What’s in a Name

by Lisa Steindel, Director of Development

The official, corporate name of our organization, as it appears on our 501C3 application from 1993, is: VHL Family Alliance. This name has served us well and does a good job describing our purpose and our mission: an alliance of family, friends, physicians and researchers dedicated to improving diagnosis, treatment and quality of life for people affected by von Hippel-Lindau Disease.

More recently, when we were approved as a participant in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) a national solicitation of all federal employees, it was recommended that we alter our name a bit, for purposes of the CFC campaign. As we are all quite aware, VHL is not a well known disorder and our name is not a household word. The people at CFC thought that a title like “Cancer Research Fund – VHL Alliance” would say more to the general public about what we do, and help potential contributors to find us in a list of hundreds of worthy charities. As a result, we have been the beneficiary of many federal employees who have been able to direct their charity dollars to our organization.

Unfortunately, the dual names have caused some confusion in our own ranks. Please rest assured, the “VHLFA” and the “Cancer Research Fund- VHL Alliance” are one and the same. Any checks written to one will wind up in a “single pot” with any checks written to the other. We are only one organization, funding the same research and education programs we always have. 

Which name do we prefer you attach to your annual donation? It really doesn’t matter.  Either works for us.  Our single bank account accepts contributions written to either. Much in the same way that checks written to me end up in the bank account I share with my husband.  We keep it all in the family. And we know that, with your continued support, we will make our VHL family healthier and stronger – no matter which name is on the check.

“Cancer Research Fund VHL Alliance” is a registered dba name (“doing business as”) with the IRS and many state registrations.  You can look us up at Guidestar.org or the Better Business Bureau,
bbb.org

As printed in the VHL Family Forum 18:1, February 2010. For permission to reprint, please contact VHL Family Alliance, editor@vhl.org. Further information is available from the VHL Family Alliance, info@vhl.org.