For the first time in 19 years, The Community Foundation will go by a different name. Our new name – drumroll! – is the Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF)! We’re still doing the same great work serving the Inland Empire, but now with a new name, logo, tagline and website!
In December, our family of donors and supporters gathered at our holiday reception for the “big reveal.” It was a special evening for the Foundation and comes after nearly a year and a half of vital input from donors, advisors, board members, staff and community stakeholders.
As an organization focused on growing philanthropy and collaboration in the IE, now is the time to reintroduce ourselves to donors who may not know us, to regional funders who want to invest in our area and to partners in the community that want help our region thrive and be more resilient. Our rebranding efforts, we believe, are helping us accomplish this.
When we began the process of rebranding the organization, it became clear that our name and visual identity needed to better reflect the region we serve and appeal to donors unaware of our existence. One of the main challenges we wanted to address was our name; people would often always ask, “where is your foundation?” Our new name communicates a powerful message that we are the IE. We know the IE brand has value and provides a sense a place that is embraced by our donors, nonprofits and businesses alike. And we discovered in the process that young people are reclaiming the name Inland Empire, which we think bodes well for our shared future in the IE.
Along with a new name it was time for a new look. Our vibrantly-colored logo reflects a contemporary mark that unifies the region as a forward-thinking and diverse community. Furthermore, we wanted to convey the Foundation as accessible, approachable and friendly by displaying “ie” in lowercase; and with “CF” in uppercase this demonstrates our organization as solid, established and here for the long term. The logo is also reinforced by our new tagline, “where giving grows,” which symbolizes the power of giving over time.
Although we have a new name and brand identity, we are the same Foundation and a trusted steward of the region’s charitable resources. More than ever, we are committed to our donors who care passionately about benefiting our community forever.
In addition to grantmaking, the Foundation will continue to serve as a leader on important social and community issues through our work on Census 2020, Listos California, Inland Economic Growth and Opportunity (IEGO), Youth Grantmakers, Graduate Success and the Women’s Giving Fund.
We are building a community foundation for the Inland Empire with more intention than ever, and tackling critical issues through philanthropy. We are grateful for the generosity of our donors and look forward to all that we can do together to make our region great.