TOLEDO, OHIO, October 8, 2019 – Toledo Community Foundation – a leader and advocate for philanthropy in the greater Toledo region for more than 45 years – announced today the launch of a new brand identity and website. The organization will now be known as Greater Toledo Community Foundation. In an effort to reflect the forward-moving direction of the company, the new brand identity represents the Foundation’s commitment to making the greater Toledo region a better place with bold solutions and inspired philanthropy, while honoring a strong legacy of helping people and institutions give back with passion and purpose.
The new visual identity includes an update to the classic blue logo mark as well as a new tagline, “Strength in Giving. Hope in Action.” With a modernized image representative of the Foundation’s evolving and diverse approach to identifying and solving community problems, Greater Toledo Community Foundation is in a position to help givers of all kinds become vital contributors in creating a more equitable community and a better world.
Branding research determined that evolving the Foundation’s brand identity, rather than completely changing its name, was the optimal decision. The reputation and equity built under its previous identity is a valuable asset, but no longer accurately reflected the organization’s evolution in philanthropy and geographic reach. The new name and tagline effectively addresses both issues.
A key component of our evolution is communication. To meet the needs of traditional donors as well as next-generation givers, the Foundation is embracing a multi-channel communication strategy that will help reach and engage with all generations in the ways they like to receive information. For example, our new, optimized website is part of a new and improved online strategy, which is designed to help strengthen connections across age brackets.
In the future, it is important to take a hands-on approach with next-generation donors seeking high levels of involvement with the organization(s) that they seek out. Bottom line: They want to be more engaged. In addition to generously giving their money, they seek out volunteer opportunities within an organization that will expose them to the constituent base it serves and ask for detailed information about the impact of their work on that organization. Greater Toledo Community Foundation will continue to provide dynamic donor experiences and make important connections for donors and the social causes they support.
“Over the past several decades, we have built a strong reputation for bringing together financial resources of individuals, families and businesses to support effective nonprofits in the community,” said Keith Burwell, president of Greater Toledo Community Foundation. “Evolving our name and brand is the appropriate strategic move for us, and the research showed that. While we wanted to accurately reflect our work in the new name and tagline, we also wanted to position the Foundation for new opportunities and growth.”
In all, the branding embodies an organization that is progressing into the new world of philanthropy but is still very committed to its roots of supporting and enhancing all areas of community life.
Keith continued, “This is an exciting change for us and marks a strategic pivot in the way we approach solving community problems, engaging with givers of all ages, and being out there in the community. While our commitment to the community we serve will not change, there is incredible potential to grow – especially among next-generation donors. Our new branding positions us for those opportunities.”
About Greater Toledo Community Foundation
Greater Toledo Community Foundation is a public charitable organization created by citizens of our community to enrich the quality of life for individuals and families in our area. In existence since 1973, the Foundation has more than 875 funds with assets of approximately $304 million. The Foundation provides philanthropic services for individuals, families, businesses and corporations to meet their charitable giving needs. For more information about Greater Toledo Community Foundation, visit www.toledocf.org or follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
