1) Why did we rebrand?
After nearly 20 years of working to improve health equity through community-centered policy and systems change in land use, transportation, and community development, WALKSacramento has reached the perfect time in its lifecycle to reassess who we are, whom we represent, and how we show up. Moving forward as Civic Thread helps us accomplish the following:
Diversity and Inclusivity:
We acknowledge that the name WALKSacramento is not inclusive of community members who use mobility devices. We also acknowledge that the people depicted in our logo lack diversity and are not representative of the communities we serve. Transitioning into Civic Thread allows us to be more inclusive and honor our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Outdated Imagery:
Simply put, the original logo featured outdated visuals and a lack of diversity. The new Civic Thread logo has multiple variants, with components that are modern and playful, and seamlessly elevate the interconnectedness of people, health, planning, transportation, and community.
Reduce Confusion:
Diverging from the name WALKSacramento will allow the organization to be associated with our work outside of just walking advocacy, and reflect that it transcends past the boundaries of Sacramento. Civic Thread is a nonprofit organization that works to empower residents in institutionally underserved communities across 6-counties to engage in decision-making to achieve healthy built environments.
2) Who decided to change the name?
Changing the name has been a long time coming and has been a topic of conversation since 2019 when the organization updated its strategic plan. Our Board members, staff, and stakeholders took part in selecting the new name and logo to ensure our new identity reflected the work we do and the communities we serve.
3) What was the inspiration behind the new name, “Civic Thread?”
Inspired by our mission to elevate institutionally underserved voices and priorities to co-create communities, neighborhoods, and places where everyone can thrive, “Civic Thread” weaves together themes of community engagement, coalition building, and the interconnectedness between health and the built environment.
4) Has anything else about the organization changed?
While we have updated our mission and vision and much of the look and feel has changed – we still hold the same values. Civic Thread will continue to build upon the work that WALKSacramento began and will continue to build capacity with advocates, planners, health professionals, and youth to center community priorities through policy and systems change in transportation, land use, and community development.
5) Does the name change mean we’re in trouble as an organization?
While we’re not in any real trouble you may find us getting into some “Good Trouble” as we speak power to truth and continue to advance our advocacy efforts.