In our blog we’ll explore why, when, and how to recognize donors and organizations as well as many other related topics. We look forward to sharing some of the insights we’ve found through our own research and experiences over the past 40 years.

March 28, 2024
6 Objectives of a Sustainable Donor Recognition Program
How are you recognizing donors and communicating the impact of their gifts? Discover a strategic approach to fostering lasting relationships and cultivating a culture of giving. Read on as we explore 6 key objectives for a sustainable donor recognition program.
March 4, 2024
Campaign Fundraising Success
A Giftmap Case Study: The University of Oklahoma
As the University of Oklahoma prepared to launch Lead On, OU's Campaign for the Future, they utilized Giftmap to identify and catalog all of their existing donor recognition and place a value on all of their available naming opportunities from their Norman, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa campuses. We discuss the challenges OU faced and the solutions Giftmap provided for their historic campaign.
January 26, 2024
Elevating Donor Recognition: A Guide to Resolutions for the New Year
As we enter a new year, philanthropic organizations are presented with an opportunity to reevaluate and enhance their approaches to donor recognition. In this blog post, we will focus on 5 key resolutions you can adopt to elevate your donor recognition practices, ensuring they align with the evolving landscape of philanthropy.
December 18, 2023
PDG's Top 5 Donor Recognition Blog Posts of 2023
This year, we've seen trends continue to move towards the increased use of digital and hybrid donor recognition walls and newer paths being forged with a focus on non-traditional donor sculptures. We can't help but be excited for what 2024 and beyond will hold for donor recognition. Here is a recap of our Top 5 most-read donor recognition blog articles of 2023.
November 30, 2023
Project Spotlight: CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Donor Recognition System
Learn how collaborative planning, functional adaptability, placemaking, and a comprehensive donor recognition system set up CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital for fundraising success.
October 30, 2023
Case Study: SMU’s Spirit of Peruna
How a donor recognition sculpture combined storytelling and placemaking to showcase Southern Methodist University's proud history and reinforce its culture of philanthropy
"Thinking Beyond the Wall" - A case study of a donor recognition sculpture inspired by SMU's live mascot Peruna, a miniature Shetland pony with a huge personality and unstoppable energy that represents the enduring symbol of the SMU spirit.
September 29, 2023
"Thinking Beyond the Wall": Exploring Donor Recognition
A look at Culture of Philanthropy and "thinking beyond the wall” with non-traditional sculptures
We take a closer look at donor recognition walls, their significance to an organization’s culture of philanthropy, the value of placemaking, and the importance of "thinking beyond the wall" with non-traditional donor recognition sculptures.
June 29, 2023
Harnessing the Power of Digital Donor Recognition Walls
6 Tips for Success
By embracing the power of digital in donor recognition, organizations can revolutionize how they acknowledge and engage current and future potential donors. This blog post explores the benefits of digital donor recognition walls and how they can transform your donor recognition strategy.
July 25, 2023
Using Naming Opportunities to Achieve Fundraising Success
Learn how to leverage funding opportunities at scale with Giftmap
This blog post will delve into how using Giftmap, an innovative data and mapping tool created by PDG, to manage donor-named spaces and promote naming opportunities can enhance your fundraising efforts. With Giftmap, you can raise funds more quickly, strengthen donor relationships, and create lasting legacies.
May 30, 2023
The Dos and Don'ts of Donor Wall Design
In order to create a successful donor recognition wall, it's crucial to establish a strong foundation and a clear vision from the start. Designing donor recognition requires careful consideration and planning. It's important to recognize that your initial vision will develop and enhance as you progress, and our team will be there to help you every step of the way. In this blog post, we'll explore the dos and don’ts of donor recognition wall design to help ensure that your wall is a success.
April 27, 2023
How to Engage Donors Through Your Recognition Wall: 5 Tips and Strategies
Donor recognition walls are a powerful tool for engaging donors and communicating the impact of their contributions.
When designed and executed effectively, donor recognition walls can create a sense of community, foster donor loyalty, and inspire future giving. Here are some tips and strategies for engaging donors through your recognition wall.
March 23, 2023
20 Examples of Exterior Donor Recognition
Outdoor donor recognition built to stand the test of time
In this blog post, we discuss ways that exterior donor recognition can be a powerful tool for connecting donors to your organization and show you examples of some of our favorite outdoor projects. 
February 23, 2023
50+ Examples of Donor Recognition and Success Stories
Inspiration for your next project
At PDG, we know that reinforcing the connection your organization has with its donors is important to you. It's part of your mission, and because it is important to you, it is important to us. We’d like to share some of our favorite projects and success stories with you. In this post and on our Gallery pages and our Work pages, you'll find 50+ examples representing different categories of our work.
January 25, 2023
Adapting Donor Recognition for the Digital Age
5 reasons to add a digital donor wall to your donor engagement strategy
Incorporating digital content into your recognition solves common problems that donor relations professionals face daily. Donor list work aside, the instantly updatable, storytelling content playing on an experiential, attention-grabbing hybrid display delivers a message that will change how you think about donor walls.
December 20, 2022
History Walls and Timeline Displays
Honoring the deeply rooted connection between hospitals and their communities
History walls and timeline displays not only transport the viewer back in time using pictures, videos, and artifacts, they have a much deeper meaning. At their core, these displays honor the connection between hospitals and the communities they serve. History walls and timeline displays are visual representations that better connect donors to the transformational impact of their giving over decades. These walls engage, inspire, and lead others to follow in the footsteps of the donors who came before them.
November 29, 2022
The Ultimate Guide to Donor Recognition Audits
An up-to-date inventory of all donor-named spaces and available naming opportunities is a must-have for any high-performing fundraising team.
Whether you’re preparing for a campaign, major renovation, or simply trying to improve your naming opportunities workflow, an on-site audit is a smart idea. This blog post discusses the on-site donor recognition audit process, why the audits are important, and what solutions they provide for your donor relations and stewardship team.
September 16, 2022
There is a Great Story Behind Every Gift
7 of the best ways to recognize donors
Often, we are asked, “What is the BEST way to recognize donors?” Before we can effectively answer this question, we must acknowledge that donor recognition is not a one size fits all process.
August 18, 2022
Donor Recognition Naming Opportunities
Connecting donors to the results of their giving
Named spaces are a great way to reinforce long-term relationships with your donors. As part of a thorough fundraising and stewardship plan, they can be the glue that connects your donor's passion to your cause for a generation.
July 14, 2022
Creating a Sense of Place
Connecting donor recognition to your community
As an experiential design and build studio specializing in donor recognition for hospitals, universities, and exterior spaces, PDG recognizes the importance of creating a sense of place in the installations we collaboratively design with our clients. We often ask, “How do you want visitors to experience this space?”
March 17, 2022
A Powerful Tool for Donor Relations and Fundraising Professionals
10 reasons why your peers are using Giftmap in their fundraising toolbox.
Imagine having the ability to create a dynamic inventory of your naming opportunities and recognition elements, while simultaneously giving your Gift Officers the power to prepare perfectly tailored presentations in minutes using their laptop or tablet.
June 17, 2022
Digital Donor Recognition Made Easy, with Appellō CMS
A Content Management System for donor relations professionals
We were inspired to create our own platform – a CMS program built from the start with you, the donor relations professional, in mind. The process of updating and maintaining a digital donor wall no longer needs to be intimidating.
April 14, 2022
Best Practices in Donor Recognition
5 key components when planning your donor recognition
The renderings are in your hands and your fundraising team has done an amazing job securing donors for your new project. Now it is time to shift your focus toward your donor family and finalize a plan to express your appreciation to those that are making this new project possible. In this post, we will outline 5 key components when planning your donor recognition.
February 10, 2022
Planning for Your Digital Donor Recognition Wall
How can donor stewardship professionals best prepare to include digital?
6 considerations when designing your digital donor recognition wall.
February 15, 2021
Examples: Systems of Recognition
Are you starting to plan recognition for a new capital project? Perhaps you’re preparing to revamp your current recognition. Maybe you just need some inspiration. In any case, let’s take a look at a few systems of recognition.
February 14, 2021
A Guide To: Digital Donor Walls
What meaningful and artistic digital donor wall is right for your project?
We’ve found ourselves in a digital age and you may wonder if your institution’s donor recognition should match the expectations of our digital environments. Incorporating digital displays into your donor walls is an attractive option, but are pixels commensurate recognition for major donors?
September 13, 2019
Magic Recognition
Dream up a perfect donor recognition system
If we could dream up a perfect donor recognition system, a broad wish list with no constraints, it might look like this:
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