Imagine this scenario: You discover a new nonprofit in your community, learn more about their mission, and decide to make a quick donation.
Then: crickets. As the end of the year rolls around, you realize you never heard from that nonprofit again. No acknowledgment letter, no social media shoutout, not even a simple thank-you email, and certainly not a spot on their donor recognition display.
What are the odds you continue to support that nonprofit next year? If you’re like most donors, we’re guessing pretty low. In fact, poor communication and a lack of recognition are a leading cause of low donor retention rates.
In order to engage and retain donors, your nonprofit needs a donor recognition strategy.
What is donor recognition?
Donor recognition is the systematic practice of acknowledging supporters’ contributions to your organization. A wide variety of activities and items can serve the purpose of donor recognition, but throughout any kind of program, you’ll want to emphasize your nonprofit’s appreciation for the donor and the impact they’ve had on your mission.
Why is donor recognition important?
When donors don’t feel like their gifts are appreciated or meaningful, they’ll be less likely to give again. Fortifying your donor recognition practices will help your nonprofit cultivate stronger connections with supporters and increase your donor retention rate.
Here at Eleven Fifty Seven, we specialize in experiential design via donor recognition walls and other meaningful displays. Over the years, we’ve helped hundreds of nonprofits develop donor recognition solutions that honor their story and their supporters.
Along the way, we’ve learned some useful ideas and best practices that any nonprofit can use to establish an effective donor recognition plan.
In this article, we’ll walk through some useful recommendations for donor recognition, covering these main topics:
By recognizing your donors, you can create long-lasting relationships that will power your work for years to come. First, we’ll walk through a list of some donor recognition strategies with a proven track record of success. Let’s dive in.
Top 13 Donor Recognition Ideas
1. Donor Recognition Walls
A donor recognition wall is a permanent testament that acknowledges a nonprofit’s supporters. These have long been popular due to their lasting visual power, but modern walls have evolved beyond the static metal plaques that may come to mind.
Example: COLLEGE OF WOOSTER
This dynamic donor recognition wall combines sustainably sourced natural elements with text panels to highlight the college’s love of nature.
Now, examples of donor walls range from branded spaces and outdoor environments to digital or even virtual displays. In any format, a donor recognition wall can celebrate your supporters and tell the story of your organization.
Generally, a donor recognition wall honors major donors, large contributors to capital campaigns, or planned gifts, but they can create a meaningful acknowledgement of any level of support.
2. Acknowledgment Letters and Thank You Notes
No matter the size, every gift to your nonprofit should be recognized. One of the simplest ways to accomplish this is by sending a thank-you note immediately following each donation. You can automate this process via email or go old-school and send meaningful handwritten notes in the mail. Both options have their benefits: email is the more efficient route, but a handwritten note adds a powerful personal touch.
A favorite middle ground, however, is sending out printed mailings. These have the benefit of providing donors with a physical reminder of your organization and the mission they support while also breaking through the never-ending clutter online. Plus, they’re simpler and less time-consuming than handwritten messages—especially when you partner with a direct mail platform to handle the bulk of the work.
Whatever you decide, make sure the letter expresses your gratitude, explains how the gift impacted your mission, and offers a path to further engagement.
3. Appreciation Video
An appreciation video is an engaging and entertaining way to recognize donors. In the video, you’ll want to acknowledge donors’ generosity and share the work that their gifts have made (and will continue to make) possible.
If your staff, volunteers, or beneficiaries are camera-shy, you can create an animated video with graphics and text about your work. This kind of content is extremely shareable on social media, so as an added bonus, a recognition video can help you expand your reach. Or for a more conversational approach, have your organization’s executive director take a selfie-style video thanking your donors for their support.
One of our partners, ThankView, offers an efficient and powerful platform for sending personalized videos. For more information about this donor recognition video solution, contact our team.
4. Classic Donor Recognition Plaques
A recognition plaque is a timeless strategy for recognizing your donors. If you want to create a permanent display that blends well with the design and architecture of your space, this is a good fit.
Example: Marine’s Memorial Association
This stately donor recognition plaque recognizes supporters with dignity and reverence.
If you’re planning a capital campaign for a new project like expanding your facility, a recognition plaque can help you dedicate the space to your supporters. Be sure to hold an unveiling ceremony when you are ready to share your new space with your community!
5. Branded Gifts
Consider sending supporters a small token of your appreciation in the form of a branded gift. These days, it’s simple to design and purchase customized items emblazoned with your nonprofit’s logo. Items can range from simple products like mugs and car magnets to high-quality silk scarves or leather goods.
You may provide different items depending on the level of the donor—for example, a keychain for smaller contributions and a bespoke recognition gift like a cashmere scarf for major donors. As a particularly timely item, you could even distribute custom face masks with your logo.
Your supporters will be thrilled to show off a cause that is meaningful to them, and you’ll receive some free advertising to build brand awareness for your organization.
6. Newsletter
Your nonprofit already sends out regular communications to your donors and volunteers. Make use of this existing touchpoint as part of your donor recognition strategy.
While a newsletter that only consists of donor names wouldn’t be very valuable or interesting for readers, you can add an eye-catching recognition area at the bottom of the letter or in the sidebar, depending on your design. This is a great way to publicly recognize major contributions in your communications throughout the year instead of waiting for your nonprofit’s annual report.
7. Hybrid Recognition Displays
In a hybrid donor recognition display, one or more interactive digital panels exist alongside a physical recognition wall. Digital panels encourage visitors to stop and interact with text and multimedia content, learning more about your mission and the generosity of your supporters. Hybrid displays also allow you to convey more (and more up-to-date) information than would be possible with a physical display, so you can easily expand your donor list over time without worrying about space constraints.
Example: Appalachian State University
This hybrid display combines digital panels with live edge wood slabs from an iconic tree that had to be cut down. The overall design reflects the mountains of North Carolina where the school is located.
Additionally, you can embed the content from your digital display on your nonprofit’s website for a fully virtual donor recognition experience. This is especially critical right now, when your facility may be inaccessible to visitors due to social distancing guidelines.
8. Phone Calls
A one-on-one phone conversation is a simple but powerful donor recognition method. While it’s not the fastest communication method, the sincere connection created by a phone call is well worth the extra investment of time and effort.
To conduct these calls in a time-effective way, consider recruiting volunteers, board members, or even beneficiaries to make the calls. While you’ll want to provide a script with a few options for talking points, the main goal of the call should just be to speak from the heart and express appreciation.
9. Outdoor Displays
If your nonprofit has a large outdoor space at your facility, take advantage of that space to recognize your supporters with an outdoor recognition wall, monument, or statue.
Example: Finemark Field
This outdoor display at FineMark Field adds a powerful statement to the landscape while honoring the institution’s donors.
If you go this route, be sure to choose sturdy exterior materials so that the donor recognition monument holds up to the wear and tear of the weather. By partnering with design and construction experts, you can ensure maximum long-term value for your outdoor displays.
10. Appreciation Events
Right now, virtual stewardship events are an effective way to unite supporters and establish a feeling of community even when you can’t gather in person. Consider hosting a virtual happy hour or networking event for donors to create connections with each other, or run a program like a cooking class or craft tutorial so everyone can learn a new skill. You can even hold larger-scale events like galas or holiday parties in a virtual setting. While you can leave the door open for donations if it feels appropriate, try to keep the focus on donor appreciation rather than fundraising.
11. Social Media Shoutouts
Use Facebook and other social media platforms to share your gratitude for supporters with the world. Depending on the size of your nonprofit and the number of donors you’re trying to recognize, you can opt for highlighting all donors, a small list of major donors, or your donor base as a whole. Here are just a few ideas for shouting out your donors on social media:
Host a livestream during a big campaign and thank donors for their contributions as they come in.
Retweet or share supporters’ posts if they upload pictures or post about your organization.
Run an ongoing campaign like #ThankYouThursday, appreciating a new supporter each week to keep up the momentum of generosity
Each of these ideas will help you recognize your donors in a meaningful way as well as provide a steady stream of valuable, engaging content to your feed.
12. Membership Program
Consider designating a small, exclusive group of donors who have gone above and beyond in their commitment to your nonprofit. This is sometimes called a giving society or circle.
Consider offering this private group some unique opportunities for engagement. This could include a virtual stewardship event held just for them, early access to VIP tickets for your events, a dedicated area on your donor recognition wall, or special branded gifts.
13. Branded Spaces
While the main purpose of a donor wall is to recognize your supporters, they can also add a branded focal point to your organization’s facility. In a branded display, a donor recognition component is included alongside signage and design elements that are dedicated to your organization. Your colors, logos, and other branded elements come alive in a display that tells your story.
Example: Habitat for Humanity
This Habitat for Humanity chapter created a branded donor recognition wall that is clearly recognizable with the organization’s colors and logo.
A branded display or a larger branded space provides a striking visual representation of your nonprofit’s work that will make an impact on visitors.
Donor Recognition Best Practices
Don’t: Leave donors waiting.
While each of the donor recognition ideas discussed above will have their own timeline, it’s usually best to be as prompt as possible. While instantaneous acknowledgment isn’t possible with a donor wall, you’ll want to take care of activities like thank you notes, gift delivery, and phone calls in a time-sensitive manner.
Do: Convey the impact of the gift.
Whenever possible, show and tell donors the difference that their gift has made on your mission. For example, if you’re an animal rescue group acknowledging a list of donors in your newsletter, you might say, “This month, the combined gifts of these generous donors provided vaccinations for 25 homeless pets.” Additionally, you’ll want to select an acknowledgment method that corresponds with the size of the gift.
Don’t: Limit yourself to traditional approaches.
Between powerful technology and the creative expertise of recognition experts, you don’t have to settle for a lackluster recognition strategy. Think outside the box with one of the many suggestions on this list, look for additional inspiration, or seek expert advice. Your recognition program will be more meaningful if it’s exciting for both you and your supporters.
Do: Keep the focus on the donor.
While you always want to share the important work your nonprofit is doing, when it comes to donor recognition, you should always frame that work in relation to the contributions of your donors. Phrases like “With your support, we’ve been able to…” and “Thanks to the generosity of our nonprofit family, we provided…” help to strengthen the connection between your donors and your mission.
Don’t: Publicize without permission.
Many of the donor recognition ideas we explored earlier involve publicly acknowledging the generosity of a donor. Before doing this, make sure you get each supporter’s permission! It’s critical to respect the privacy of your supporters. While many will appreciate a moment in the spotlight, others may prefer to keep their contributions under wraps.
Do: Partner with a donor recognition expert.
For example, if you’ve decided to build a permanent monument to your supporters with a donor recognition wall, Eleven Fifty Seven’s creative team can help you plan, design, and build the perfect display.
Creating a Donor Recognition Plan: 8 Steps
Building a strategic donor recognition strategy requires more thought and consideration than simply choosing one of the ideas on this list and blazing ahead.
After all, the end goal of a donor recognition program isn’t simply to thank donors. It’s a means of fostering engagement, building relationships, and improving the odds that donors will maintain their ties with your nonprofit for years to come.
Therefore, your organization must understand and define your specific stewardship goals, determine what type of donor recognition strategy is best suited to achieve them, and evaluate whether or not it worked.
The process of creating a donor recognition plan can be broken down into a few core steps. Here’s what we recommend:
Ensure you’re tracking the right metrics. Which data points are you using to monitor donor engagement? If you’re only tracking the number of people who donate to your nonprofit each year, it’s time to step it up a notch. Donor retention rate, or the number of donors who continue to support your nonprofit on a year-over-year basis, is one critical number for cost-effective fundraising. You should also analyze fundraising participation rates, frequency of contact with donors, and average gift size to evaluate your donor relationships. Choose a handful of KPIs to track as you use donor recognition to make progress towards your goals.
Create donor personas. To recognize your donors in a meaningful way, you need to have a clear and accurate understanding of what is meaningful to your supporters. Create segments (or categories) of supporters and create personas (or profiles) about each group’s desires, needs, and behaviors. This will help you determine how best to recognize each group.
Understand why donors stick around. You’ll want to consider the specific personas you created in the previous step. What do your supporters find engaging and valuable about your organization and mission? Are they drawn to your cause in general, your specific initiatives, your volunteer opportunities, or something else? Understanding why supporters are committed to your cause will deepen your knowledge of their motivations.
Set specific goals by quarter, year, and/or campaign. Based on the metrics you identified at the beginning of this process, create goals for improvement. These should be “SMART” goals—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, improving your donor retention rate by X percent in the next calendar year through a new recognition strategy or outlet.
Develop specific strategies for tiers of donors. Once you have your goals in mind, it’s time to actually pinpoint the specific donor recognition tactics you will use to achieve them. Drawing from the list of ideas above, your own experience, or other resources, determine which donor recognition strategy is most appropriate for each group.
Flesh out the specifics of each recognition strategy. After you’ve outlined your donor recognition program, you’ll need to nail down the details. If you’re making phone calls, who will be chatting up each donor? If you’re distributing branded gifts to each donor or to members, who will design and produce the items? Work out the logistics now so you can pivot if necessary before launching the program.
Partner with an expert for design and construction projects. While your team may have the experience to tackle many of the ideas on this list, bigger projects will require outside help. For strategy and creative vision in designing a donor recognition wall, consider partnering with the Eleven Fifty Seven team.
Continuously review your performance with data and surveys. Congratulations—you have a donor recognition program in place! But is it helping you make progress towards the goals you set out to achieve? Periodically set aside time to assess how your donor recognition program is performing, and don’t be afraid to make changes if necessary.
As you prepare your donor recognition plan, make sure it aligns with your other stewardship initiatives and your overall nonprofit strategic plan. For instance, if you’re gearing up for a major capital campaign next year, make sure your recognition strategies actively support that broader initiative. Consider how your recognition tactics can help drive results at each stage of your campaign.
Wrapping Up
With a solid donor recognition plan, your organization will be well-equipped to cultivate connections with donors and fundraise more successfully. The thank-you is a key touchpoint in every supporter relationship, and approaching this interaction thoughtfully will help your organization for years to come.
For more information about donor recognition, explore the following additional resources:
Donor Recognition Walls: 8 Creative Examples & Complete Design Guide. Donor recognition walls are a powerful way to permanently honor donors, but how do you create one? This guide outlines the entire process from start to finish.
Donor Wall Ideas: 10+ Professional Examples for Nonprofits. Today’s donor recognition walls are creative and attractive works of art. Explore these examples to get inspired.
Donor Recognition Policies: A How-to Overview. This article outlines how to write a formal donor recognition policy and share that information with supporters.
