The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is a wonderful organization that provides financial support for black college students as well as funding for 9 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Even though it saves thousands of lives every year, the people behind this group have difficulty reaching out to the so-called “hip-hop generation”.

That is why UNCF initiated a branding makeover representing its heritage and progressive support of Blacks in higher education. At the end of the day, UNCF hopes all these efforts will help attract more donors and make this philanthropic group more relevant to the community.

The new logo design captures the essence of this re-branding campaign. One of the glaring changes is the use of different colors including blue for the text and orange and yellow for the torch. Moreover, it uses the acronym UNCF instead of the actual name because many African-Americans today do not see themselves as Negros anymore.

Another alteration you can see here is how the torch is drawn. UNCF president and CEO Dr. Michael Lomax said they opted for a bent torch over the old static version to indicate the organization is moving forward amid resistance.

Because the tag line “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste” is even more relevant today, UNCF has decided to communicate this same message to the community.

This year UNCF will grant scholarships amounting to $80 million and financial support to its member institution worth $40 million.

Via Diverse