Excerpt from The Non Profit Times, The Leading Business Publication for Non Profit Management
August 1 , 2010
By Mark Hrywna
Now that the YMCA is simply ¢âÂÒThe Y,¢âÂå it joins a
number of the nation's largest nonprofits reinventing themselves in
recent years with new branding and logo. The national YMCA of the USA,
headquartered in Chicago, Ill., announced the change last month at The
National Press Club in Washington, D.C. All of its 2,680 local
affiliates should transition to the new logo and name within five
years.
It is the first
new brand strategy for The Y since 1967 and the sixth since the
organization was established in 1844. The rebranding effort grew out of
the organization's 2007 strategic plan, starting in earnest two years
ago with analysis and research, culminating in March with meetings in
14 cities and several thousand staff and volunteers providing feedback.
¢âÂÒWe are changing how we talk about ourselves so
that people better understand the benefits of engaging with the Y,¢âÂå
said Kate Coleman, senior vice president, chief marketing officer for
YMCA of the USA. ¢âÂÒWe are simplifying how we describe the programs we
offer so that it is immediately apparent that everything we do is
designed to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve health
and well-being and support our neighbors and the larger community,¢âÂå
she said.
Click http://www.nptimes.com/01Aug/npt-100801-3.html for the full article.