There is a fairly obvious link between the
three charities that came top in a survey of charities’ reputations that has
been published this week: the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Royal
British Legion and Royal National Institute for the Blind.
It’s not the first time charities with the
word “royal” in their title have been shown to be held in high esteem by
members of the public. The Charity Brand Index survey, produced by Third Sector
and PR Week, shows all three charities scored high on “trust and support” in a
poll of more than 3,000 people.
So it might seem surprising that some
charities blessed with the magic word are trying to distance themselves from
it. The RNID is in the middle of a rebranding that will see it renamed Action
on Hearing Loss later this year. Its chief executive, Jackie Ballard, said the
new name “had more relevance and more reach”.
Others, however, think the word has some
value. The Royal Free Charity, which raises funds for the Royal Free Hampstead
NHS Trust, announced last month that it would rebrand with a new logo in a bid
to increase its public profile, but would not change its name.
Being a “royal” charity might seem
old-fashioned, but it seems a good way of keeping hold of the public’s trust, a
highly-valued commodity when it comes to fundraising and campaigning. It’s too
soon to know, but the RNID might come to regret dropping its well-known, and
well-trusted, title.