Donor walls (or other types of panels, plaques or plazas) are perhaps the most effective and prominent way to recognize the generosity of the benefactors of a non-profit organization. Such displays are very popular in hospitals, private and public schools, community organizations, parks, veterans groups and many other non-profits.

These displays can be designed so as to organize donor names by the level of the gift, using unique names for the different levels or simply the range of the gift for each section. The organization’s logo, mission statement, a drawing or photo of its headquarters, date of organization and other pertinent data can be included in the design.

Some of the more popular materials for use in donor recognition displays include:

• Granite, either in slab or tile form: durable, elegant; easy to add on to if in tile form, can be used as flooring on a plaza.
• Glass, in multiple panels: very contemporary, clean appearance.
• Ceramic tile: a more informal look, exterior varieties are available.
• Plastics: easy to install with double-sided tape, easiest to add names to.

Laser etching is a very effective method for creating donor recognition displays in each of these media. Using tiles or smaller pieces enables the organization to remove a small section and have new donor names added at appropriate intervals.

More information on donor recognition walls can be found at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donor_recognition_wall

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?
cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10350859&dopt=Abstract

http://www.ahpcanada.com/docs/HierlihyDonorRelationsVS.ppt