In-Depth Planning Can Help a Nonprofit Group Settle on a Distinctive Name

Changing a charity’s name can give it a new opportunity to catch the attention of potential supporters. Following are some suggestions for making a smooth transition, from experts who have participated in changing nonprofits’ names.

Red Rooster Group Principal and nonprofit branding expert, Howard Adam Levy, is quoted in this article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy on October 16, 2011.

By Heather Joslyn

Changing a charity’s name can give it a new opportunity to catch the attention of potential supporters. Following are some suggestions for making a smooth transition, from experts who have participated in changing nonprofits’ names.

Do the Homework

Researching how the current name is perceived and what problems it may be causing an organization should inform the subsequent discussion about new names, says Jerry Silverman, president of the Jewish Federations of North America, the New York umbrella group that changed its name in 2009 from United Jewish Communities. “Don’t take shortcuts,” he advises.

Set Aside Plenty of Time

Changing a group’s name can take months, even years, to plan and implement. “It takes more time and costs more money than you think it should,” says Julie Chapman, head of 501cTech, a Washington nonprofit that offers technology help to other charities. Her group changed its name last month from NPower of Greater DC Region, and she estimates that the nearly 18-month process cost her group about $40,000, a figure that experts say can range widely depending on an organization’s scope.

“There are a lot of administrative and legal aspects,” says Ms. Chapman, who leads a nonprofit with 16 employees. “None of those things are that difficult, but for an organization that is leanly staffed, that’s a pretty big time impact.”

Talk to Lots of People

Gifts In Kind International, in Alexandria, Va., went through a two-year transformation under its new CEO, Cindy Hallberlin, embracing the power of digital communication to help more charities gain quick access to its donated goods. After the changes, says Ms. Hallberlin, the group’s old name seemed obsolete. “It’s like losing 100 pounds and then putting on your old clothes,” she says. “It doesn’t fit.”

In its search for a more up-to-date name, she says, “we went about talking to all our stakeholders.” The group talked to donors, partner charities, and its own board members and employees and asked for help brainstorming. The nonprofit eventually settled on Good360, which it began to use in April.

“It has layers of meaning,” notes the charity leader—“Good” referring to both a product and a philanthropic intention and “360” alluding to “the circle of giving.”

When the Washington Shakespeare Company began thinking about changing its name, the group consulted with board members, local volunteers with expertise in marketing, and focus groups, says Christopher Henley, the nonprofit theater troupe’s artistic director.

If his group, which eventually settled on WSC Avant Bard as its new name, had made its selection without those opinions, he says, “It could have been like New Coke: Thanks for changing something and making it worse.”

Convey the Group’s Current Mission

House Ear Institute, a medical charity in Los Angeles, changed its name in April to House Research Institute, a transformation it began considering 10 years ago, as the now 65-year-old group found its mission expanding beyond its original charge of helping people who have hearing loss. Increasingly, the organization found its research overlapping with neurological concerns, such as autism, says Daniel M. Graham, executive vice president for development, marketing, and communications.

A bonus, he says, is that it’s been easier for the organization to recruit scientists with the new, broader name. And, he says, “it appeals to a larger donor constituency. Obviously, if your name is ‘ear,’ people think, Gee, if I don’t have an ear problem, why would I consider supporting an ear institute?”

Research Alternatives

Make certain no other group has the name, or a name close enough to cause confusion, and make sure the Web domain name is available, says Howard Adam Levy, principal of the Red Rooster Group, a branding consultant in New York that specializes in nonprofit clients.

Participants in Good360’s efforts to brainstorm new names, says Ms. Hallberlin, discovered that more than half of its preferred selections had already been snapped up.

Think Through Logistics and Cost

Even if an organization changes its name legally, says Mr. Levy, it should consider whether to implement the change all at once or phase it in. Do an inventory of all of the group’s materials that bear its name, he says: “There’s a long list that extends from stationery, newsletters, publications to your signage, your vehicles, uniforms, nametags, [donor] premiums. Really see the full scope of what you’ve invested, and what you’d need to replace.” Remember that partner organizations, vendors (such as banks), and supporters will need to be notified.

The House Research Institute held costs down by running an online contest asking designers to submit possible logos for its new name. “There’s a lot of talent out there—and a lot of unemployed talent, I might add,” says Mr. Graham.

Make a Plan for Unveiling the Name

Some experts suggest tying the announcement of a new name to another big event that the organization already has on its calendar, such as an anniversary celebration, a gala, or a conference.

For example, WSC Avant Bard announced its new name this summer while simultaneously announcing its latest season of productions and introducing a revamped Web site. The House Research Institute chose the occasion of its 65th anniversary this year—along with the start of a new $65-million fund-raising drive—to announce its name change, says Mr. Graham.

Notify Supporters and the Press

In addition to using social media and press releases, conferences and other events can present opportunities to notify a large and interested audience of a name change, experts say, and piggyback on news-media coverage that would be occurring anyway. The Jewish Federations of North America unveiled its name at its annual general assembly, says Adam Smolyar, the group’s senior vice president for strategic marketing. Since then, he says, it has promoted the name at events like TribeFest, a gathering for young Jews the federation hosted in Las Vegas earlier this year.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center, in Costa Mesa, Calif., announced its new name, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, at an event in January that showcased the center’s outdoor plaza, the music of the trumpeter Chris Botti, and the family of longtime donors that the new name was designed to honor. Prominent supporters already knew about the name change, having been consulted during the process, says Terrence Dwyer, president of the Segerstrom Center.

Any event that announces a name change should be “aligned with your institutional messaging and your long-range goals,” says Mr. Dwyer. The organization prides itself on its diverse offerings being available to everyone, he says. “By having a large outdoor event, we were able to invite a broad spectrum of the community to attend,” he says. “We were able to create that sense of openness and inclusiveness.”

Be Patient with Stragglers

A group should plan to spend at least six months actively reminding supporters of its new name, says Ms. Chapman, of 501cTech. But don’t assume that will settle the matter. “Some people will probably, for a very long time, call us by our old name,” she says. “I presume that for some people, we will always be NPower.”

Have Fun

Though the issue a charity works on may be serious, its name should allow for a little “sexiness,” says Mr. Levy. “A lot of nonprofit names are very serious,” he says. “But if you’re trying to reach a wide audience, recognize that you’re trying to appeal to people at first glance. If the name is the ‘United Coalition Against Hunger for Middle America,’ that’s not as quick and easy as ‘Feeding America,’ which has the mission embedded in it. It pays to get out of the normal nonprofit realm when thinking about naming, because it is an opportunity to capture the hearts and minds of people.”

Source: In-Depth Planning Can Help a Nonprofit Group Settle on a Distinctive Name,
The Chronicle of Philanthropy, October 16, 2011

Get Help

If you feel that your organization’s name is not as effective as it can be, contact Red Rooster Group to discuss the options.

Red Rooster Group is a New York based graphic design firm that creates effective brands, websites and marketing campaigns for nonprofits to increase their visibility, fundraising and communications effectiveness. Contact us at info@redroostergroup.com.