NPO sector needs rebranding badly to increase its impact
Name is too negative, communicating what it is no rather than what it is
Shakespeare once wrote: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. This is true for many things in life — freshly baked bread, popcorn at the movies, and the interior of a brand-new car. However, the inverse could also be true — change the name and people’s perception of the thing itself can also change. Once you remove the negative connotations associated with a label, perhaps one can be granted the chance to reinvent these connotations and associations.
During the 20th century we have transitioned from the term “charity” to “nonprofit”. Perhaps it is now time to evolve and claim an even more fitting title for the sector. This contemplation already sprouted in 2009 when Suzanne Perry expressed her discontent with the term nonprofit and argued “Why should groups describe themselves by what they are not?” Nonprofit professionals don’t focus their energy on not enriching shareholders, as the word implies — they focus their energy on addressing and solving the social just...
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