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.
Best Practitioner in Donor Recognition
The Inaugural Award of the “Best Practitioner in Donor Recognition” goes to Rex Whiddon of Columbus State University.
“Rex is the very best steward of donors and their legacies for his institution we have known.” This acclamation about Rex Whiddon, Director of Major Gifts and University Stewardship at Georgia’s Columbus State University, accompanied our inaugural presentation of the Best Practitioner in Donor Recognition on April 15, 2009.
Dr. Timothy Mescon, President of the University shared, “I’m so very honored to work with a professional as truly gifted as Rex. This is a great acknowledgement of a ‘practitioner’ who is committed to ‘practicing what he preaches’.” Kayron Laska, Vice President of Institutional Advancement at CSU added, “I agree, there’s no one better! His work is truly remarkable!”
