A Guide to Donor Recognition
The What, Why, and How-Tos of Recognizing Donors
What is Donor Recognition
Simply put, donor recognition is the act of publicly or privately acknowledging those philanthropic investors who have shown support to your organization, cause, or campaign. Although this recognition can come in many forms, the overall purpose remains the same – showing appreciation to the donor, highlighting the impact of their gift, and celebrating the community coming together to accomplish a shared improvement that benefits many.
Why We Recognize Donors
Acknowledging the donation itself and highlighting its impact are the primary purposes of donor recognition. Now, let’s look at why we recognize donors and why we should do it with more than a “Thank You” and a handshake.
Donor recognition walls, digital displays, and named space plaques are effective because they create long-lasting relationships and a sense of connection with your organization. The more connected a donor feels to your cause, the greater the potential for a more significant or recurring donation. To many donors, leaving a legacy behind is an important factor in their decision to give. Having their names displayed in a prominent location and with a sense of permanency can help encourage that decision. By thoughtfully and creatively acknowledging the contribution made by the donor, you are not only strengthening your donor family but also leading others to follow their generous examples.
Types of Donor Recognition
Often, we are asked, “What is the BEST way to recognize donors?” Before we can effectively answer this question, we must acknowledge that donor recognition is not a one size fits all process. Thank you notes, social media shoutouts, acknowledgments in emails and newsletters, and branded gifts are all part of a larger donor recognition strategy. The method or type of recognition that works best for Organization A may not be effective for Organizations B and C.
TIP:
Here are 4 key questions to consider when planning your donor recognition:
- Does space constrain your donor recognition project?
- Are you working within an existing area, or are you entering a new phase of construction?
- Do you have existing donor recognition that needs updating?
- Do you want to allow space for the future growth of your donor family?
At PDG, one of our commitments to you is to discover what type of recognition will work best for your unique situation. Whether or not you have envisioned a specific location for your donor recognition display and a budget to get it done, we'll want to work together to cover these aspects and provide an informed plan to support your project. We're all after results, and getting them requires preparation and information. An initial agreement on a scope of work will lead to budget ranges that will accomplish it and an agreement to work together to fine-tune it into a final design and specific price. It's a collaborative effort that marries form and function with a realistic budget.
Let’s look at 9 common forms of donor recognition
Traditional/Architectural Donor Wall
It is hard to beat the creative flexibility of traditional/architectural donor walls because they offer limitless possibilities for different elements, shapes, colors, textures, and imagery. Working collaboratively through conceptual design, we'll find the look and feel that best fits your organization and represents the donors you want to recognize. After developing your concept, you can incorporate the same theme into named space plaques throughout your building. When visitors continue to see this cohesive theme, they’ll feel just how significant the presence of giving is in your institution. This presence often fosters the spirit of giving and inspires others to join your donor family.
Our collaborations with Providence Cancer Center and Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend show examples of this continuity incorporated into both their donor walls and named space plaques.
Digital Donor Wall
A bit more attention-grabbing and modern than traditional walls, digital donor walls have become more and more a part of the philanthropic landscape over the last ten years. Technological advances and the creation of PDG’s content management system, Appellō, have made updating and maintaining digital walls much more manageable. Appellō is a cohesive, effective communication content management system by which your ever-evolving content is organized, configured, curated, and deployed to many different displays.
Digital donor walls deliver donor stories, patient success stories, and donor lists directly to the viewer. When digital screens feature inspirational videos and community images, these messages come to life and invite the viewer to become part of the donor experience. We understand the importance of including a sense of place in donor recognition. Connecting a donor to their community gives more meaning to their gift. Digital displays allow the flexibility to share more in-depth content without taking up as much real estate as an architectural wall and greatly expand upon the ways traditional donor walls showcase displays of gratitude.
Hybrid Donor Wall
If you like the easily updatable quality that digital brings but still want to maintain the classic look of a traditional wall, a hybrid wall may be the way to go. Incorporating digital displays into an architectural surround grounds each display, making them much more significant and impossible to ignore. The range of architectural surrounds used in hybrid walls is vast, from smaller freestanding single-screen displays to displays that span entire hallways.
The colorful donor wall at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University displays static donor names and historical content on acrylic glass backed by a series of bright, colorful panels. A single digital monitor displays photos of the students, announcements, and event information.
On the other end of the spectrum, Washington Hospital uses multiple architectural naming and story panels broken up graphically by color, highlighting centers of care that represent the hospital's core values. Multiple touchscreen interactive displays allow the viewers to dive deeper into impactful donor stories and much more.
In many cases, hybrid donor walls are used so that higher-level donors can be recognized more permanently on the architectural portion of the display. Lower-level donors that often make up the majority of the donor list are highlighted digitally.
Interactive Displays
Although video loops and static digital displays do an excellent job of delivering lists of donor names and their stories, something is compelling about allowing the viewer to choose their path through the giving experience. With a touch of the screen, interactive displays can deliver more information about your campaign, unlock historical timelines and empower the viewer to decide which other videos they’d like to watch.
However, as we navigate through the “new normal” of life with COVID-19, we’re seeing an industry trend moving away from fully interactive displays. PDG is pioneering the new movement of "smart interactivity" or low touch/no touch displays. At the forefront of this movement is our Content Management System Appellō, an easy-to-use, intuitive system to control your digital displays and configure new, inspirational content created specifically for you - philanthropic organizations connecting donors with the impact of their gift. Appellō easily incorporates timed segments into a more extensive presentation to deliver stories and donor lists without the viewer having to touch the screen. Click on the link to learn more about Appellō and schedule a demo.
Virtual Recognition
Just as we have learned to adapt to life during a global pandemic, how we recognize donors has also changed to meet the times. Over the past few years, fewer people have been able to visit what were once high foot traffic areas. Many nonprofits, universities, and healthcare organizations have added or increased their use of virtual recognition to help maintain relationships with their donor families. Social media posts, email campaigns, newsletters, and unique donor recognition websites have become more prominent. Although not as prestigious or well suited for major contributions on its own, virtual recognition in conjunction with other forms of donor stewardship works well to reach a wider audience and convey the impact of their gifts.
TYPES OF
VIRTUAL RECOGNITION
Social Media
Email Campaign
Newsletter
Donor Websites
History and Timeline Walls
History and Timeline walls are a great way to share your organization's story from its inception to the present day, highlighting key milestones made along the way. Incorporating a history wall into your donor recognition allows the viewer to directly associate the impact of a donor's gift with the organization's achievements. PDG often creates these walls to showcase vintage equipment and historical elements. At Sharp Health Chula Vista Medical Center, this is achieved using museum-quality illuminated artifact cases combined with graphic and glass communication panels. This display spans 120 feet between the donor wall and the history display.
Exterior/Outdoor Donor Recognition
Exterior/Outdoor recognition presents a challenge to create pieces that are both beautiful and able to withstand the elements over time. When you find the right combination, the results can be stunning. Exterior recognition offers a unique opportunity for your display of gratitude to be front and center in the public eye reminding viewers of your commitment to the community. When it comes to materials for exterior recognition, engraved, etched, or sandblasted stainless steel is a great way to go. However, even wood, fused art glass, tile, and stone can work beautifully outdoors when the correct treatments are applied.
Named Space Plaques
Named spaces are a great way to reinforce long-term relationships with your donors. As part of a thorough fundraising and stewardship plan, they can be the glue that connects your donor's passion to your cause for a generation. Once reserved for high-level donors during capital campaigns, they no longer have to be.
With naming opportunities around every corner of your campus, building, or exterior space, plaque systems are a great way to make a visual statement of support for your mission. They are important for recognition and as a model to other potential donors.
Plaque systems can also display a hierarchical format to represent different giving levels and create a consistent theme to match traditional donor walls. There may be donor recognition in spaces with less public visibility. In these cases, “Neighborhood Plaques” are placed in a more central location as a way to recognize a group of donors so that everyone can see them.
Augmented Reality
Although it is not commonplace yet, donor recognition will include technology like augmented reality, and it won’t seem like magic in the very near future. The designs for augmented recognition will be unlimited by size, dimension, materials, duration, volume, or cost. Nothing is permanent; everything can be moved and curated remotely without installation expense. When you must repurpose a named conference room to become office space, the donor’s expansive recognition can move effortlessly to another conference room without touching it. Like magic!
[We suggest reading: Future-Proof Donor Recognition — What Comes After Digital?]
Donor Recognition – Whom to Recognize
When it comes to donor recognition, a great goal to strive for is to acknowledge – in one way or another – every person, group, or foundation that donates to your campaign, whether their gift is small, large, or in-kind. But how do you decide the best way to recognize the people who make those critical contributions? Before the names are etched on a plaque system or displayed on a donor wall, you’ll need to establish a hierarchical approach to your recognition. Pay close attention to how these gifts are segmented to ensure you give recognition proportionately. Each organization has its own thresholds of giving for being included on a named space plaque or donor wall and different thresholds for acknowledgment on different parts of the wall and different parts of their overall recognition program. The thresholds you set become an important set of guidelines that can often encourage others to contribute more in order to be included on the wall or be listed with other donors they admire or see as peers.
A well-thought-out donor recognition plan is a valuable asset that every successful donor stewardship team should develop. This plan will define your criteria and processes for recognizing and thanking donors and philanthropic partners. Think of it as your road map for building and maintaining the important relationships necessary to ensure the future success of your organization.
Here are just a few of the important things you should include in your donor recognition plan.
Giving Tiers
Setting Giving Tiers or suggested donation levels is an important part of your donor recognition strategy. These levels incentivize giving and offer your donors a choice of how they can best support your cause based on their ability to give. Let’s look at a few key factors when establishing your tiers.
- Determine a monetary amount where each level of giving begins and ends.
- The amount of recognition should increase with each higher tier.
- Try keeping it simple. Limit the number of tiers, so your donors don’t feel overwhelmed.
- Define what amounts of public and private recognition each level will receive.
- Assign each tier a unique name. The feeling of inclusion or being part of a club can increase a donor’s gift amount.
Share the Impact
In general, donors are more likely to give and give in more significant amounts when they see and feel the impact of their gift. Remember, donors are not giving to your organization so they can see their name attached to a building. Although recognition makes the donor feel appreciated and valued, they give because they believe in your cause and its positive impact on the community.
- Let donors know exactly how each donation will help your organization and the people it serves.
- Donors may be motivated to increase their gifts if they can see a list of the impacts their contributions will have at each level.
- Include donor stories, grateful patient profiles, and fundraising milestones as part of your community outreach
Design
At PDG, we design intentionally to strengthen your donor family and move others to follow their generous examples. We apply our expertise and passion to the mission of philanthropy, creating architectural centerpieces that connect organizations to communities. Here are some key factors to consider when it comes to design.
- How do you want visitors to experience this space?
- How does the recognition impact the area? Not just the immediate architectural surround but the entirety of the room.
- What message will the donor recognition communicate to its viewers?
- Plan to incorporate a Sense of Place, and a connection to nature and community into your recognition.
10 Ways to Thank Your Donors:
- Handwritten Thank You Note or Personalized Letter
- Newsletter Acknowledgment
- Social Media Post
- Branded Gift
- Thank You Video
- Public Appreciation Event
- Exclusive Event Opportunity
- Exterior/Outdoor Recognition
- Named Space Plaques
- Traditional and Digital Donor Walls
Your approach to donor recognition should be fluid, not static. Make it a point to regularly analyze your strategies and overall program and make any needed changes to reach your goals.
Naming Opportunities
Donor recognition naming opportunities come in many different forms. Once reserved for higher-level donors to create long-term relationships, they no longer have to be. The possibilities for naming opportunities to involve mid-level donors are limited only by your creativity. Think about your naming opportunities like a Russian Stacking Doll. There are layers upon layers of possibilities, from naming a building to a department to a wing, and then down to auditoriums, libraries, labs, classrooms, and patient rooms – AND if you have exterior space, the opportunities extend to gardens, benches, trees, and pathways. If it is visible and accessible to the public, there is potential for donor recognition value.
Naming Opportunities
One key to acquiring high-level donors is to develop prominent, highly visible naming opportunities. To find the best match for these opportunities, consider what you know about your different donor personas. Find out what is important to them and create opportunities that match the donor's interests. But remember, donors, are not giving to your organization so they can see their name attached to a building. Although recognition makes the donor feel appreciated and valued, they are giving because they believe in your cause and your commitment to the community and as a way to contribute to their legacy. When you connect donors to the results of their giving while publicly sharing how meaningful that relationship is, you develop a lasting relationship for generations to come.
So, how do you find all the possible naming opportunities spread across your entire campus? The most efficient and effective way is to utilize PDG’s inventory audit team to perform an on-site donor recognition audit. Our professional audit team can complete inventories of previously named spaces and available naming opportunities in 2 to 5 days. As we work on your campus and document what we find, we are often able to identify funding opportunities your team may have missed.
[Schedule a time to learn more about our on-site donor recognition audit]
Now that your inventory audit is complete, how will you organize and display all of your current named spaces and available naming opportunities for your fundraising team to utilize? How will you systematically track which opportunities are available, which are being held for a particular donor, and which are already reserved? To solve these problems, PDG created Giftmap, a dynamic data and mapping tool designed to document and manage the location of donor recognition assets across your campuses, buildings, and exterior spaces. Too often, professionals in the world of fundraising have to deal with the confusion and disorganization of using multiple spreadsheets, highlighters, and maps strewn across a conference table to track donor recognition. Giftmap helps you discover and realize your full fundraising potential by identifying and accurately tracking every naming opportunity making your team’s work easier and more effective. Robust searchability, promotional photos, and detailed descriptions help your fundraising team present donors with the opportunities most relevant to them in an attractive package.
100,000
Nearly 100,00 Opportunities
The number of found and documented opportunities being managed through the Giftmap platform
$32 Billion
Over $32 billion managed
The value of giving opportunities identified, managed and promoted using Giftmap
Remember, when it comes to naming opportunities, be creative, develop prominent and highly visible spaces, personalize the opportunity to the donor, consider a hierarchical plaque system, and be organized by systematically tracking what spaces are available and already reserved.
Elements to include on recognition walls and signage
When choosing the information your donor recognition will display, there are many factors to consider.
- How much space do you have?
- Does the donor want certain information left off the recognition (i.e., donation amount)?
- How does the donor want their name to appear?
- Is the donor part of a giving society that you want to distinguish?
- Is the gift going to a capital campaign, a specific fundraising project, or a recurring donation?
Who We Are
Presentation Design Group
Presentation Design Group is an Experiential Design + Build Studio specializing in donor recognition. In our 40-plus years, we’ve worked on countless donor recognition projects including traditional donor walls, digital displays, history walls, plaque systems, and exterior recognition for hospitals, universities, museums, and outdoor spaces across the country. We design intentionally to strengthen donor families and move others to follow their generous examples. From initial consultation to final installation we give you smart, responsible recognition strategies for our changing world and the powerful tools you’ll need as you adapt and grow.
If you are interested in speaking with us about your donor recognition project, no matter what stage it is in, our team is here to assist you. Contact us today.
