Choosing a name is one of the most critical early decisions any new not-for-profit organization must make.
An effective name should describe the organization's mission, purpose, vision and/or guiding principles. It may reflect its geographic focus, or describe the segment of population it plans to serve. The name should also distinguish the organization from the sea of other nonprofit groups also vying for the attention of a time-starved public. Moreover, the name needs to avoid potentially negative connotations, such as some geographic references that can stir negative passions with potential donors, beneficiaries, or governments.
Specifically, we wanted a moniker that reflects three circumstances:
- AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe desperately need help.
- We are all responsible to do what we can to provide that help.
- Our new organization's mission is to fulfill that responsibility to help AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe.
Coming up with a single name that fulfills all those requirements is a complex, difficult task, indeed.
A name designed to describe who we are
After considering dozens of possible names and consulting with groups of individuals, it became clear that one name couldn't fulfill all the jobs. In the end, there was a fundamental choice to make: either describe who we are or what we do.
In the end, after much debate, we decided on Brother Brother Sister Sister because we think it best describes who we are. We believe the name reflects one of our most important convictions – that there is just one human family and all people on earth are members of that family.
“I consider it a fundamental truth that family members take care of one another,” said John Wilkinson, founder and executive director of Brother Brother Sister Sister. “There is a clear inference that as members of the human family, we who have plentiful resources are morally obligated to share them with family members who are suffering and dying for the lack of those resources. Our moral obligation arises not as a consequence of whom we will serve, but rather, it arises as a consequence of who we are.”
We are family
We like to think this spirit is reflected in our organization's name. The family relationship emphasized by the name is a relationship of equals, the relationship of a brother to his brother, and of a sister to her sister.
Conceptually, the name would be “Brothers Caring For Brothers; Sisters Caring For Sisters; Brothers Caring For Sisters; Sisters Caring For Brothers.” Obviously, that was a little long. It is under the shortened “Brother Brother Sister Sister” that we are now known in Zimbabwe and at home in Texas
It does not matter if we live in the United States or in Africa. We are all brothers. We are all sisters. And we all benefit by taking care of each other.
“One cannot give without receiving in equal or greater measure,” Wikinson added. “Therefore, the relationship between donors and beneficiaries is a relationship between equals.”
What does Brother Brother Sister Sister receive to balance the goods and services we provide to AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe? See Grandmother Nehmalanga's story.
