, so you’re reaching a good bulk of inboxes.

A CMC costs around $1,100 per year. That can be a lot for a nonprofit, but consider what you’re getting — every email you send becomes a branded impression at basically zero. 

Your logo next to a fundraising appeal is reaching people who already choose to hear from you. Even a modest improvement in engagement adds up fast.

How to get started
The SSL Store has a comprehensive, easy-to-follow guide to BIMI setup and implementation.

First, make sure your DMARC policy is set to quarantine or reject — if you’re still at “none,” start there.

Then, get your logo into SVG Tiny P/S format, apply for a CMC through DigiCert, and publish a BIMI DNS record. 

Not sure where you stand on BIMI at all? Red Sift has a free BIMI checker.

The bottom line
Let me be clear, BIMI won’t save a struggling email program. 

But if your authentication is solid and you’re fighting for attention in packed inboxes, getting your logo into every send is definitely one of the easier wins.

Check our events list for more or reply to this email to submit one for consideration.

‘Til next time!
Sara