What is a giving society?

A giving society recognizes donors who meet a defined giving threshold or behavior (e.g., annual leadership gifts, cumulative lifetime giving, or legacy commitments).

Should giving societies be based on annual giving or lifetime giving?

Both models work. Annual societies drive retention; lifetime societies celebrate cumulative commitment. The key is to define criteria clearly and apply them consistently.

How do we handle donors who qualify through a DAF or family foundation?

Set a standard rule in policy (e.g., credit to the recommending donor when appropriate) and document exceptions so recognition remains fair and consistent.

Giving Society Donor Recognition

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Donor Recognition Use Cases /
Giving Society Donor Recognition

Plan your donor recognition experience

Get a walkthrough of touchscreen donor walls, donor trees, giving societies, and campaign progress displays.

Browse donor recognition templates

Live Example: Rocket Alumni Solutions Touchscreen Display

Interact with a live example (16:9 scaled 1920x1080 display). All content is automatically responsive to all screen sizes and orientations.

Intent: decide

Giving societies are a governance tool as much as a stewardship tool. When membership criteria are clear, recognition becomes easy: consistent names, consistent tiers, and a predictable onboarding experience for donors and staff.

When to Use This

You’re launching a new giving society or reworking criteria
You want to reduce “exception handling” and recognition confusion
You need society messaging that feels premium without being transactional

Giving society criteria + welcome messaging (copy artifact)

GIVING SOCIETY DEFINITION (TEMPLATE)

Society Name: [Society Name]
Membership Basis: [Annual Giving] / [Lifetime Giving] / [Legacy Commitment]
Recognition Window: [Fiscal Year] / [Lifetime] / [As of Date]

Eligibility (example — edit to match policy):
- Annual: $[X]+ total giving during FY[XX]
- Lifetime: $[X]+ cumulative giving since [year]
- Legacy: documented planned gift intention (bequest, beneficiary designation, etc.)

WELCOME EMAIL
SUBJECT: Welcome to the [Society Name]

Dear [First Name],

Thank you for your generosity and partnership with [Organization]. In recognition of your support, we are honored to welcome you to the [Society Name].

Membership reflects [basis statement] and includes recognition on our donor wall and stewardship updates throughout the year.

Your recognition listing will appear as:
[Preferred Public Listing]

If you’d like to adjust your listing or remain anonymous, reply and we will confirm in writing.

With appreciation,
[Signature]

DONOR WALL SECTION INTRO (DISPLAY COPY)
The [Society Name] recognizes donors whose generosity helps sustain [mission/outcome]. Thank you for your leadership.

DonorsWall implementation notes (society-friendly)

Create society segments using dynamic rules (annual/lifetime/legacy) so lists update without manual rebuilds.
Add a “member since” or “FY qualifier” badge to reduce confusion for visitors.
Keep recognition inclusive with ADA WCAG 2.1 AA patterns and readable typographic hierarchy.
Use remote content management to process recognition corrections quickly.