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...

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...

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...