Don’t let the name fool you – you can use custom engraved donor plaques for much more than just honoring benefactors. Because, let’s face it, not every business is privy to hospital wings, libraries, and other big-time donations.

At my business, I like to order a beautiful wooden plaque to honor each employee of the month. I have it engraved with the worker’s name, his or her time at the company, and the current month and year. The finished product is presented at a company-wide ceremony where I honor the special worker and explain his or her virtues. We even order a cake!

Ever since I started this tradition, I’ve noticed a real increase in worker motivation. And whenever I’m interviewing new employees, I always show them our wall of plaques to get them excited about working here.

In a way, though, I suppose calling them “donor plaques” is appropriate. Even though I pay my employees, they always exceed my expectations. It’s almost like they’re donating, except instead of money I’m lucky enough to receive their time, energy, passion, and innovation.

As you walk into the lobby of a hospital, you see this beautiful tree with golden leaves. As you get closer to the tree, you notice that on each gold leaf there is the name of a person, with a date engraved on it. Not knowing what it is exactly that you are looking at; you find a small donor plaque on the wall that states, “On this tree of life are the names of the very generous people who sacrificed for others.” Donor walls and trees of life adorn so many lobbies and so many hallways of many different buildings throughout the world.

For so many people this is a simple decoration, a “thank you” to those who have given something. For others this is the last thank you, the last goodbye to a loved one, a family member or a friend. In blood centers throughout the United States there are donor walls with the names of people who religiously donate blood every fifty-six days or platelets every two weeks. Without these people, so many other lives would not have been saved. Throughout hospitals around the world, you will find a donor wall or a tree of life recognizing someone for giving a piece of themselves to save the life of another and in most cases without ever meeting that person.

Donor walls and donor plaques are a special way of thanking people and recognizing people for doing something outstanding. The recognition and thanks is of the highest magnitude and will be displayed for years and for generations to see and appreciate.

My experience with the community relations office of our local domestic violence shelter taught me a few things about large-scale fundraising. When it comes to going after the really big donations, showing appreciation takes on a whole new meaning. Extreme donors are motivated by seeing their names prominently placed on a donor wall, a permanent donor plaque, or a leaf on a Tree of Life. Their generous friends are equally motivated by seeing their peer get the honors treatment. This is how an organization’s donor recognition program can become a great incentive for more donors.

In addition to public recognition, we planned yearly donor parties to thank those who provided the financial underpinning to our cause. We made sure everything connected with the party was first class. The invitations referred to the donors as “V.I.P.s” and we even acquired the services of a few regional celebrities to help honor those on whom our little shelter so depended. We invited each donor to invite a friend – our subtle way to work that peer angle. By the time the evening was over, we often doubled our donor base.

Big givers also like to have their photos taken for the newspaper, along with stories about their generosity. So we always invited members of the press to our parties and any ceremonies held through the year involving our donor walls and donor plaques or the Tree of Life in the children’s playroom. These actions kept the donations flowing and our clients well served.