How to Choose and Protect Your Nonprofit’s Name

Your nonprofit’s name is a major component of your public image, so select it with care. The name should capture an essential feature of your organization, such as the type of services you provide or the constituency you serve. Beyond that, it should convey professionalism and be memorable and distinct from other organization names. Having a name that’s too similar to another nonprofit or even a for-profit corporation could adversely affect your ability to raise funds and build awareness of your organization within the community—especially if the other organization has a bad reputation. There can also be legal consequences for using a name, phrase, or logo that’s more commonly associated with another corporation.

The best way to start trying to find a name is to brainstorm a list of ideas with colleagues or friends. Then you can bounce the ideas off other people to hear their initial reactions to the name. After you’ve come up with some ideas that you like, use a search engine such as Google or Yahoo!, an online phone directory such as www.switchboard.com, or your local phone book to see whether any organizations use the same or similar names. You also can search the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s free directory at www.uspto.gov or contact the secretary of state’s office for your state to find out whether similar names have been registered.

Cross already-used names off the list altogether or consider appending a city name, regional name, or other qualifier to make your choice distinct. Avoid names that include wording that conflicts with the requirements set forth by the IRS for tax-exempt organizations. For example, your name shouldn’t include “political action group” or “trade association” because those types of organizations do not qualify for tax exemption under section 501(c)(3). Carefully review IRS Publication 557 (available at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p557.pdf) to make sure that your name doesn’t disqualify you from this tax exemption.

If you choose a name and then decide later that something else would be more appropriate, you have options. You can legally change your original name, or you can maintain it for legal purposes and register your new name as a DBA—“doing business as.” The new name can take its place on letterheads, press releases, and all other nonlegal documents.

Nonprofit organizations, like other types of organizations, have an increasing presence on the web. You should purchase a domain name early on, even if you don’t have the resources to develop a website right away. That way you’ll own the name whenever you get around to establishing a web presence. It’s a good idea to purchase related variations of your name as well, such as www.yournonprofit.org and www.yournonprofit.com—when you’re ready, you can have all the name variations point to one site. Visit an InterNIC-accredited domain registrar such as www.godaddy.com, www.networksolutions.com, or www.register.com to check the availability of domain names.

Though you can register a domain name with up to 63 characters, a lengthy web address won’t be memorable. Keep it simple and come up with something that your key audience—donors, clients, and the public—are likely to remember and type correctly. The .org suffix is popular among nonprofit organizations, but .com and .net are also options.