Lovely vs Functional Displays
Just a quick word of warning to those of you about to sign that contract with your favorite vendor for a lovely display . . . is that display also functional? Will it become another pretty thing that you outgrow or find disappointing in its ability to serve over time?
Filed under Best Practices in Donor Recognition, Donor Communications, Recognition Environments, Robin E. Williams, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Tags: Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Donor Recognition, donor wall, environmental graphic design, Stewardship, Successes, Think Before You Thank | Comments (2)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.
Electronic Media and Donor Recognition: Is Anyone Using it?
It’s a very competitive philanthropic marketplace these days for community hospitals. I was reminded of this last week while at the Georgia Association of Development Professionals’ conference (GADP), a segment of the Georgia Hospital Association. Most of their members are located in small communities and represent the primary health provider for their county or region. I live in Atlanta. Fundraising events and success here in this city are now daily news items. We are home to 100s of non-profits and maybe more Foundations. Not so, currently, in the rest of the state. In those small communities, medical center fundraisers face tremendous challenges even when the economy is more stable than it is today. CEOs enjoy the income that their Foundations provide, yet they often offer little in the way of day-to-day support or, in many cases, any real understanding of the CEO’s role in acquiring and stewarding donors. Many of these organizations are considered “small shops” and the titles bestowed on many of the chief fundraisers by the CEO and/or Boards, i.e. Development Officer, Development Coordinator, and the like, are less than confidence-building and may be counter-productive, as they strive to solicit corporate CEOs, Marketing VPs, major Foundations and major donors. I wonder if they know that.
Filed under Donor Communications, Donor Recognition Programs, Robin E. Williams, Social Media | Tags: Communications, Development, Donor Recognition, Fundraising, Healthcare Philanthropy, Social Media, Trends in Fundraising | Comments Off
Fundraisers Get Ready!
Overall, giving in America is down this year, but a quick look at economic history reveals two heartening constants for fundraisers:
• A deep slump in the economy is not typically mirrored within the philanthropic community. Instead, only a dip or a less steep climb in giving during the same time-frame has been the norm.
• An economic slump is historically followed by a significant and long term increase in giving! Continue reading »
Filed under About Us, Best Practices in Donor Recognition, Donor Communications, Donor Recognition Programs, Philanthropy, Robin E. Williams, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Tags: Best Practices, Donor Recognition, Fundraising, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Comments Off