To better represent our borderless community of global payroll leaders, effective 2 May 2023, the American Payroll Association and Global Payroll Management Institute have merged to become PayrollOrg: The Leader in Payroll Education. If you are a chapter leader or statewide coordinator, aligning your chapter name with PayrollOrg is recommended.
In April, the Chapter Relations Department aired a live webinar (which is now available on demand) called “Transitioning to PayrollOrg for Chapter Leaders”. The webinar walks you through the process on rebranding your chapter to align with our new name. We suggest a name change for all chapters with “APA” in their name and shared examples in the webinar. We recommend researching that the new name your chapter selects is not already taken as a DBA, email domain, website domain, logo, etc., before moving forward.
Once your chapter is ready to update your name, here are two steps to follow:
Step 1: Update Your Chapter Name at the State Level
This does not have to be a difficult procedure. Many organizations simply change their “DBA” (doing business as) name, also known as a trade name. If you don’t currently have a trade name, you can file to add a DBA to your official identity. In fact, this is what PayrollOrg did; we changed our DBA from American Payroll Association to PayrollOrg. The underlying 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) organizations remain the same, only our DBA has changed. This eases the new name transition, as we did not need to change bank accounts, non-profit status, or other important connections. For our bank accounts, we simply needed to update our DBA with the bank and order new checks. Your banker should be able to assist you with changes like this.
In most states, changing or adding a DBA is a simple matter than can be accomplished by filing a form or two, typically with your secretary of state, after taking the proper steps for approval according to your chapter’s bylaws. Adhere to your bylaws when making changes like this to ensure proper procedures are followed.
Step 2: Inform PayrollOrg’s Chapter Relations Department
After completing the necessary legal steps to update your chapter name, inform us by having a chapter officer email the below confirmation with email signature, as requested by our legal counsel, and provide your new chapter name. We will then update your chapter name in our system.
“I certify that the chapter has completed the process of obtaining a dba designation and/or legally changing the chapter's name, including applicable requirements in the chapter's origination documents (e.g., articles of incorporation) and bylaws.”
PayrollOrg also advises chapters update their website, emails, logos, and documents, at their own pace, mindful of any associated costs. The transition may take additional time for many chapters. Brochures, giveaways, and other materials that have already been printed with the APA logo can still be used for the remainder of 2023. After all, the American Payroll Association brand remains part of our history, supporting the payroll community.
To assist you through the chapter rebranding process, visit the PAYO Rebranding Resources webpage.
Email any chapter rebranding questions to chapterrelations@payroll.org.
We hope all our chapters have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Rebrand Your Chapter Webpage
Thinking of updating your chapter name or unsure of what to do next? Make sure to watch the webinar On Demand Transitioning to PayrollOrg for Chapter Leaders located on the Rebrand Your Chapter webpage to assist your chapter through the rebranding process and hear some helpful tips from our guest speakers.
