Advancement · Community and Giving

Every name, spelled
their way, before it is cut.

A donor wall is permanent and public, and a wrong name is the kind of mistake donors remember. This organizer holds one record per listing: the wording exactly as it will appear, the donor’s recognition preference, the gift counted against the level minimum and the wall policy, and the characters allowed on a line. It flags the usual problems before a proof goes out and shows which listings are ready for the engraver.

$12one-time · every device you sign in on

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Development and giving kit, $39 for 27 items.

Wall listings

The worked example is made up: five listings for a library renovation wall. Use donor codes from your database. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Advancement · Community & Giving$12

What you finish with
A record per listing: the donor code, the exact wording, the recognition preference, characters allowed, the gift total and status, the level and its minimum, the wall policy and five checks. Shows listings ready for the engraver and listings by level; flags a line over the character limit, a total below the level minimum, an anonymous listing that shows a name, a memorial or honor listing missing its wording and a pledge where the policy counts gifts received.
Who it is for
Development officers, advancement services and stewardship staff at schools, colleges, libraries and nonprofits; school foundations and parent organizations.
Format
Browser organizer with a saved record per listing. Prints one record, all of them in a table (the proof list) or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv) for the designer; exports and imports a file.
Access
$12 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Development and giving kit ($39) and the Advancement Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Community & Giving space in Caveat Advancement.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Set the line length and level minimums from the wall design and your recognition policy.
  2. Add each listing with the wording you plan to use.
  3. Send each donor the exact wording and mark it confirmed when they reply in writing.
  4. Fix every flag, then print the table as the proof list.
  5. Send the CSV to the designer only when every listing is ready.

Add a listing

Getting donor recognition right

From gift record to engraved name1Pull the recordDonor code, total counted andstatus from the database.2Ask the donorSend the exact wording and geta written yes. Never trust the3Check the policyLevel minimum met, andreceived or pledged as the4Fit the lineCount characters against theplate. Ask before shortening.5Proof, then engraveOne approved proof for thewhole wall before anything isFrom gift record to engraved name1Pull the recordDonor code, total counted and statusfrom the database.2Ask the donorSend the exact wording and get a writtenyes. Never trust the mailing name.3Check the policyLevel minimum met, and received orpledged as the policy says.4Fit the lineCount characters against the plate. Askbefore shortening.5Proof, then engraveOne approved proof for the whole wallbefore anything is cut.
Engraving is permanent and fixes are expensive. Every name approved in writing is the cheapest insurance there is.

Donor wishes come first

The Donor Bill of Rights, endorsed by the Association of Fundraising Professionals and other sector groups, says donors should be assured that their gifts are recognized as they wish, and that their information is handled with respect and confidentiality. Anonymous means anonymous.

Write the policy down

Most organizations set recognition levels and rules in a gift acceptance or naming policy: what counts toward a level, whether pledges count before they are paid, and what happens if a pledge is not fulfilled. Apply it the same way for every listing.

Plan for changes

Couples separate, businesses rename and family wishes change. Many walls use plates or panels that can be replaced, and policies often say how long recognition lasts.

Sources

  1. Association of Fundraising Professionals and partners: The Donor Bill of Rights (afpglobal.org).
  2. Association of Fundraising Professionals: Code of Ethical Standards (afpglobal.org).
  3. Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE): Global Reporting Standards, on counting pledges and gifts (case.org).
  4. National Council of Nonprofits: Gift acceptance policies (councilofnonprofits.org).

The worked example is made up. This organizer supports recognition work; it is not legal or tax advice. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.