How to Name Your Charity
Welcome! I’m Anne at BrandNewName, ready to help you find an inspiring name for your charitable or nonprofit organization.
To help you focus your search for the perfect name for your charity, you must have a very clear idea of the goals and parameters of your organization. The simplest way to do this is by preparing a one-page document containing two things:
- Mission Statement
- Brand Brief
Don’t panic! We’re here to walk you step by step through the process. To help illustrate the process, I’m going to create a new fictional nonprofit of my own.
Preparation
Write a Mission Statement
A mission statement helps you to define exactly what you are trying to do with your charitable organization, both today and five or ten years down the road. Who are you trying to benefit? What needs are you trying to fill?
Mission Statement: To assist needy dog and cat owners in meeting their pets' basic requirements, especially but not limited to food and vaccinations, during the pandemic and after.
Write a Brand Brief
A brand brief gives one or two-sentence answers to a series of questions that will help you define your charity or nonprofit’s goals for today and dreams for the future.
What does your charity do?(A brief description of what your charity will do.)
My answer: Help dog and cat owners in need to feed and vaccinate their pets.
What do you hope to accomplish?(What is the end goal? What need will you fill?)
My answer: Help pet owners to avoid being forced to surrender beloved pets because of finances, especially during the pandemic.
What are your charity or nonprofit’s style and tone? (Most charities are about serious issues, but helping search for victims after an earthquake has a tragic urgency that arranging birthday parties for children in need may not.)
My answer: Warm & Furry, Empathetic, Supportive & Positive
How will your charity or nonprofit expand? (How do you envision your charity in five or even ten years? What is the big dream?)
My answer: To help pet owners provide food, medicine, and veterinary care for their dogs and cats, as well as emergency and advanced care for elderly and special needs pets.
What is your value proposition? (What’s different about your charity or nonprofit?)
My answer: A complete security net for basic pet needs, including, but not limited to food and vaccinations.
That’s it. Write it all down, and keep it close. You now have a mission statement and a brand brief that will help you focus your time, efforts, and finances for your charity or nonprofit - both today and as you grow.
Interested in Personalized Name Ideas for Your Brand Brief?
Charitable and Nonprofit Names at Work Today
Naming your charity or nonprofit is vitally important - it’s the first thing potential donors see! It helps to generate both interest and investments. Let’s take a look at some charity or nonprofit names in 2021.
CANDID
Candid’s evocative name is explained beautifully by its mission statement: “Candid gets you the information you need to do good.” Candid gives statistical and research information on the growth, giving, and practices of over 2.5 million charitable and nonprofit organizations. It allows potential donors to analyze different charities and nonprofits to see how their donations will be used.
HEART TO HEART
Using an expression-based name gives Heart to Heart an immediate feeling of familiarity and warmth. They provide this warmth and comfort in the US and around the world, responding to disasters like Hurricane Katrina as well as humanitarian crises such as refugee camps.
TILTIFY
Tiltify is an invented name that also evokes the ‘spirit’ of pinball machines, the precursor to the gaming streams it utilizes for its fundraising. It is an online giving platform that allows supporters to donate to a fundraiser's stream/game whilst they are playing.
COLOR OF CHANGE
Color Of Change has a descriptive name that perfectly sums up their raison d'être. They are determined to change injustices towards black people by designing campaigns powerful enough to end practices that unfairly hold black people back. Until, as they say, justice is real.
ANERA
Anera stands for American Near East Refugee Aid, an American organization that provides humanitarian and development aid to the Middle East, specifically the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Jordan. Anera is now more recognized and referenced by its acronym than by its original moniker.
Want to Know More?
Brainstorming Name Ideas
Okay now we get to the fun part: brainstorming name ideas. There are no strict guidelines to follow when brainstorming your name ideas - you want to let the creativity run wild. However, there are some helpful techniques specific to generating name ideas that can help direct your creative flow.
The options below are just suggestions of different ways you can brainstorm charity name ideas for your non-profit. You may also want to create your own list of options, like writing ideas on sticky notes and throwing them in a hat.
Note that for my charity company, I've come up with three name options for each category, but you are of course free to generate more of your own. At least three appear to be beneficial in expanding your search.
Descriptive Names
Descriptive names simply describe your charity or nonprofit. The Humane Society is a descriptive name.
My descriptive name ideas:
- Fuzz Buds
- Paw Partners
- Pet Net
Invented Names
Invented names are totally made up which allows you tremendous freedom and creativity. Google is an invented name.
My invented name ideas:
- Badoodle
- Treatzy
- Andell
Evocative Names
Evocative names use memory, emotion, instinct, and color to transport you to what you will feel with their product. Save the Children is an evocative name.
My evocative name ideas:
- Blue Shepherd
- Animal Basket
- Claws Cause
Expression-Based Names
Expression-based names are names that are easy to remember because we hear some form of them in day-to-day living. Goodwill is an expressive name.
My expression-based name ideas:
- Pet Assured
- Herding Hands
- Tail Blazers
Put All Your Name Ideas in One List
All the name ideas I came up with during the brainstorming stage:
- Fuzz Buds
- Paw Partners
- Pet Net
- Badoodle
- Treatzy
- Andell
- Blue Shepherd
- Animal Basket
- Claws Cause
- Pet Assured
- Herding Hands
- Tail Blazers
THE CUTTING BOARD
Time to trim the list, again in an open but organized sequence.
Cut the Weakest Links
There are names on your list you hate. Cut them.
Weakest links:
- Fuzz Buds - A little icky, actually.
- Claws Cause - It sounds angry, somehow.
Check Against Best Practices
When naming your charity or nonprofit, you want to check against naming best practices.
- Is the name simple and easy to remember?
- Is the name easy to comprehend, pronounce, and spell?
- Is there differentiation from your competitors?
- Does the name mean something or convey a relevant vibe?
- Is the name flexible enough to grow with my business?
Best practices cuts:
- Blue Shepherd - Love it, but it’s too narrow.
- Badoodle - Sounds more like a playgroup than a charity.
- Treatzy - It doesn’t flow off the tongue, it’s awkward.
Go Back to Your Brief
Remove every name idea from your list that doesn't jive with your brand brief. You may like a fantastic name or two, but they may not be quite appropriate for your nonprofit's work. Some questions to consider:
- What matches your goals?
- Which name complements your current product or service without limiting your future dreams for your charity business?
- How does each name make you feel? Don’t dismiss those feelings.
Names that don’t pass the brand brief test:
- Animal Basket - Sounds like pet supplies.
- Tail Blazers - Just doesn’t have the right feel.
Make a Shortlist:
You've come up with some great ideas for the name of your new charity. But now you still need to narrow it down to one perfect idea.
Time to make a shortlist - create a list of 3-5 names, and then work through them until you find the one that speaks to you most powerfully.
My shortlist:
- Paw Partners
- Pet Net
- Andell
- Pet Assured
- Herding Hands
Check if It’s Available
It's important to find out whether your shortlisted names are already registered. Time to check each of your shortlist names against a domain name registrar like Godaddy. Is the .com of your favorite on the market? A .com name may cost a few dollars more, but it is the most widely accepted and reputable domain and makes finding you easier for your consumers.
These names were not available to be registered in my TLD of choice (Top-Level Domains):
- Paw Partners
- Pet Net
Now I have three finalists to choose from.
Get Feedback
Give your finalists another look by getting outside feedback. It might help to use a different group than your initial brainstorming session who will come at the names with fresh eyes.
Feedback Failures:
- Herding Hands - Sounds too much like Hurting Hands.
Make Your Final Choice:
My Final Two Charity Names:
Andell
Pet Assured
Now that you've gone through all of your options, there are just two or three remaining on your list. It's time to make a decision!
My final choice is Pet Assured!
Problems?
Not entirely satisfied with what you came up with? Don't be concerned. A process as important as this might take several attempts. Keep in mind that you are still farther ahead than when you first began. Take a few moments to relax, then press on.
Start a Naming Contest
There isn't much time? There is another alternative. Start a naming contest to provide you with a list of exceedingly individualized names for your charity's business.