Podcast Summary: The Smart Communications Podcast

Episode 201: How do you approach rebranding a 100 year old nonprofit?
Date: December 16, 2025
Host: Ali Damieu (A), Director of Service Development, Big Duck
Guest: Brad Drazen (B), Vice President of Communications and Marketing, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (now Greater Hartford Gives)

Overview

This episode centers on the comprehensive rebranding journey of a 100-year-old community foundation serving Greater Hartford, Connecticut, including the rationale behind a significant name change and valuable lessons for other nonprofits considering similar transformations. Host Ali Damieu and guest Brad Drazen discuss the motivations for rebranding, the process, challenges, and insights gained, providing practical advice for nonprofit leaders facing questions about organizational identity and stakeholder engagement.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Why Rebrand a 100-Year-Old Nonprofit?

• Context: The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving was marking its centennial with a comprehensive rebrand, including a new name and identity.
• Challenge: Despite significant name recognition, there was persistent confusion about the foundation’s scope, its independence from local corporations (notably "the Hartford" insurance company), and the meaning of "public giving."
• Goal: To ensure the organization’s brand more truly reflected its present-day scope, impact, and inclusivity, extending beyond Hartford city and clarifying its community foundation model.

"The name Hartford foundation belies the fact that we're a regional organization."
(Brad Drazen, 05:02)

2. Pinpointing Barriers in the Old Brand

• Regional Scope: The old name implied they served only Hartford proper, creating misconceptions about the foundation’s reach.
• Corporate Confusion: Many mistook them for the philanthropic arm of The Hartford insurance company, which they are not.
• Ambiguity: Terms like "public giving" confused community members and stakeholders about their mission and whether they were a government entity or provided grants to individuals.

"Even people that have lived in this community their entire lives, there is a lack of recognition of this organization ... let alone what we do."
(Brad Drazen, 04:10)

3. The Internal and External Process

• Community Involvement: The rebranding process incorporated input from staff, board, and community members, using multiple rounds of option vetting and feedback.
• Research and Openness: Initial research highlighted name-recognition issues and openness to a name change, though the exact direction (evolutionary vs. revolutionary) was undecided at the start.
• Decision: The team ultimately moved from considering a “tweak” to embracing a more radical change.

"We put post-its on the continuum of evolutionary versus revolutionary ... my post-it was closest to evolutionary. The predominant view was, if we're gonna do it, let's really do it."
(Brad Drazen, 10:15)

4. Introducing the New Name: Greater Hartford Gives

• Name Reveal: The foundation’s new name is “Greater Hartford Gives Foundation” (Greater Hartford Gives for short).
• Rationale:
  • Action-Oriented: "Gives" signals ongoing activity and invites community involvement, be it through monetary donations, volunteerism, or idea-sharing.
  • Clarity and Inclusivity: Emphasizes generosity and collective strength, extending beyond donors to include anyone contributing to the community.
  • Bidirectional: Reflects the reciprocal nature of a community foundation—resources come from and are redistributed to the community.

"A community foundation does so much more than giving, but the resources that are generated are from the community."
(Ali Damieu, 09:33)

"We can't give out to the nonprofits unless community members ... make financial contributions. That was really, really exciting about it."
(Brad Drazen, 11:19)

• Continuity: The old name is largely retained conceptually—“Hartford,” “foundation,” and “giving” are simply rearranged and clarified, easing the transition while signaling progress.

"We've almost shaken up the words and let them fall into a different order ... I think gave people additional comfort."
(Brad Drazen, 12:28)

5. Beyond the Name: Visual Identity, Messaging, and Rollout

• Comprehensive Change: The rebrand extended to visuals, tagline, messaging, and strategic alignment across different programs.
• Inclusive Perception: A major goal was to correct misconceptions of the organization as an “ivory tower,” reinforcing accessibility and community orientation.
• Brand Architecture: Every program and outreach effort now supports a consistent, cohesive brand.

"You are a foundation and an organization that is welcoming and inclusive to all ... you want to continue to kind of extend those and make sure that you are relevant to even more people."
(Ali Damieu, 14:20)

6. Advice for Other Nonprofits Considering a Rebrand

Internal Strategies:

• Form Diverse Teams: Include staff from various departments and levels to foster ownership and cross-functional buy-in.
• Multi-Dimensional Input: Different perspectives create a richer, more impactful result and facilitate organizational acceptance.

External Considerations:

• Focus on Communication: Clearly explain that the mission and work remain unchanged, preventing fears of losing established stakeholder trust or “brand equity.”
• Long-Term Perspective: While there may be short-term uncertainty, the rebrand can widen reach, attract new partners, and ensure future relevance.

"We believe that we are not going to lose any stakeholders that are already with us ... after 90, 120, 180 days, it's just going to be our name."
(Brad Drazen, 16:15)

"We're going to bring in thousands more partners ... to help keep us relevant, to bring in new stakeholders, maybe even younger stakeholders to help maintain this organization in perpetuity."
(Brad Drazen, 17:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Community Awareness:

  "When you say the Hartford foundation for Public Giving, even people that have lived in this community their entire lives, there is a lack of recognition ... there was not a deep and broad awareness ... let alone what we do."
  (Brad Drazen, 04:10)

• On Tackling a Radical Change:

  "The predominant view was, if we're gonna do it, let's really do it."
  (Brad Drazen, 10:18)

• On the New Name’s Power:

  "I think it's a phrase that philanthropically minded people ... can hear the word greater heart forgives and say, I think that's me. Like that's a kind of organization I need to be connected to."
  (Brad Drazen, 13:04)

• On Building for the Future:

  "It is only going to put out more deeply and broadly into the water, so to speak, of Greater Hartford ... We can be the clearinghouse for that, knowing that we don't do any of our work on our own. It's all done in partnership."
  (Brad Drazen, 16:55)

Important Timestamps

• 00:59 – Episode intro, rebrand context, and Brad’s background
• 03:27 – Rationale behind the need for a rebrand
• 07:32 – Common name-related challenges and early partnership with Big Duck
• 08:18 – Name change process and introduction of new name
• 10:13 – Internal decision-making: evolutionary vs. revolutionary rebrand
• 12:28 – How the new name relates to the old name for continuity
• 15:09 – Scope of the rebranding work beyond just a name change
• 15:46 – Advice for nonprofits considering a rebrand
• 18:10 – Host wraps up, reflections on impact and future hopes

Tone & Language

The episode is conversational, candid, and optimistic. Both speakers emphasize inclusivity, innovation, and the importance of involving diverse voices in rebranding efforts. Their open discussion about risks, organizational fears, and ambitions provides an encouraging tone for nonprofits navigating similar challenges.

For Listeners

• The new brand and website for “Greater Hartford Gives” will be publicly available at launch.
• Supplemental resources, including brand visuals and rollout strategies, will be linked in the show notes.
• Listeners are encouraged to reach out to Big Duck with podcast feedback or nonprofit communications questions.

For nonprofit leaders contemplating a rebrand, this episode provides actionable insights on managing internal dynamics, mitigating fears of lost equity, and positioning for future growth.