Unintended Messages in Thanking!
This picture is the result of an actual donor complaint. An elderly donor drove by the building named for her husband in order to show it to a friend. As soon as she returned home from her “drive-by”, she called Institutional Advancement. Her exact words to the Stewardship Manager, I did not overhear, yet I can imagine her chagrin. Suffice it to say that she felt that this building represents his legacy and in the past she found great comfort from seeing his name on it. And I do know she very pointedly asked questions as to the importance of his legacy to the university! It was, I was told, a difficult phone call to manage.
Leverage a Position of Authority through Donor Recognition Planning
Today Anne and I presented at the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy International Conference in San Francisco. We used the Greenville Hospital System’s Donor Recognition Program Standards & Guidelines as a case study to demonstrate how documented policy can leverage a position of leadership for the fundraiser. Our experience has shown that donor recognition planning has a positive impact on giving to the organization.
The handouts from this presentation are included here for quick reference.
AHP International Presentation 092609
In short, we focused on the eight key components of any comprehensive and fully-functioning donor recognition policy:
- Written donor recognition policies and procedures
- Comparative analysis of giving programs and their benefits
- Naming opportunities master plan with proposed location and scope of architecturally-integrated recognition elements
- Guidelines for donor recognition design
- Content formatting guidelines
- Product installation maintenance guidelines
- Product order forms
- Product implementation reference library
Participants were asked to complete a survey on the status and value of any donor recognition policy already in existence for their organizations. Likely the first ever research into this subject, findings from this survey will be available here soon. If you would like to participate in this research and analysis of the correlation between programmatic donor recognition and broadened and enhanced giving, please email thanks@rewinc.com for further information. Reference “survey” in the subject line.
This is the AHP presentation: Leverage a Position of Authority through Donor Recognition Planning.
Donor Recognition “Branding” within Your Organization
Most often one thinks of branding as a marketing activity but if you flip the branding coin you see how basic marketing theories go hand-in-hand with donor recognition. The two together work as a team, enforcing your organization’s overall presence, personality, and values. Continue reading »
Filed under Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Donor Recognition Programs, Philanthropy, Recognition Environments | Tags: Best Practices, Communications, Development, Donor Recognition, Philanthropy, Stewardship, Successes, Think Before You Thank | Comments OffTransylvania Regional Hospital Recognizes Community Donors
In celebration of the completion of a successful capital campaign to build a new inpatient wing, the Transylvania Regional Hospital recently installed donor recognition elements naming areas of the hospital in honor of major donors. In addition to the area namings, a display at the entry to the new wing lists members of each of the Foundation’s giving societies who participated in this campaign. This installation is the culmination of several years of planning and reflects the Transylania Regional Hospital’s commitment to positive relationship building with the community. Continue reading »
Filed under Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Donor Recognition Programs, Recognition Environments | Tags: area naming, Capital Campaign, Communications, Donor Recognition Best Practices, Healthcare Philanthropy, Naming Opportunities | Comments OffGwinnett Medical Center Foundation Announces Philanthropy Center
Watch the celebration of the Gwinnett Medical Center’s philanthropy center honoring donors of all types and the announcement of the public phase of the Open Heart is in Your Hands campaign. Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation has been a client since the early 1990′s. We congratulate them on a job well done! In addition to the meaningful investment they’ve made in facility-based recognition, this Foundation also excels in broadcasting key philanthropic messages through all variety of new media. Find them online on Facebook, YouTube and routine e-communications.
Filed under Donor Communications, Philanthropy, Recognition Environments, Stewardship | Tags: Facebook, Gwinnett Medical Center, new media, Philanthropy Center | Comments Off
