When the University Economic Development Association (UEDA), an organization dedicated to expanding economic opportunity by leveraging research, community and campus planning, talent development, and technology commercialization, decided to consider rebranding and changing its name, it reached out to Grau & Associates to help understand UEDA’s corporate naming options, implications of a name change, and ramifications of reincorporating in a different state.
G&A’s a-la-carte association support model made it a perfect resource for UEDA and although G&A is not a law firm and Aaron Grau is not a practicing attorney, G&A’s expertise in establishing and managing non-profit trade associations helped guide UEDA’s decision process.
G&A’s memorandum and advice clearly outlined the basic steps to changing a non-profit’s corporate name such as filing amended articles of incorporation and notifying the Internal Revenue Service. G&A also provided reasoning (pros and cons) for decisions like whether to make comprehensive changes given UEDA’s name change and rebranding. For example, based on G&A’s input UEDA could consider whether to remain an Oklahoma corporation, fully reincorporate in Pennsylvania, or simply become a Pennsylvania foreign corporation.
Grau & Associate’s advice and guidance helped UEDA fully consider all its options in the wake of a rebranding and name change and determine how it could fully capitalize on these decisions without jeopardizing its non-profit or tax-exempt status.