Purpose This study aims to examine articles on nonprofit branding over an 18-year time span to develop an overview and better understanding of the subject. Design/methodology/approach This study used the Scopus database in a search for studies that deal, regardless of the approach, with branding in a nonprofit context. Subsequently, through a systematic review, a database with 84 articles was generated and 77 articles were submitted to bibliometric analysis. Findings This study identified six main research areas (brand and donation, brand management, brand orientation, nonprofit and for-profit partnership, communication strategies and stakeholder management), which were analyzed and discussed, seeking to identify the relationship between research in each area. In addition, this study presents the limitations of the research and thus verify that, although this body of literature is growing, the complexity of the nonprofit sector offers several opportunities for future research, which are pointed out at the end of the study. Practical implications This study contributes to the academic literature on the topic by providing a systematization of knowledge about branding in the nonprofit sector and also offers insights about nonprofit branding to institutions and managers in this industry. Originality/value This is the first study, to the authors’ knowledge, to evaluate and quantify the progress of brand literature in the nonprofit sector.