Nonprofit Rebranding Examples: 14 Name Changes and Why They Happened

Most lists of nonprofit rebranding examples are agency portfolios: logos before and after, no dates, and no word from the organization about why it changed or what happened next. The fourteen below are documented by the organizations themselves, in their own announcements, history pages or releases, with the year, what changed and the reason in their own words. They run from The Arc in 1992 to California Food Banks in July 2026, and from national charities to a county food bank. At the end are the patterns they share and the legal steps a name change involves.

The fourteen rebrands at a glance

“What changed” separates a new legal name from a new everyday name, which many organizations adopt as a DBA while keeping the legal name, and from a refresh that keeps the name and changes the look. None of the fourteen disclosed what its rebrand cost.

Rebrands that fixed a name people did not know or say

Feeding America, 2008

America’s Second Harvest, The Nation’s Food Bank Network, became Feeding America after what its announcement called “in-depth research”. The reason it gave was blunt: the old name was “relatively unknown to the general public”. The new name says what the network does. If your name needs explaining, this is the clearest precedent.

The Y, 2010

The YMCA did not change its legal name. It announced that it would be known as the Y, to “align with how people most commonly refer to the organization”, with a new logo, the first brand change in 43 years, and a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The strategy followed more than two years of research, and local Ys had five years to switch. Our copy of the announcement comes from YMCA of South Hampton Roads, which reposted the national release. The lesson for a small organization: if people already shorten your name, the shorter name may be your brand.

Rebrands that removed outdated language

The Arc, 1992

The Arc’s own history page lists its earlier names, from the National Association for Retarded Children in 1953 to the Association for Retarded Citizens of the US, and describes them as “outdated language that we reject today”. It also asks that The Arc never be treated as an acronym. Changing the name was part of changing how the organization speaks about the people it serves, and it says so plainly on its own site.

Humane Colorado, 2025

The Dumb Friends League had used that name for 115 years when it became Humane Colorado in March 2025. Its announcement says the change “eliminates confusion surrounding the outdated term ‘dumb'”. A board subcommittee worked with branding experts over several years. A historic name is not a reason to keep one that now reads as an insult.

Rebrands that widened a name grown too narrow

Greater Cleveland Food Bank, 2014

The food bank’s announcement says its own market research found people saw its service area as “limited to Cleveland and Cuyahoga County”, when it served six counties. The new name and logo told donors and partners in the other counties that it was theirs too. This is the most common reason among smaller organizations: the name describes where you started, not where you work.

Feeding the Foothills, 2024

Placer Food Bank now operates as Feeding the Foothills, and its site states that the new name “is the DBA of Placer Food Bank”. The legal name stayed; the name the public sees changed. A DBA is the cheapest way to rename, because the corporation, its EIN and its IRS status are untouched. Whether your state allows it, and how, is covered in can a nonprofit have a DBA.

Blood Cancer United, 2025

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society became Blood Cancer United in August 2025, to “better reflect the work and unity at the center of its mission”. In an interview with Ragan, its chief experience officer said the old name “unintentionally excluded 20% of blood cancer patients”, that the process took three years and tested about 400 names, and that four months after launch social followers were up 10% and web traffic 15%. Those are the only post-rebrand results any organization here has published, reported by the organization through trade press.

California Food Banks, 2026

In July 2026 the California Association of Food Banks became California Food Banks. Its name change FAQ explains that it had become more than an association, that it would drop its acronym, and that “all legal forms” keep the old name: the new one is used day to day. The FAQ is a model for announcing a change, answering in advance what members, funders and partners will ask.

Rebrands that kept the name and changed the rest

Easterseals, 2016

Easter Seals closed the gap in its name and changed its logo, colors and tagline, after more than two years of research, rolling the change out over three years across its affiliates. Its release gave the reason that “public awareness became less distinct and visible”. A rebrand across a federated network takes years, and the plan for affiliates matters as much as the design.

Muscular Dystrophy Association, 2016

MDA kept its name and introduced a new logo, a website, the “Live Unlimited” campaign and a new tagline. Its CEO’s explanation in the release was “Our families spoke and we listened.” The brand came with stated goals, doubling research spending and serving 150,000 people a year by 2020, which is a better way to launch a brand than a logo alone.

New Hampshire Food Bank, 2026

The New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, unveiled a new logo, mission and vision in April 2026 after a year-long strategic planning process, to “better emphasize our focus on providing healthy, nutritious food”. The order is the lesson: strategy first, then the brand that expresses it. Our strategic plan template covers that first step.

Rebrands that widened the mission

Global Refuge, 2024

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service became Global Refuge in January 2024, with a new website and logo. The reason given was to “build a bigger table of supporters”. A $15 million gift mentioned in the same announcement funded programs, not the rebrand.

Humane World for Animals, 2025

In February 2025 the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International became Humane World for Animals, and its legislative affiliate became Humane World Action Fund. The organization said the name “ensures our global mission and vision for animals are clearly understood”. It is the largest change on this list: two organizations under one name, with a new logo and a television campaign.

Hope Ignites, 2025

Boys Hope Girls Hope, with 14 affiliates, became Hope Ignites in March 2025, with a new visual identity and a stated goal of tripling the number of students it serves.

What the fourteen have in common

• The reason is about the people served or reached, not the logo. Outdated language, a name that left patients out, a county name for a six-county service area.
• Research comes first. Feeding America, the Y, Easterseals and Blood Cancer United all describe years of research before the change.
• Many keep the legal name. The Y, Feeding the Foothills and California Food Banks changed the name people use and left the corporation alone.
• Almost none publish results. Only Blood Cancer United shared numbers after launch, and no one disclosed costs. Decide before launch what you will measure, and publish it.

Research backs the caution. Nathalie Kylander and Christopher Stone’s study of nonprofit brands in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, based on interviews with 73 people across 41 organizations, found that a rebrand can feel “peremptorily imposed from above” to staff, unlike strategic planning. Blood Cancer United told Ragan it trusted staff with the process, and that most of them backed the change.

The legal steps of a name change

A new logo needs no filing. A new name does. If you change the legal name, the board approves it, usually by resolution; you amend your articles of incorporation with your state and update the bylaws. The IRS says an exempt organization “must report the change on its next annual return (such as Form 990 or 990-EZ)”. Organizations that file the 990-N, or that want a letter confirming the new name, write or fax the IRS instead, with the old and new names, the EIN, an officer’s signature and a copy of the amendment filed with the state. How the annual return works is in our Form 990 guide.

If you only want a new public name, a DBA or assumed name filing with your state, where allowed, avoids amending the articles. Either way, update your bank, payment processors, state charity registration, grant agreements, website and receipts, and tell supporters why, in a newsletter as well as a release; our newsletter examples show the format. For naming advice, see naming a nonprofit, and for the brand work that follows, nonprofit marketing and a marketing plan.

Questions people ask

What are examples of nonprofit rebrands?

Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest, 2008), the Y (2010), Easterseals (2016), Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States, 2025), Humane Colorado (formerly the Dumb Friends League, 2025) and Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 2025).

Why do nonprofits rebrand?

In the fourteen examples here: a name few people knew, outdated or offensive language, a name tied to one place or one condition when the work had grown, a mission that had widened, and a gap between the official name and what people actually say.

How much does a nonprofit rebrand cost?

None of the fourteen organizations here disclosed the cost. Costs range from a DBA filing and new materials for a small organization to multi-year agency work for a national one.

How does a nonprofit change its name with the IRS?

The IRS says the change goes on the next annual return, such as Form 990 or 990-EZ. Organizations that file the 990-N, or want a confirmation letter, write or fax the IRS with the old and new names, the EIN, an officer's signature and the amendment filed with the state.

Does a nonprofit need a new EIN after a name change?

No. A name change does not change the corporation, so the EIN and tax-exempt status continue. The IRS asks only that the change be reported.

Can a nonprofit rebrand without changing its legal name?

Yes. Feeding the Foothills operates as a DBA of Placer Food Bank, and California Food Banks keeps its old name on legal forms. A DBA or assumed name filing, where your state allows it, changes the public name without amending the articles.

Does rebranding increase donations?

There is little published evidence either way. Of the fourteen organizations here, only Blood Cancer United shared results, a 10% rise in social followers and 15% in web traffic four months after launch. Decide what you will measure before you launch.

How long does a nonprofit rebrand take?

The national examples describe two to three years of research and process, and the Y gave local branches five years to switch. A small organization changing its name and logo can move much faster, but should still involve staff and the board early.