Read the first part or second part of this series.
Donor stewardship takes many forms. There are countless ways to show your organization’s appreciation for a gift that honors the donor and encourages further participation. But earlier this year, I was brought to a standstill by a donor wall that had a greater than usual significance.
My mother needs a kidney transplant. This summer, we visited the University of Wisconsin Medical Center for a consultation.
The Transplant Center is in the basement of the building, down a long series of hallways. Right before you enter the Center’s waiting room, you go down one more hallway, lit by colorful panels on either side.
In this case, the donor recognition is not for dollars given, but for the most personal gift a person can give – the gift of life. Panel after panel after panel are filled with the names of people who have given a part of themselves to save another.
The names are not in any particular order. As they fill a new panel, they add it on to the next available space. There’s a guest book where people – usually patients or the families of patients – write their own messages of gratitude and hope. It’s not the fanciest donor recognition wall I’ve ever seen, but it’s the most inspiring.
As you think about how you say public thanks to your donors, think about these things:
- Where you put the recognition matters. Had this wall of names been in the lobby, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it. But in this long dark hallway to the Transplant Center, these names were literally a beacon of encouragement. What if you put your donor recognition where people spend the most time in your building? Where children can learn the lesson of generosity? Near the people who benefit most from the gift?
- It’s more about sincerity than beauty. You can spend a lot of money – a LOT of money – on a gorgeous donor recognition wall. But what if you created something that could evolve and allow the beneficiaries of the donation to participate in the thanking? It might not be as pretty, but it will be more beautiful.
- Keep it current. Walk into any public building and somewhere you’ll find a plaque that lists the people who helped to get that building built. There was a time when lots of people showed up to watch a plaque be unveiled, and such ceremonies may still have their place. But to engage a younger generation of donors into an ongoing relationship with your organization, your recognition needs to be as quick, as flexible and as media-savvy as they are.
I’ve certainly been thinking a lot about donor stewardship lately. What about you? What have you been doing to thank those who are helping you achieve your mission?
