Cast Bronze Commemoration in the 21st Century
I really do know that the sculpted bronze castings on the left that we conceived of and just installed as part of an extensive for a Centennial celebration at the Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany GA are not really comparable in beauty to Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise below.
Yet they really are lovely and I show them here because they represent a unique evolution in bronze castings. All it takes to cast an image in bronze like ours for Phoebe is good photography and an understanding of how lights and darks within a photo will translate into the “highs” and “lows” of a casting. Anyone’s photo can result in a three dimensional cast metal product.
An age-old tradition (remember the “Bronze Age“?), cast plaques have been a standard for commemoration and donor recognition literally for centuries. Yet just in my lifetime, hand-set type has replaced by photographic typographical reproduction which meant that logos and anyone’s typestyle preferences could be reproduced in bronze perfectly. This photographic advancement in castings (bronze and aluminum) is called “Imagecast” by Matthews, is a natural “next step” for the industry.
We’ve been using Imagecast reproductions as a replacement for hand-sculpted castings for quite awhile whenever it’s appropriate for a client’s need. Certainly it is cheaper than having an artist sculpt for a casting in bronze. And at the same time, since the outcome is a realistic, almost exact, reproduction of an image, the impact is much more meaningful to most viewers and donors. It’s a treat to have the pleasure of seeing a cast image as a replica of the photographic image .
And here’s one more photo of the entire Gallery on the 2nd floor. The 1st floor here houses their completely re-purposed and renovated Distinguished Leadership Gallery which was completed at the same time. This newly recharged philanthropy center celebrates this community’s remarkable commitment to giving and is an absolutely beautiful conclusion to a very satisfying client relationship.
Written by Robin E. Williams
Extreme Success: Proactive Donor Recognition Strategy Leads to Greater Giving
Today, fundraisers are enacting “proactive stewardship plans,” visions that are defined by strategic plans fostering long-term, ever-growing relationships and emphasizing programmatic consistency. For years, we have promoted this “think, before you thank” philosophy. Specifically, we encourage you to thank existing donors with the express purpose of enhancing the relationship you have with them, while forging a greater tradition of giving within your community as a whole. Continue reading »
A Call for Truly Successful Online Donor Recognition
Fundraising organizations are actively seeking effective means for communicating with donors through online tools. More importantly, donors expect the most efficient and timely means of communication. Web-based technologies have the potential to create a new paradigm where donors co-create an engaging online experience that strengthens existing donor relationships and facilitates greater giving. Continue reading »
Filed under Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Donor Communications, Philanthropy, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank, multimedia donor recognition | Tags: Donor Recognition, Donor Relations, donor wall, Interactive Displays, new media, online giving, Philanthropy Center, Trends in Fundraising | Comments OffPhilanthropy Center
We regularly use the term philanthropy center and when we do, we sometimes have to remind ourselves that this term has meaning to us as donor recognition consultants, but it’s meaning may not be apparent to others, even our fundraising clients. Continue reading »
Filed under Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Donor Communications, Recognition Environments, Robin E. Williams, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Tags: annual giving, Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Communications, donor wall, environmental graphic design, Gwinnett Medical Center, Interactive Displays, new media, Philanthropy Center, Stewardship, Trends in Fundraising | 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



