Just as there are many reasons for changing your organization’s name, there are also good reasons for retaining it. You can refresh your nonprofit’s brand without changing its name.

People balk at changing an organization’s name due to gut-level, emotional reactions and for very practical reasons. Make sure you take a good look at why people are against a name change. The opponents may be right. Rebranding doesn’t always require renaming.

There’s a strong emotional connections to the current name. Constituents, both internal and external, may feel a strong personal connection to the organization and may vehemently object to any change. This is especially true of social service agencies whose board or staff members were there at the organization’s founding or who were helped by the agency under its current name. As a result, they may have deep emotional attachments to the name. Or the name is connected to a founder and changing it may feel like diminishing the value of the founder’s contribution to the organization or to society. The potential of a new name to attract more funding and help more people may be enough to overcome these objections. So, too, may a transition plan that introduces the new name slowly as the current name is retired.

The current name has strong brand recognition. Despite its flaws, the current name may have strong brand recognition among clients and donors that will be lost if the name is changed. Or important affiliations may be lost. If the organization is a chapter or affiliate of a larger organization, it may lose the good will and visibility created by that connection.

It will be a waste of money. People may worry that time and money will be wasted because the new name will not bring about the desired tangible results, such as increased donations and brand recognition. This is a valid concern. The advantages of a name change, in visibility and fundraising, should be quantified before undertaking the project.

Changing the name will have negative implications. Some may worry that donors and constituents will view the name-change as an admission that the current brand has been mismanaged or that the organization is changing its mission. “Why now?” is a question that may arise and lead to inaction unless you’ve done the research and can present a cogent case for the change while reassuring constituents that the change is in keeping with current policy, mission, and values. If name-change is due to a change in your mission, that must be made clear to constituents during the process.

Intellectual property will be affected. The organization has intellectual property assets that would be negatively affected, such as a publication, an award, or event. The names of these may need to be changed as well, again risking the continuity of recognition by researchers, donors, clients, etc.

Making the change will be too difficult. Sometimes, people or the organization may not be amenable to change. They just don’t like it. If such feelings are deeply entrenched, it may not be possible to overcome them. However, it may well be that a gradual process that includes eliciting their ideas can unstick them and, if done correctly, even make them enthusiastic evangelists for the new name.

Accomplishments of constituents may be devalued. Changing the name may diminish the value of certificates or designations issued in the past. For example, certifications, degrees or awards issued by the organization may become meaningless when cited by past clients or members.

Search engine results might be negatively affected. If your organization has built up strong search engine results, you may be reluctant to abandon the name that has led to that success. Search engine optimization is one factor to consider when crafting the new name but, if SEO is an important part of your outreach, a new name may not be the best idea.

Too much staff time is required. Staff resources will be redirected from providing services to the name-change project. This is a valid concern. Someone — or several people — will have to focus on the research and creative process required for a name change rather than on their usual work. Even if an outside agency is hired, you will need to designate people within the organization to work with them.

Cost will be prohibitive. Changing an organization’s name costs money in addition to the process itself. Stationery, signage, printed materials, uniforms, etc., must all be redone. The cost can be minimized by phasing in the new name and using up existing supplies before the full launch of the new name.

Legal ramifications. The name change may affect contracts with government agencies and copyrights on printed materials. These peripheral consequences certainly must be examined and understood before undertaking a name change.

A tagline expands the meaning and memorability of an organization’s name. It helps identify the organization and can be as important in your organization’s identity as its name.

The name of an organization is usually accompanied by a tagline, a kind of motto that expands the meaning and memorability of the name. It also helps identify and connect different parts of the organization. The tagline finishes the thought or emotion started by the name.

Taglines can be changed more easily than names to reflect evolving programs or attract new demographics. But, because they are an important component of brand identity, they should not be changed lightly. Keep your organization’s overall tagline in place at least for several years, in order to give it time to become recognized. Really good taglines can be used for decades and become as important in your organization’s identity as its name.

Factors that Affect Tagline Choices

Organization’s Name: If the name is descriptive and tells what the organization does, the tagline can be expressive or evocative. If the name does not indicate what the organization does, the tagline needs to do that job. Consider these combinations for a nonprofit business network:

• Descriptive name with Evocative tagline: Enterprise Connection | Never stop growing.
• Evocative name with Descriptive tagline: Envigor | Energizing your business with advice.
• Descriptive name with Descriptive tagline: Business Alliance Network | The network to grow your business.

Some names don’t require the help of tagline. The name “Feeding America” tells it all.

Complexity of Your Organization: An organization with many programs may have a name and tagline that give an overall feel for what it does rather than trying to describe any specific program. The Salvation Army’s tagline,“Doing the most good,” states the overall mission the organization but does not focus on any particular program.

If an organization that offers many services has secondary taglines to identify specific programs or fundraising campaign, each must retain the colors, typeface, and personality of the organizational logo. This consistency ensures that the program is easily identifiable as part of the overall organization.

Brand Visibility and Marketing Clout: A well-known organization can have both an abstract name and an abstract tagline. This luxury is enjoyed by corporations that can spend a lot of money and get a lot of attention. Apple doesn’t have a tagline that tells people it makes computers. “Think different” positions Apple as distinct from PCs while complimenting their customers for their individuality. Nonprofits usually often don’t have the money to create this kind of instant recognition but many achieve it over time.

Purpose: In addition to identifying the organization, a tagline may also be used as a fundraising theme and a domain name. With a memorable tagline, it becomes easy for people to find you on the web and donate. The United Way uses “Live United” as a campaign theme and its domain name (liveunited.org), which makes it easy for people to remember and donate.

Tagline Do’s and Don’ts

• Avoid generic phrases such as “Helping children” or “Transforming lives.” They don’t distinguish your organization from the thousands of other organizations that help children and transform lives.
• Avoid using trios of attributes, such as “caring, collaborative, committed.” The words usually are cliches that can be applied to many nonprofits, have been overused, and don’t help your organization stand out from the crowd.
• Use active verbs whenever possible.
• Keep it short so that it is easy to say and remember.
• Aim for catchy or emotional impact.
• Focus on your vision and the positive outcomes your organization brings, not just what it does.
• Use your tagline to distinguish your organization from others doing similar things.
• A twist on a common phrase or a surprise in the wording can make a tagline more memorable, as in the Maryland SPCA Tagline: Feel the Warmth of a Cold Nose

Be adventuresome! You want to capture attention.

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.

If your organization is considering changing its name, there’s a lot to think about. A new name can provide a renewed sense of vigor for the organization, but it can also be a frustrating process if not handled correctly. Keep in mind these factors for creating a successful outcome.

1. Recognize that developing an effective name is difficult. With 1.6 million nonprofits in the United States, plus those overseas (accessible everywhere online) and millions of businesses, many good names (and URLs) are taken. Understand that it’s not as easy as it seems to come up with the right name that perfectly expresses what your organization stands for, and is available.

2. You need a clear process. From egos and office politics to the creativity needed generate a great name, there are myriad of aspects of the name change process that need to be managed. To ensure that everything goes smoothly, you need a rigorous process that clearly defines all the steps.

3. Understand why you are changing the name. Changing out of necessity or opportunity will dictate different approaches. See this article for a list of reasons.

4. Involve the right people. Your name change is an opportunity to galvanize people around your shared vision, so be sure to include a the appropriate cross section from your staff, board, donors, partner organizations and other key constituents. The challenge is incorporating all perspectives so that everyone feels heard and managing the expectations that not all needs can be met.

5. Know where you stand. Your organization is not operating in a vacuum. Conduct research to assess the level of brand recognition, positive and negative attributes, and audience perceptions of the name. What do people think of your name, and will they care if you change it?

6. Prepare for change. Understand your organization’s propensity for change and have strong leadership to usher the organization through the process and build consensus. It’s important to consider people’s potential responses to the name change and to be able to pro-actively address any resistance to change.

7. Know your target. Before you start generating names, you need to know what you are aiming for. It helps to develop a Brand Statement that expresses that you want to convey, and to establish criteria for the new name. For example, does the name need to reflect your organization’s mission, respect the organization’s history, etc. What are the practical considerations, such as words that must be included or excluded, a tagline that must be used, a certain length, legal issues, chapter, parent or international affiliate considerations, or other expectations or limitations. Also consider the tone you want the name to convey.

8. Go wide. In developing potential names, it pays to think outside the box and generate hundreds of potential possibilities. Cast a wide net to get the best ideas, and then edit them down based on your criteria.

9. Respect nuances. Understand the subtle differences between words that can effect the perception of a name and what is acceptable. For example, the words “network,” “clearinghouse,” and “association,” all have to do with the exchange of information, but they all have different connotations.

10. Be creative. Nonprofit names don’t have to be mundane — they can and should be appealing. So aim for one that will capture the imagination of your staff, donors, and clients, not merely describe your services. Which would you rather support: Jumpstart NYC or the New York City Small Businesses Administration Program?

11. Field test. Before settling on a final name, see how it works in various contexts, for example, on a business card, on your website (how it works as a URL), on interior and exterior signs, when answering the phone or on voice mail, in directory listings, etc.

12. Look smart. Your name will usually not live alone, but must be represented graphically. Consider how the name works with the logo or develop a new logo to go with the name. If you are going to change the name, take advantage of the opportunity to create a positive impression with a professional logo design.

13. Connecting with the old name. Consider if the old name should be recognized in some way (such as “formerly…”) and how that should be done (with the old logo, or just a line of type, how prominent, and for how long, etc.). Having this plan beforehand, can help you make judicious decisions regarding the best way to roll out the new name and in replacing old stationery and materials and updating your website.

14. Spread the word. It’s typically best to have a plan for informing your different audiences appropriately in a timed sequence, for example, starting with the staff and board and moving out toward large funders and donors and partners before announcing it to the public. Your plan will depend upon the size and nature of your organization and its board (or multiple boards), and other constituents including size and type of donor base, funding sources, organizational partners, and clients served. Also take into account the connection between the old and new name — whether the new name is completely different or uses some part of the old name, and how different the old and new logos are.

15. Implement smartly. Consider the full scope of what needs to be changed and have a plan for managing that. For example, you may have a hard launch in which the new name is introduced on a certain date, or a soft launch in which older stationery and materials are used up and the new name is introduced when new materials are created (within a certain timeframe). And plan for staff training on how to and when to use the new name.

A great name can give your organization the recognition it needs, so take the proper steps to plan appropriately for success.

Download a pdf of this article here.

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

Doctors Without Borders is a successful name. But what about other organizations that copy the name like Lawyers Without Borders or Engineers Without Borders? Is that a smart strategy? This article provides an answer.

Names Provide a Shorthand for Understanding

Since many nonprofits missions are complex, the name of the organization can act as shorthand in helping people understand what they do. The name Doctors Without Borders does this very well. You get a clear picture of doctors personally helping other people regardless of nationality, politics or religion.

So it is understandable that other organizations, such as Lawyers Without Borders, Engineers Without Borders, and other organizations using that naming formula, would want to capitalize on that same shorthand to explain their mission. After all, why go through a lengthly description what you do, if there is already a frame work that people are familiar with?

A Strong Name Is Essential for Recognition

It’s a very busy world, and there is a lot of competition – with about a million nonprofits registered in the United States, the public has a difficult time distinguishing between groups with similar missions or similar names. Nonprofits need to do everything they can to stand out. Lacking large marketing budgets for advertising or online promotion, an organization’s name plays an important role in catching people’s attention, distinguishing the organization, and conveying its mission.

A Memorable Name

What makes Doctors Without Borders a strong brand, is that its model was innovative and compelling when it was founded nearly 40 years ago. The concept of flying doctors into another country to help people in need captured people’s imaginations. It exemplified the best of humanity and selflessness. And with its uniqueness and memorability, it is no surprise that it became a very strong brand.

The Problem of Copying a Unique Name

The problem with other organizations that borrow the nomenclature, is that they are not the first group to use that approach, and so they can’t really capitalize on that uniqueness. Being the first organization to create a new model for service counts for something. People like to donate to leaders. So while organizations that copy that model gain the advantage of easily conveying their mission, they lose the ability to claim uniqueness and a leadership role. And as a result their fundraising appeal is not going to be as strong.

Part of the fundraising appeal is the relevance of your mission. Times have changed since Doctors Without Borders was created. The concept of helping people across borders is no longer unique. The internet allows people to assess and help people in other countries directly.

Emphasize the Organization’s Impact

An organization founded more recently should take this into consideration. People like to know what impact their donations have, so a better naming strategy would be to emphasize the impact that the organization achieves (for example, emphasizing how the lawyers and engineers are changing people’s lives).

Search Engine Considerations

Another consideration these days, is how names appear in search engines. Using part of the name of another organization limits the unique words that are searchable. For example, searching for “without borders, nonprofit” in Google, delivers pages of results, all vying for attention, and the one that started it all (Doctors Without Borders) is lost in the mix.

> Download a pdf of this article here.

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

There are many reasons for nonprofit organizations to change their name. Whether out of opportunity and the desire to express the mission better and attract new donors, or out of necessity stemming from external factors. This article describes 15 reasons that prompt nonprofits to change their name.

1. Length is too long. It’s common for nonprofits to have Descriptive Names. But these tend to be long and are often referred to by their initials. The abbreviation loses the meaning for those not familiar with the organization and undermines the concept of having a Descriptive Name to begin with.

2. Services have changed. Faced with changing needs or demands by their audience or funders, many organizations evolve by evolving their services or scope beyond their original mission. At some point, the name no longer represents what the organization does, and mismatch becomes too great enough to prompt the new name.`

3. Geographic area no longer applies. When an organization expands beyond the geographic scope specified in its name, or is planning on offering services beyond that area, a name change may be needed.

4. Outdated terms are used. Since society’s sensibilities and language changes over time, words like negro, Indian, retarded, and geriatric can be politically incorrect, have negative connotations, or simply no longer be effective. United Negro College Fund is now UNCF, what was the Association of Retarded Citizens is now The Arc.

5. The name no longer works. In some case the organization’s name no longer reflects what the organization does or is inaccurate in some way, or conveys a misperception about the organization. Real Estate Advisory and Development Services (READS) is a nonprofit organization serving other nonprofits, but its name made it seem like a business. To address this, they took the unusual tact of using their tagline, Build with Purpose, as their organizational name, and adopted a new tagline, “Real Estate for Social Change.”

6. No one refers to the actual name. Organizations such as the YMCA (which used to stand 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 (which is a distinct organization from the YWCA, by the way) is taking advantage of that and referring to itself as “the Y,” introducing a new logo, which has the small letters YMCA on the side of a large Y.

7. The name is embarrassing. When the Child Development Center was first established 30 years ago, it was among the first special education facilities in New Jersey. Now, with hundreds of competitors, the name is both inaccurate, since it is an accredited school, not a center, and embarrassing for teenager students who would refer to the school as CDC. The name Westbridge Academy instills pride and fits into the students’ and parents’ expectations.

8. Confusion with other organizations. With the proliferation of nonprofits over the past several decades, there are now nearly 1 million nonprofits in the United States making it confusing for the public to distinguish between groups (and businesses) with similar missions, messages or names. Where once, a local charity was the only one of its kind, it must now compete with many other groups with similar missions, and a distinctive name can help it stand out.

9. Program is more prominent than the organization. For some organizations, their signature programs are more well-known than the parent organization. This might represent a lost opportunity for funding or increasing participation in the organization’s other programs. That was the case for the Council on the Environment of New York, the group behind New York’s noted Greenmarkets. This prompted them to change their name to GrowNYC. When the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s yellow wristband reading Livestrong gained massive recognition, the organization’s name was changed to the Livestrong Foundation.

10. Inconsistent use of the name. In some cases, organizations have an official name but use it inconsistently or interchanged with other elements. For example, a public radio station sometimes uses its call letters as part of its name, sometimes identifies itself as a public radio station, and uses different taglines to convey different aspects of its message. Developing a single use of the name, or new name, can address these issues.

11. To remove the religious connotations. As organizations once founded on religious principles attempt to appeal to wider audiences for funding, some are changing their names to remove or minimize the religious aspects. Another reason that Christian Children’s Fund had in changing its name to ChildFund International, was the ability to work in Muslim countries.

12. To signal change. Organizations that want to signal a new direction for the organization, choose to change their name. When the Solomon Schechter Day School Association wanted to pro-actively signal a new brand positioning for the Jewish Conservative Day School movement, they changed their name to Schechter Day School Network and introduced the tagline: Engage the world.

13. To hide from malfeasance. After advocacy organization ACORN was embroiled in a scandal, the negative ramifications rained down hard. Several of the organization’s statewide chapters renamed themselves to distance themselves from the problem. Other organizations, such as the American Red Cross, and the United Way, have stronger brands, allowing them to overcome scandals.

14. Legal action. Whether perceived, threatened, or actual, legal action from another entity claiming naming infringement or other violations may prompt an organization to change its name.

15. A merger. When two or more organizations form one entity, sometimes one organization’s name is adopted, and sometimes a new name is developed, often a combination of the two names.

16. Donor requirements. A large donation, request from a funder, or special requirement or bequest may prompt the organization to incorporate the donor’s name into the organizational, program or facility name.

Based on our experience with organizations looking to change their names, this is our list of reasons that we have seen. If your organization needs to change its name for another reason, please let me know, and I’ll add it to this list.

> Download a pdf of this article here.

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

As nonprofits continue to reconsider their strategies in the face of difficult economic conditions, many organizations are changing their names and rebranding to remove religious connotations, allowing them to appeal to a broader audience.

The underlying reasons for the name change vary, since various types of nonprofit organizations face different issues according to their religious affiliation, audiences, or community they serve.

International Organizations

When international aid organization Christian Children’s Fund changed its name to ChildFund International, the goal was to position the 70-year-old organization for future success. They reacted to both internal and external factors, such as new constituent needs, adapting to local markets to be more effective in executing their mission, and clarifying the relationship with their funding organization, ChildFund Alliance, a network of 12 charities from which the group receives a third of its budget. Also, removing the word Christian from their name helps to reach a wider donor base.

The name change is part of a larger shift in strategy. Anne Goddard, the charity’s president, said the group will tailor programs to children and place a greater emphasis on the relationship between poverty and children’s well being. Also, it will enable the charity to work in countries not predominantly Christian, such as Afghanistan.

There are some challenges, however, with the name change. ChildFund International will lose some donors who believed they were supporting a religious organization, Ms. Goddard said. Yet the charity’s new name allows it to pursue grants from corporations and foundations, which had not supported the group in the past.

As organizations consider changing their name, it’s critical to earn internal support for the brand. ChildFund International engaged employees and donors in the process. The charity conducted focus groups with donors, contacted people who received help from the charity overseas, and discussed the idea with board and staff members. When trustees voted to change the organization’s name, ChildFund International sent mailings to supporters explaining the decision and welcoming questions. Also, staff members participated in a contest choosing the name of the child’s figure in the group’s new logo.

National Organizations

On a national level, associations that represent religious organizations hold a particular responsibility in representing and promoting their members’ wide-ranging needs when considering changing names.

In the Jewish world, The Solomon Schechter Day School Association, an umbrella organization of 49 schools in the Conservative movement, has rebranded itself as the Schechter Day School Network, with a new marketing strategy and logo. The change was in response to issues of shrinking enrollment and competition from newer community day schools as well as Hebrew charter schools.

Their challenge was highlighted in the findings of a 2008 UJA-Federation study called “To Go Or Not To Go,” revealing that many liberal Jews in New York area were unaware of the differences between Orthodox day schools and non-Orthodox ones, perceiving both as “insular” and weak in secular subjects.

As a result, Schechter unveiled a new tagline: “Engage The World,” that positions them in a more secular way, as well a bright red “rose compass” as a logo meant to evoke a Star of David to keep some reference to Judaism. The new branding helps to emphasize that Schecter schools are open to Modern Orthodox, Reform and secular families as well — and the differences between them and community schools are not always especially noticeable.

Local Organizations

Local organizations face similar issues. In Greenwich, Connecticut, the Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy rebranded itself as the Carmel Academy. In this case the name change references the Carmel Mountain range in northern Israel, to highlight the school’s connection to the country. “Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy really talked a lot more about location than the vision and the character of the school,” Head of School Nora Anderson said. The new name shifts the emphasis from the specific focus on the Hebrew language to a more general approach of teaching Jewish values, which appeals to a larger potential audience for the school.

Instead of changing their organizational name, some nonprofits are addressing the religious connotations of their name in other ways. For Incarnation Camp, the oldest camp in America which is funded in part by the Episcopal Church, changing the name of the camp was not a viable option. Instead, they emphasized division names like Pequot and Sherwood, which have the cachet of a traditional overnight camp. The organization’s logo still appears on the camp’s marketing materials, but in a less prominent way. This is part of a longer term plan to transition to using Pequot and Sherwood more predominantly to attract new campers, while keeping the identity of the camp recognizable for alumni.

Regardless of the type of change, effectively communicating the organization’s strategy and receiving input from staff and donors is important in getting buy in and ensuring the success of the initiative. Understanding people’s changing opinions about religion and the role of nonprofits in society is essential if individual nonprofits and the sector as a whole are to remain relevant.

> Download a pdf of this article here.

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