Tribute Gifts: The Ins and Outs of Tribute Giving

Tribute and honorary gifts can be a great way for nonprofit organizations and charities to raise funds while paying homage to the great memories of an individual. Such gifts can help an organization reach a significant amount of its goals because tribute gifts come from a strong belief in the organization’s mission on behalf of someone’s memory or honor.

Let’s talk about some helpful ways to fundraise through tribute gifts.

Types of Tribute or Honorary Gifts

• Gifts Made In Memory Of Someone – The first and most familiar type is a tribute gift that honors the memory of someone who has passed away. If someone dies of cancer, making an honorary donation to the American Cancer Society is a beautiful way to honor their legacy. Many people now request this type of donation to be made instead of flowers for a more lasting legacy. These types of donations are also known as memorial tribute gifts.
• Gifts Made In Honor Of Someone – Another type of tribute gift is for special occasions or milestones, and these donations are often made in lieu of an actual gift. These gifts can be for occasions such as an anniversary, a birthday, Father’s Day, or graduation. The idea here is that many of us have too much stuff already. Why not ask friends to donate to a favorite charity instead of buying another Christmas sweater?

Clarifying Tribute Gift Options on a Donations Website

The page should also include the following:

• Information on how the loved one will be remembered for their memorial tribute gift donation.
• Minimum or suggested donation amounts towards a tribute gift
• A menu of example celebratory occasions or holidays may be helpful to encourage honorary gifts.
• Impactful images always encourage generosity.
• Instructions on who to contact to set up the tribute gift and a link to set up the tribute gift online
• The tribute gift information page should link to a secure credit card processor to easily accept donations online.

A great way to help interested parties understand the impact of their donation is to create tribute gift packages or tiers. For example, the International Rescue Committee gives options, such as supporting a year of school for a refugee for just $8 or purchasing an emergency kit for a crisis for $60. 

Our Free Donations Software Supports Tribute Giving

Honoring Tribute Gifts

One of the most important details to communicate to prospective donors is how a tribute gift will honor their loved ones. Some examples of how sizeable memorial tribute gifts are honored may be a plaque or signage on the organization’s premises. This may expand further to naming a classroom, wing of a building, an entire building, brick, bench, or other parts of the nonprofit’s grounds or property on behalf of the person the tribute gift is honoring. Smaller ways to recognize tribute gifts include mentioning the donations in a newsletter, social media posts, or on a website page for memorial tribute gifts.

For a particular holiday tribute gift, UNICEF and other organizations offer holiday tribute cards that are sent with a customized message to the person receiving the card that lets them know a tribute gift was made in honor of someone important to them. Another great alternative is e-cards, which are impactful with high-resolution, high-quality photos of images from your nonprofit organization.

Establishing a Protocol for Tribute Gifts

When establishing tribute gifts, implement a protocol for handling memorial tribute gifts. Once the donation is received, ascertain the turnaround to delivering how the tribute gift will be honored. Also, have someone who is assigned to handle the arrangements and communication of tribute gifts.

An important aspect of the donation website is to have the means to notify the family that a tribute gift was made in honor of someone they loved. This includes collecting the email addresses, names, and a personalized message to notify the bereaved ones or loved ones of the tribute gift. If, in this case, the loved ones will include the request for tribute gifts in an obituary, consider advising on a uniform message for the web page. This may include the verbiage of tribute giving and the address or website to send the donations, as some cancer awareness and support organizations do on their tribute gift page.

Tribute Crowdfunding Campaigns

Many people now use crowdfunding or peer-to-peer fundraising websites to raise tribute funds. Using personal stories or testimonials from families on how the nonprofit’s mission or cause was an important issue for their loved ones can further emphasize the importance of tribute giving to the cause. This is an especially powerful way of communicating why others should consider a tribute gift. Common examples include patients taken care of by a hospital before they passed away, where loved ones run a Day of Remembrance and donate the funds to the hospital. Or, if someone loved animals and strongly supported rescues and shelters with their volunteer time, loved ones can run an animal shelter fundraiser as a tribute. 

Offering an Option for Non-Monetary Tribute Giving

Another point to clarify is whether your organization can accept tribute gifts that are not monetary. For example, many well-established nonprofit organizations allow for the donation of real estate, a trust, or an annuity. If the donation is an honorary donation on behalf of someone who has not passed away, allow the option to donate a tribute gift with a customized celebratory message to honor the individual.

Creating Repeat Donors

While tribute donors are typically one-time donations, they don’t have to be. Sharing with donors how their tribute gift contributes to the organization’s mission can be a strong point in converting them into repeat donors. Educate those donating about the programs and efforts supported by their donation by emailing them to thank them for their contributions. Be sure to ask supporters on the donation form if they want to increase their impact and make the donation monthly. Another helpful step may include a prompt that asks if they want to subscribe to your newsletter before leaving the website or a link that leads to more information about how to get involved in other ways, such as volunteering or attending events.

With an understanding of how to set up tribute gifts, these tips should be a great starting point for incorporating tribute giving into your nonprofit organization’s overall fundraising strategy.

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