Over the past few years, we have invested in exploring the qualities of our name. Founded in 1982 as Black Hills Regional Eye Institute, we became Black Hills Regional Eye Institute Foundation in 1987, when the foundation formed. Then for a brief time, West River Eye Foundation, and for the past two decades, since 2002, Northern Plains Eye Foundation. On October 1, the Board of Directors of Northern Plains Eye Foundation announced our name change to LifeSight.

Upon hearing the announcement, a long-time supporter asked why the name change. The answer tells a story that began with a sequence of strategic planning dialogues with our Board and staff just before COVID transformed our world, followed by discussions with longtime donors, brainstorming with consultants and our marketing agency, and conversations with beneficiaries of our community outreach.

We committed to “think big” and began to explore rebranding to create a more meaningful connection of our mission to the community we serve. We conducted interviews to understand brand perceptions and began creating a list of names that best embraced our current initiatives and encapsulate the image we hoped to convey. We designed a new logo, built new messaging, and began the rollout of our new brand that will continue throughout the coming months.