What should we include in endowment recognition language?

Include the fund name, the donor’s preferred listing, whether recognition is time-bound or perpetual, and what happens if the fund purpose or program structure changes.

Do named endowments require different donor wall treatment than annual gifts?

Usually yes. Endowments often deserve a dedicated section that ties the fund name to purpose, impact, and where the fund lives in your portfolio (scholarships, faculty, programs).

How do we handle fund name changes or mergers?

Document a governance process in your gift agreement or policy (who approves changes, how donors are notified, and how the public display will be updated).

Named Endowments Donor Recognition

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Named Endowments 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

Named endowments are a promise: donors expect longevity, clarity, and dignity in how the fund is described. The goal is to make recognition policy-tight while still telling an impact-forward story on your donor wall.

When to Use This

You’re creating (or refreshing) a naming rights / endowment recognition policy
A donor is endowing a scholarship, faculty position, program fund, or facility fund
You need a consistent “fund name + donor name + purpose” format across recognition channels

Named endowment recognition clause (copy artifact)

Use this as a starting point for a gift agreement (have counsel review):

NAMED ENDOWMENT RECOGNITION (TEMPLATE CLAUSE)

1) Fund Name
The fund shall be known as: “[Official Fund Name]” (the “Fund”).

2) Public Recognition Name
For public recognition purposes, the donor’s name will be displayed as: “[Preferred Public Listing]”.
If the donor requests anonymity, the public display will reflect: “Anonymous”.

3) Recognition Channels
Subject to the Organization’s donor recognition and naming policy, the Organization will recognize the Fund through:
  a) an interactive digital donor wall display located at [Location], and
  b) the Organization’s online donor recognition listing (if applicable).

4) Recognition Timing + Updates
Recognition will be posted after: [execution of agreement / receipt of first payment / other trigger].
The Organization will use reasonable efforts to keep recognition current and accurate, including updates for corrected spelling, household formatting, or approved fund name adjustments.

5) Governance
If organizational needs require changes to program structure or naming conventions, the Organization will notify the donor (or donor representative) and follow the amendment process defined in this Agreement and the Organization’s naming policy.

Display standards (so endowments don’t look like “just another list”)

Fund-first hierarchy: Show the fund name prominently; donor listing is a supporting element.
Purpose line: One sentence: “Supports [students/faculty/program] in [area].”
Impact rotation: Rotate impact stories (recipient quotes, outcomes, photos) alongside fund listings.
Naming governance: Keep a visible “about recognition” note that aligns to policy and avoids misunderstandings.

DonorsWall implementation notes (endowment-specific)

Create an Endowments section with sub-filters (scholarships, faculty, program funds).
Attach impact story cards to named funds so visitors understand “what the endowment does.”
Use remote content management to keep fund names aligned to approved legal naming.
Preserve inclusivity with ADA WCAG 2.1 AA patterns for all fund pages and modals.