A name-change should not be undertaken lightly but, in some situations, it may be the best thing that can happen.
“Change our name? Oh, no!” That’s the usual response when a name change is suggested but it’s an idea that should be considered. In some cases, it may be the best way to boost your organization’s visibility and viability. Or it could be a big mistake. Before making an official decision to change your organization’s name—or to keep it — review the reasons why a name-change may be necessary.
Name is too long.
Nonprofits often have descriptive names that tend to be long and consequently referred to by their initials or some other abbreviated format. The abbreviated version has no meaning for those unfamiliar with the organization and eliminates any value the name had to begin with. The New York City Housing Authority is known as NYCHA (pronounced nigh-cha), which is meaningless to anyone not already familiar with the organization.
Services have changed.
Many organizations modify their services to reflect changing needs of their clients or new demands by funders. The mismatch between name, mission, and current programs may be so great that a new name is necessary. The Jewish Guild for the Blind expanded its services to include healthcare so it became Jewish Guild Healthcare.
Geographic area no longer applies.
When an organization expands beyond the geographic boundaries specified in its name or plans to offer services in new locations, a name change may be needed. Cheshire Occupational & Career Opportunities addressed this issue with their new name Abilities Without Boundaries, which also puts a positive spin on what they do.
Outdated terms are used.
Society’s sensibilities and language change over time. Words like ”Negro,” ”Indian,” and ”geriatric” can raise hackles or are simply no longer effective. United Negro College Fund is now UNCF; the Association of Retarded Citizens is now The Arc.
No one uses the actual name.
Organizations such as the YMCA (which once stood for Young Men’s Christian Association), and the JCC (Jewish Community Center), are referred to informally by their members as ”the Y,” and ”the J,” respectively. Recently, the YMCA has taken note of its public identity by referring to itself as ”the Y.” It has introduced a new logo in which the Y predominates, with YMCA in small letters to the side.
The name is embarrassing to clients.
When the Child Development Center was established 30 years ago, it was among the first special-education facilities in New Jersey. Now the name is both inaccurate — it is an accredited school, not a development center — and embarrassing for teenage students who refer to it as CDC. The new name, Westbridge Academy, instills pride and fits into the expectations of students and parents.
One program has overshadowed the organization itself.
A signature program can become so well-known that other programs — and even the organization itself — get lost to public view, along with opportunities to fund them or increase participation in them, representing lost opportunities for donations and engagement. That was the case for the Council on the Environment of New York, the group behind New York’s noted Greenmarkets. The organization changed its name to GrowNYC to give equal weight to its environmental education and recycling programs, and to dispel the notion that it was a government agency.
Inconsistent use of the name.
In some cases, organizations have an official name but use it inconsistently, and sometimes interchangeably with taglines or other descriptors. For example, a public radio station may use its call letters as part of its name or identify itself as a ”public radio” station, or may use its tagline to describe the type of station it is. This inconsistency can cause confusion among both donors and listeners.
To de-emphasize a religious or ethnic connotation.
Organizations founded by religious organizations may want to expand their fundraising and their services to wider audiences. Some change their names to remove or minimize the religious aspect and emphasize their mission instead. The Christian Children’s Fund changed its name to ChildFund International in order to expand its work in Muslim countries. Sephardic Bikur Holim refers to itself as SBH to attract corporate sponsors, and Incarnation Camp, funded in part by the Episcopal church, emphasizes its division names — Pequot and Sherwood — in its marketing.
Reputation has been hurt by scandal.
After the advocacy organization ACORN was embroiled in a scandal, negative ramifications rained down hard on all its chapters. Several were renamed to distance themselves from the scandal. Larger organizations with longer histories and stronger brands, such as the American Red Cross and the United Way, have overcome scandals without such drastic action.
Legal action may be threatened due to name similarities.
Whether perceived, threatened or actual, legal action from another entity claiming trademark or copyright infringement or other violations may prompt an organization to change its name. Komen for the Cure recently filed suit against other nonprofit cancer organizations using ”for the cure” in their names.
A merger has taken place.
When organizations merge to form one entity, multiple naming options arise. The name of one organization may be kept, the names may be combined, or a new name developed. When Jewish Funds for Justice merged with Progressive Jewish Alliance, the new organization was called Bend the Arc. When VCG — the Volunteer Consulting Group — merged with Governance Matters, the organization created a combined name, VCG Governance Matters.
A large donation requires the change.
A large donation, request from a funder or special requirements attached to bequest may prompt the organization to change its name. After NYU Medical Center received $200 million from Kenneth G. Langone, a billionaire financier and a founder of The Home Depot, the hospital was renamed NYU Langone Medical Center.
If any of these apply to your organization, you may want to consider changing the name of your organization to benefit your brand.
