Learning the Art of Visual Donor Recognition

Properly thanking and recognizing your donors is almost as important to fundraising as raising the money itself.  At face value, visual donor recognition is about showing appreciation for recent gifts.  The long-term value of suitably recognizing your donors is that it greases the wheels for future donations.

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Visual displays are a popular method of donor recognition that grips the attention of current donors, as well as future ones who might happen to stumble by the display.  If you’re interested in visual donor recognition, here are some tips on how to recognize donors with a customized display.

Location

Most organizations choose to set up their donor recognition displays near the main entrance of the organization (inside or outside).  Additional locations that are popular for this form of display include places that gets a lot of foot traffic, such as a cafeteria, main corridor or exhibit.  Organizations with multiple locations or projects may choose to create displays at each facility.

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Cost

Donor displays come in all shapes and sizes – and price tags.  It’s true that most donors like being thanked and many even expect it.  On the other hand, if an organization spends too much money on donor recognition, donors quickly lose interest.  Donor displays need to keep up with the size of the organization and the amount of money raised.  An all-volunteer organization, with a small fundraising team, should have a scaled down display, as opposed to one that you would see at a major museum or local hospital.

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Classic or Unconventional

The majority of donor displays are created in a classic format, although new materials, design ideas and technology are providing more and more options every day for donor recognition.

• Classic – Permanent recognition is one of the main elements of a classic donor display.  To create this type of display, organizations etch the names of major donors into permanent materials, such as tile, glass, metal, brick or stone.  These displays are attractive but not flashy.  Depending on the materials, any size organization can create a classic display without going over their budget.
• Unconventional – Some organizations take a different approach to donor recognition.  They want a display that’s representative of their organization and the mission they serve.  These displays might contain bright colors, funny fonts, odd shapes, electronic elements and more.  These displays are difficult to miss, so much so that it’s not unusual for visitors to be drawn to them from across a room.  These unconventional displays can often be found at:
  • Art museums and organizations
  • Schools
  • Zoos and aquariums
  • Children’s hospitals and charities

No matter the type of donor recognition display you wish to create, Bricks R Us is ready to help.

Our reasonably priced engraved bricks, tiles and benches are already in use all over the United States.  Our bricks and tiles can be found in entrance plazas and courtyards, as well as decorating hallways and lobbies.  Bricks R Us is represented in both classic displays and unconventional arrangements.

Speak with one of our knowledgeable staff today about creating a donor display that best fits your organization’s requirements.