Recommendations for Recognizing Scholarship Donors
In conversation with an existing client, we discussed these emerging trends in recognition strategy for scholarship donors. How do these ideas compare to current practice at your institution?
Recognition of endowment giving of all sorts is now often presented in formal public displays. We are encouraging appropriate permanent recognition to correspond to the emphasis on named endowments. Most frequently, there is a high entry level for naming an endowed scholarship, often exceeding the entry level for physical naming opportunity. Permanent recognition for these naming opportunities must correlate to the scope of recognition offered for any facility-based naming opportunity of the same dollar amount.
Recognition efforts are designed to encourage repeat giving to support scholarships. For instance, non-endowment scholarships may be pledged for multiple years, with 3-5 years as the minimum. In those situations, recognition is based on the total amount given, often bringing the donors to higher levels over time than the entry level for an endowed scholarship. Scholarships are not formally named until the pledges are completed, although stewardship activities commence immediately, based on the pledge amount.
Recognition programs that celebrate mid-level donors do much to enhance and broaden their repeat giving. Institutions often have funds, endowed or otherwise, that allow for the pooling of smaller gifts. Donors to those funds are most often recognized by campaign or project. To promote continued giving, I suggest that these listings be annual, not permanent. Donors remain on the list only by giving again. Cumulative totals will contribute to lifetime giving recognition totals but will not translate into a naming opportunity.
Written by Anne Manner-McLarty
Filed under Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Donor Recognition Programs, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Tags: Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Capital Campaign, Donor Recognition, donor wall, Scholarship Giving, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank, Trends in Fundraising | Comment (1)Excitement Builds at North Georgia College and State University
A meeting like this is a lot of fun for me. What you see here is an idea we’ve had in behalf of our client now coming to life on their campus, for their university president. This image signifies an electrifying moment for our client, too. It’s a time when planning comes to an end; when it is replaced by the reality that there soon will be an actual “destination” for honoring philanthropy on campus, right here. Continue reading »
What Comes Next? TheThanksTank.com™ Roundtable’s Critical Question
Today we sparked out-of-the-box thinking (over boxed lunches) with multimedia donor recognition experts, Harv Mock and James Graham of Planned Legacy and a select group of forward thinking non-profit professionals, discussing the role of new media in donor recognition. The conversation started with an overview of the “perfect storm” of fundraising and donor communication demands that created the need for more dynamic, engaging communication tactics, leading to the influx of electronic and interactive displays. Harv and James were able to show examples of multimedia presentations in several formats and demonstrate the versatility of electronic recognition; the slides from today’s presentation are included here. Continue reading »
Filed under Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Donor Communications, Recognition Environments, Social Media, Stewardship, multimedia donor recognition | Tags: Capital Campaign, donor wall, electronic displays, electronic donor recognition, Interactive Displays, multimedia donor recognition, online giving, Stewardship, Trends in Fundraising, virtual donor recognition | Comments OffSoutheast Donor Relations Conference Was Excellent, Yet Again!
Last week Robin and I had to divide and conquer. I went to the Southeast Donor Relations Conference in Charlotte sponsored by the Association of Donor Relations Professionals while she attended the Georgia Association of Development Professionals annual meeting in St. Simons. She got the beach . . . but I got the brains (which is all right by me)! This group is smart and fun-loving. As is the case every year, they are raising the bar for what donor relations means as a distinct and necessary part of their organizations. Continue reading »
Filed under Donor Communications, Social Media, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Tags: Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Capital Campaign, Communications, Development, Fundraising, Naming Opportunities, Social Media, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Comments Off“Buying Legacy”: Donors RARELY give for self-serving reasons!
A recent Bloomberg article blew my mind! It’s titled, Getting Your Name on a Building Gets Cheaper as Non-Profits Compete. The article considers the possibility that donors may be able to negotiate gift amounts for naming opportunities during this economic crisis. True enough. Yet it also calls the act of giving “the price for immortality,” claiming that donors “buy” recognition. Nowhere in the article is there any mention of the basic tenet that donors give out of passion for a cause and that they do so to advance the mission of the organization. I’m offended on behalf of all philanthropists and fundraisers. I can only hope that the fundraising consultants mentioned in the article were misquoted to serve the author’s sarcastic premise. Continue reading »
Filed under Donor Communications, Donor Recognition Programs, Philanthropy | Tags: Capital Campaign, Donor Recognition, Fundraising, giving, Naming Opportunities, Philanthropy, Think Before You Thank, Trends in Fundraising | Comments Off