The Journey to Out With Purpose
Out With Purpose is the result of a thoughtful, community-led rebranding journey that reflects who we are today and where we’re headed together. This page shares the story behind that evolution—from listening and exploration to the launch of our new name, identity and website.
A Community-Led Rebranding: 2024–25
OPALGA+ has been a cornerstone of LGBTQ+ life in Oak Park and the surrounding communities for more than 35 years. Since 1989, our organization has created space for connection, advocacy, celebration and support—evolving alongside the community we serve.
OPALGA+ reached a pivotal moment as both language and community needs changed. This was an opportunity to reflect on who we are today, how we show up for one another and how we continue to build a welcoming, inclusive future.
That reflection led to a two-phase rebranding journey rooted in listening, transparency and collective decision-making.
Exploring the Need for Change
OPALGA+ has a history of evolving to meet the needs of our diverse community. We honor the changes in our social environment by periodically examining and altering our name of the organization to support inclusivity and equality.
1989 – Oak Park Lesbian and Gay Association is established. The name was carefully chosen to highlight the inclusion of female and male members—uncommon for many groups at the time.
1995 – “Area” is added, thanks to the growth of the organization beyond Oak Park
2019 – The plus sign is added to include the growing variety of identities within our community
Over the past few years, our Board of Directors identified a need to examine our name, brand, and bylaws of the organization to meet our future needs. While our mission remains clear, the way we operate within that mission, and perptions of our organization, have changed. The Board regularly received feedback from potential members, longtime members and newer members alike, showing that we could do more to promote inclusivity, increase positive impressions and better position our organization to sustain and grow in the coming years.
In early 2024, the Board voted to pursue a rebranding effort, engaging the services of local marketing firm Famous Victory. They conducted research, community surveys and an analysis of the current OPALGA+ name and brand. The outcomes confirmed there are several reasons the current name does not best serve the organization, and that our brand needed to address perceptions moving forward.
Phase 1: Naming the Future Together
With the information received from the surveys and Famous Victory, the Board voted to form a Task Force to review the information and consider if rebranding would best serve the organization’s long-term mission and goals. The Task Force’s process began with reviewing concerns with the current name/branding to see if it was a viable option to retain the current name. In September 2024, the Task Force recommended to the Board that the current name would be a barrier to longevity for the organization.
Based on the information gathered, the Task Force established criteria for a potential new name – Aligns with the organization’s mission, has a connection to the history of the organization, is not already in use and/or is not too similar to a name already in use, is easy to pronounce/remember, does not include outdated/exclusionary language.
The Task Force reviewed potential rebranding options both from Famous Victory’s proposal, from the organization’s membership, and from the Task Force members. The Task Force narrowed down the options based on the previously determined name criteria.
In November 2024, the Task Force conducted two focus groups with a cross section of OPALGA+ members and non-members from the greater community to receive feedback on the short list of naming options. The results of these two focus groups were compiled and reviewed by the Task Force. From these two focus groups, one name was clearly favored over the others and met all required criteria.
In December 2024, the Task Force recommended the final name to the Board for approval. The Board unanimously approved this name and moved to bring it to a vote at the annual meeting.
At the annual meeting in January 2025, dues paying members had the opportunity to vote yes or no on the proposed name change. The name change passed with a large majority.
Phase 2: Bringing the Brand to Life
In March 2025, the Board voted to finalize a budget for the second phase of this project and the Rebranding Task Force contacted branding agencies for project quotes. The Task Force identified agencies that have experience working with non-profit organizations who have undergone a rebrand and priority was given to agencies with LGBTQIA2S+ experience and/or leadership.
In May 2025, the Board voted to work with Bigmouth Creative, a Chicago based, LGBTQ owned creative agency with “purpose-driven business practices and higher standards of accountability in ethical, environmental and social stewardship.”
From May through July 2025, the Board engaged with Bigmouth Creative to provide them information on the history of the organization, feedback from membership from Phase 1, and goals for the future of the group.
Bigmouth Creative synthesized all the information and distilled it down into an exciting direction for our organization’s brand. They created two unique logo options for our new brand. Official members of OPALGA+ voted in 2025 for their preferred logo design. The winning design, which received 65% of the overall vote, was revealed at the Annual Scholarship Gala on November 1st and was announced via email to members shortly after.
Our New Name, Look and Online Home
The launch of this website represents the completion of the rebranding journey.
It is the first full expression of Out With Purpose—bringing together the new name, logo and voice in one place. The site is more than a visual refresh. It’s designed to support connection, accessibility and growth, making it easier for people to engage with events, advocacy, volunteering and each other.
While our name and look may be new, the heart of our organization remains the same: A community built on belonging, care, and purpose.
We’re proud of where we’ve been—and excited about where we’re going together.
Any questions about this project can be directed to the Chair of the Rebranding Task Force, Jayne Furlong (jayne@opalga.org) or Co-Chair of OPLAGA+, Cas Scaman (cas@opalga.org).