For 25 years, the name “Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition” was right for our organization and its founding mission. But by 2012 we had a new executive director, new programs and an expanded vision. It was clear that the organization was growing beyond the confines of its existing brand. Our board and staff collaborated for almost two years to identify a new name and identity that describes our organization as it is and as we envision it will become.

 

Practical challenges of rebranding

Staff, board and supporters all struggled with our existing name. “The Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition” was such a mouthful that few people ever said it correctly.  We confused supporters with a patchwork of individual brands for the different projects within the organization. Our logo featured a mother and child, which explicitly excluded several of our new target audiences such as teenagers and men.

Years ago, our organization tried to find a new name and that campaign failed. We kept this past failure in mind and proceeded with an added layer of mindfulness. This rebranding campaign had to succeed.

We faced two significant challenges: resistance from stakeholders and limited resources. Founding board members and long-time supporters advocated for preserving our core values of collaboration and community… and some expressed concern over potential problems with a new name. We were also worried that our rebranding campaign would require more time and money that what we had available.

 

A step-by-step rebranding process

(We didn’t find much information about the nuts and bolts of nonprofit rebranding campaigns, which is why I’m sharing all the details of our experience with you!)

Here’s what we did and why it was important:

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Once we had a new name we:

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Rebranding lessons learned

If you’re considering a rebranding campaign for your organization, I recommend you include these components which we found helpful:

Listen more than you talk

Pay attention to what staff, board, supporters are saying when they talk about the “old” name, the “new” name and your organization. Look for the values that connect your many target audiences. Use those values to guide your new brand.

Have too many conversations

Sometimes I felt like we were rehashing the same rebranding conversation at our board meetings. Looking back, I realize that what I called “rehashing” is also known as “building support.”

Include time for reflection

We sought board feedback at every board meeting and that opportunity proved useful at several steps. For example, seasoned board members requested that we pursue additional feedback from specific stakeholders.

Set a firm timeline

We started the campaign with a goal of announcing the new name at our 25th anniversary fundraiser. The firm fundraiser date guaranteed that our campaign launched on time!

Generate ideas as a group

In those last few weeks, as we approached our looming deadline, everyone contributed ideas for the new name: staff, board, consultants, spouses, friends, even our trademark lawyers. Looking back, I realize that as we contributed ideas, we were also each becoming more and more invested in the final name. By the time we found “our” name, we were all on board.

A few additional lessons learned; if I was rebranding our organization again, I would:

  • Build in more time between choosing the new name and the launch event
  • Document ongoing decision-making to help avoid repetitive conversations
  • Reach out to a trademark expert early in the process
EverThrive Illinois' old and new logos

EverThrive Illinois’ old and new logos

 

Ongoing implementation

A year after we announced our new name, we are still implementing! One significant source of delay was a long wait to receive vital administrative paperwork. A new website is the final remaining component (and one of the biggest).

 

Results: a new brand, warmly welcomed

“EverThrive Illinois” has been welcomed warmly by our community. At our recent staff and board retreat in July, everyone instinctively introduced themselves using our new name and there was no mention of our old patchwork of confusing program brands. Most important, the new name fits our growing, ambitious organization.

 

Yesenia Sotelo

Yesenia Sotelo

Web Developer at SmartCause Digital
Yesenia Sotelo loves nonprofits and digital, and is happiest snuggled right in between the two. For over 13 years, she has helped nonprofits use digital tools for fundraising, communications, advocacy and operations. She is the founder of SmartCause Digital where she builds websites and runs online campaigns.
Yesenia Sotelo

@silverbell

Yesenia Sotelo

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