As you walk through your old high school, you come across the same donor wall from 1987, with names that aren't as clear and plates that aren't quite straight. Donor walls are a way to honor the most important people who help you reach your goals, like grads, community leaders, or that one guy who always sends a check the size of a playbook. Not only should you decide how long to keep donor walls up, but you should also make sure they're still current, interesting, and worthy of the kind people they honor.
Most schools and groups treat donor walls the same way I did that prize case from football: once it's up, it stays up forever. Most traditional donor walls stay up for 5 to 10 years, but sometimes they stay up longer based on the campaign or level of recognition. The really cool thing is that, unlike my old offensive line records, which weren't that great anyway, donor recognition should change as your organization does.
The normal method has a lot of problems. Plaques and static displays aren't scalable to grow with your donation base, they're hard to update when information changes, and to be honest, they look old faster than my old college football pictures.
Learning About the Time Frames for Donor Recognition
Categories for Permanent Recognition
Some types of gift recognition should really be permanent:
- Donors of major gifts ($50,000 or more) are usually recognized forever.
- Giving donors the right to name buildings, grants, or programs
- Legacy givers set up endowments or planned gifts
- Initial donors who helped set up the school
Recognition for a Limited Time
Other kinds of recognition may have natural end dates:
- Usually every one to three years, annual giving drives
- Capital campaign stages (3–7 years, based on how long the campaign lasts)
- Event funding (agreements for one to three years)
- Challenge or equal gift times (during the campaign's run)
How Digital Donor Walls Change the Way People Are Recognized
This is where things get interesting. Digital donor walls change the way we think about how long we should recognize someone. The main question is, "How can we make this recognition more meaningful and easy to get to?" instead of "How long should this stay up?"
Because they are digital, donor recognition systems are much more flexible than standard walls. You are able to:
- Change information about donors in real time
- Add new donors without building or fixing up anything.
- Set up various levels and types of recognition
- Add your own stories, pictures, and videos.
- Make recognition searchable and fun to use.
| Physical Donor Walls | Digital Donors Walls |
| Always still or until it breaks | Changeable and updated in seconds |
| There is only so much room for donors. | No limits on donors, levels, photos, or stories. |
| Flaws, scratches, and old pictures | HD pictures and videos, real-time effect numbers, and the chance to grow |
| It costs money to change | It does not cost extra to refresh |
The Best Ways to Manage a Donor Wall
Plan for an Annual Review
You should look over your donor recognition every year, like how we looked over game film every season (though hopefully with better results than some of my blocking plans). Think about it:
- Are all of the giver names correct and up to date?
- Have any donors asked for updates or changes?
- Should we add any new big donors?
- Does the way it looks still fit with the name of your institution?
Different Levels of Recognition
You might want to set up a system with different levels of gifts:
- Platinum level (big gifts): Recognition for life
- Gold level (big gifts): recognition for 5 to 7 years
- Silver level (modest gifts): recognition for 3 to 5 years
- Bronze level (gifts every year): recognition for one to three years with improvements every year
Talking Is Very Important.
Always be clear about how long you expect the credit to last. Donors should know how long and how their name will be shown, just like teammates should know what to expect when it comes to blocking duties.
Digital Donor Walls Can Help You Leave a Lasting Legacy.
Traditional donor walls always have problems, like fading, damage, not enough room, and high costs to update. Digital solutions get rid of these problems and make it easier to recognize things.
You can make a truly dynamic donation recognition experience with interactive displays. Imagine that donors could see their history of giving, how their gifts have helped others, and how they are connected to the goal of your organization with just a touch. It's like having a whole department for donor relations ready all the time.
With modern digital recognition software, you can be sure that your donor recognition will never be out of date or impossible to reach. The experience is the same and impressive whether someone comes to your school or looks at recognition online.
Creating a Donor Recognition System That Will Last
The best donor recognition programs think about more than just one campaign at a time and build systems that will last for years to come. In other words:
- Setting clear rules for length of donor recognition
- Making update methods that last
- Putting money into tech that can adapt to your needs
- Making awards that honor both past and future donors
Different Institutions Need Different Kinds of Care.
Public Schools
A lot of the time, public high schools have to find a way to recognize donors without spending too much money or taking up too much hallway room. Digital solutions are especially useful because they combine different recognition needs into a single display that can be updated.
Colleges and Schools That Are Private
These organizations usually need more complex ways to thank donors, such as multiple donation recognition, legacy displays, and naming opportunities. These complicated recognition hierarchies are very easy for digital displays to handle.
Change From a Static Donor Wall to a Dynamic Donor Wall
If you are currently in charge of traditional donor walls, switching to digital recognition doesn't mean you have to give up your present donors. Instead, it means making them more well-known while getting ready for future growth.
Think about how interactive displays can add to current recognition and offer solutions that can be used in more than one campaign.
Last Words on Donor Recognition Length
The question of how long to keep donor wall recognition up is much easier to answer if you make systems for recognition that can change, grow, and get better over time. Your donors should be thanked in a way that is as dynamic, important, and long-lasting as their kindness.
Whether you're in charge of a small yearly giving program or a large capital donation campaign, it's important to pick recognition options that show appreciation for your donors while also meeting the long-term needs of your organization. After all, strong relationships with donors are built on consistent performance and constant improvement, just like good sports teams.
Are you ready to turn your thank-yous for donors into a digital memory that will last? Talk to Touchstone Digital Solutions right away to find out how our donation walls can help you recognize and celebrate anyone, anywhere, for any accomplishment with just one click. Because your donors are great, you should always thank them.