Q. Our organization is embarking on a multi-million dollar capital campaign for the first time in more than 15 years. We have never placed plaques in our facility but we believe that one or two donors may expect visibility of this type for rewarding their generosity. How should we address this "hot potato?"A. Every organization must regularly address a number of pollicies, and the "plaque" is no exception. We, at EHL Consulting, urge every nonprofit agency to have written pollicies about donor recognition; the Board should review thee policy annually.
Some observations about plaques:
- Centralized plaques are the trend currently, rather than putting plaques throughout a complex and destroying the appropriateness of the facilities;
- Donors should be recognized publicly as their generosity may encourage others to support the organization (human nature has shown that most people tend to follow the lead of others!)
- Determine in writing how much of a gift must be paid prior to securing a plaque in a public place (we suggest no less than 60% of a commitment if there is a 5-year payout offered but each Board has special concerns that should be addressed openly and consistently).
