Beyond the First Donor Wall: Designing Recognition That Grows
A donor recognition program doesn’t have to end with the first donor wall. That first display can establish a visual language that grows throughout a facility as new recognition needs emerge.
At the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, two donor recognition displays show how a coordinated donor recognition program can grow while recognizing different groups of donors and serving different purposes.
Recognizing the People Behind the Hospital
The first project began with the John Thomas Vaughan Large Animal Teaching Hospital. Auburn wanted to formally recognize the donors and members of the Large Animal Clinic Advisory Council whose generosity and involvement helped support the hospital.
Partners In Recognition worked with Auburn Vet Med to create a custom donor recognition display that would feel like it belonged in the space, not simply provide a place to list names.
Dimensional brushed-silver lettering identifies the John Thomas Vaughan Large Animal Teaching Hospital, while warm wood tones, Auburn orange, deep blue recognition fields, architectural details and Auburn Vet Med branding connect the display to its surroundings. A central panel tells the story of the hospital, flanked by updateable donor recognition panels presenting the names of donors and advisory council members.
The finished display recognized those who helped support the hospital while also establishing a visual foundation that Auburn could build upon as other recognition needs developed.
Extending the Donor Recognition Program
A second project provided the opportunity to build on that foundation. Auburn Vet Med needed a donor recognition display for its stall-naming program.
With the first display already in place, Auburn and Partners In Recognition had an established look to work from. Elements of the original design were carried into the new project, giving the two displays a clear connection without making them identical.
Wood tones, Auburn orange accents, deep blue recognition panels, dimensional construction and Auburn Vet Med branding tie the projects together. The second display adds barn imagery and architectural forms appropriate to its own location and purpose. At the center of the display, “A Spirit of Giving, A Future of Healing” connects donor generosity with Auburn Vet Med’s mission. Updateable donor panels recognize participants in the stall-naming program, while the overall design carries forward the look and feel established by the first project.
Designing a Donor Recognition Program for Growth
The second project also had to account for something that many donor recognition programs eventually encounter: more donors. Auburn initially needed recognition for approximately 20 stall-naming donors but wanted capacity for as many as 30.
Additional ClearChange recognition panels were incorporated into the design so future donors could be added without looking like an addition made after the fact. That ability to grow was part of the design from the beginning.
Over time, organizations find new reasons and new places to honor donors. Campaigns bring new participants. Named spaces are added. Giving programs expand. When those needs are handled one at a time without considering what is already in place, donor recognition can gradually become a collection of unrelated displays.
That doesn’t mean every new recognition project has to start from scratch. New recognition can serve a different purpose and stand on its own while still looking like it belongs with what came before.
That’s what these two Auburn Vet Med projects accomplish. The first established the foundation, and the second carried it into a new recognition opportunity. Because the recognition system is flexible and updateable, it also leaves room for what may come next.
A Spirit of Giving
Perhaps the best description of these two projects is already part of the display itself: A Spirit of Giving, A Future of Healing. Together, the displays recognize individuals whose generosity supports Auburn Vet Med and create a visible connection between philanthropy and the work taking place throughout the College of Veterinary Medicine.
For donors, that recognition becomes part of the place they helped support. For Auburn Vet Med, the two projects provide a consistent way to express appreciation as new recognition opportunities develop.
A donor wall can recognize generosity in one place. A thoughtfully planned donor recognition program can carry that recognition throughout an entire environment.
Planning Your Next Donor Recognition Display
Whether your organization is planning its first donor recognition display or looking for a way to expand an existing donor wall, Partners In Recognition can help develop a custom donor recognition solution that reflects your organization, your donors and your goals.
From updateable donor displays and donor recognition walls to coordinated recognition throughout a facility, we help organizations plan for what they need today while considering how their recognition program may grow tomorrow.
Contact Partners In Recognition to start a conversation about your next donor recognition project.
I can’t thank you enough!
allison killiingsworth
My team installed the project very easily with no issues, and it looks amazing.
We were all beyond impressed with the quality.
Thank you so much. I’m looking forward to working together on future projects and will be in touch!!