UPDATED 5/7

As follow up to communication earlier in the week about the use of “FTK” and “For The Kids”, we want to clarify the trademark holder of these phrases did not send CMN Hospitals any cease and desist demands or requirements. CMN Hospitals made the business decision to be compliant with the trademark requirements and not to infringe on another organization’s mark. We believe that stopping use and refreshing communications and call-to-action language for the Miracle Network Dance Marathon program outweighs the risk of future liability. While we are well aware the students at the various Miracle Network Dance Marathon programs feel very passionate about the phrases and use them as a rallying cry, we want to respectfully ask you to guide them to refrain from any communications directed negatively at THON. Let’s instead recommit as a network to helping kids everywhere have the resources they need when entering a hospital to survive and thrive. Let’s do all we can to Change Kids Health and Change The Future…for all of us. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Cause Partnerships Manager.

Original Announcement

We regret to inform our network that Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals can no longer use the phrase “For the Kids” in any communications or organizational content because another organization has trademarked the phrase and “FTK.” While it is disappointing the USPTO awarded these trademarks, we do see this as an opportunity to embrace refreshed language and messaging. Let’s use this incident as an opportunity to more closely align our programs to our newly revised brand and our vision of being a charismatic catalyst in the marketplace. Instead of using “For the Kids,” or “FTK,” we ask all programs to use language variations around our vision statement “Change Kids’ Health, Change the Future” and our current call-to-action messaging of “Kids Can’t Wait” as a refreshed rallying cry in public communication and external-facing documents. These phrases better communicate our organizational brand goals to audiences, while avoiding any trademark issues. They also create messaging consistency that help all donors better understand the tie between our programs, our sub-brands, our member hospitals and our CMN Hospitals main brand. This should help increase our collective brand understanding and relevancy in the marketplace and ultimately increase future fundraising.

Guidelines:

• Moving forward the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals national office will not use “For the Kids” or “FTK” in any materials we create, including in any collateral, digital or printed materials, social media, merchandise, etc.
• Moving forward, we recommend any program or partner associated with CMN Hospitals also discontinue use of “For the Kids” or “FTK” or potentially open up the program, partner, and CMN Hospitals to trademark infringement issues. If your local program or partner has questions about the use of “For the Kids” or “FTK” in print, promotion, social media or any other outlet in their local market, they should seek advice and counsel from their institution and/or legal counsel.
• Need a hashtag? Please consider using #ChangeKidsHealth and/or #KidsCantWait.
• Photos that feature the phrases “FTK” or “For the Kids,” including photos of fundraising reveals, cannot be used by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. If a local program or partner chooses to use a photo that features “FTK” or “For the Kids,” we will not be able to use that photo in any national communication or promotional outlet.
• In order to not infringe on another organization’s trademark, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals social media accounts, including the official Miracle Network Dance Marathon program social media accounts and the CMN Hospitals national social media accounts can no longer like, comment on, repost or retweet content that programmatically features “FTK”, “For the Kids” in pictures, video clips or copy.
• However, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ social media accounts may like or comment on individuals’ social media posts that happen to contain pictures, video, copy or the hashtags #FTK or #ForTheKids.
• Programs or partners that have created materials featuring “FTK” or “For the Kids” or have any other specific questions about potential trademark infringement in the use of “FTK” or “For The Kids” should contact their institution’s legal entity for advice and guidance on use in the marketplace and any potential trademark infringement issues.