Strategies for Donor Recognition
Annual Honor Rolls and Alternative Practices
Donor honor rolls are used by advancement offices to recognize donor giving. However, high publication costs and challenges associated with data collection have led institutions to explore alternatives to print honor rolls. This research brief examines the personnel and financial resources allocated to the production of online and print honor rolls, strategies to maximize honor roll ROI, proposals to retire donor honor rolls, and alternative recognition practices.
Key observations from our research:
1. Honor rolls are a common but not ubiquitous practice within advancement offices.
2. Measuring the impact of honor roll on donor behavior is more difficult compared to alternative donor-relations programs.
3. Discontinuing honor rolls releases significant staff and budget resources.
4. Donor-centered recognition programs provide better opportunities to cultivate donor-institution relations compared to honor rolls.
5. Donors are unlikely to comment on changes to an institution’s honor roll policy.
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