The rebrand wasn't about changing the mission, but better communicating existing work—like venture capital and seed insurance—to donors who saw "Mercy Corps" as purely emergency relief. The new name, Prosper Global, aims to shorten the fundraising conversation by stating their long-term, prosperity-focused values upfront.
Contrary to expectations, local staff in crisis zones—90% of the workforce—immediately understood and felt proud of the "Prosper Global" name. They saw it as an affirmation of their communities' potential beyond being "charity cases," while stakeholders in the global north were more skeptical of the change.
The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz demonstrates how distant geopolitical events create cascading crises. For farmers in Sudan, this meant a 60% spike in fuel costs, making fertilizer unaffordable during a critical planting window. This forces them to abandon land, crippling the food supply for the next season.
The deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure like ports and grain silos in Ukraine marked a shift in modern warfare. This violation of international humanitarian law is no longer an isolated event but has become a replicated tactic, escalating conflicts and civilian suffering in places like Sudan and Gaza.
While laying off staff and facing funding cuts, CEO Jada McKenna made the difficult decision to invest in the rebrand. She framed it not as an expense, but as a necessary investment in building their future and changing the narrative around aid. It was a strategic move to reject a negative trajectory.
Prosper Global's approach in Gaza exemplifies the evolution of humanitarian aid. While providing immediate necessities like clean water, they simultaneously run "Gaza Sky Geeks," a long-term initiative that trains locals for remote tech work and provides co-working spaces, creating a path to economic sustainability amid crisis.