Everywhere you look, someone is blaming Canva for the sameness of design in the impact sector. The argument goes: “Everything looks templated.” “No originality.” “It’s killing creativity.”
But here’s the truth: Canva isn’t the enemy. The real issue is chronic underfunding and the persistent undervaluing of creative labor in impact-driven businesses.
The Tool Isn’t the Problem
Canva is just a tool. Like any software, it can enable access and speed. For lean teams, it’s a lifesaver. But Canva was never designed to replace vision, strategy, or creative expertise.
The real gap isn’t the tool, it’s the investment behind it.
The Undervaluing of Creativity
Too many impact businesses treat design as decoration instead of infrastructure. Branding and storytelling are placed at the bottom of budgets, left to interns, free platforms, or last-minute outsourcing. The cycle looks like this:
- Design devalued → No serious budget.
- No budget → Overuse of free tools.
- Overuse → Flat, forgettable branding.
And then Canva takes the blame, when in reality, the issue is systemic underinvestment in creative labor.
Creativity as a Business Asset
Whether you’re a nonprofit, a social enterprise, or a mission-led startup, your brand is not cosmetic. It’s how you build trust, stand out, and earn attention in a crowded market.
Strong branding requires strategy, storytelling, and skilled execution. These are not free add-ons. They are business-critical investments.
The Real Callout
So let’s be clear: Canva isn’t the villain.
The villain is the mindset that treats creativity as expendable.
If impact-driven businesses want to scale missions, attract investment, and mobilize people, they must start valuing creative work the same way they value operations, fundraising, or product development.
Because in the end, it’s not the free tool that’s holding the sector back, it’s the free mentality around design.
