How do they work?

It's very easy to celebrate major donors to a fundraising project. Naming opportunities are always available. But how about the many others who are only able to give smaller amounts? Wouldn't they too like to see their support recorded in a permanent form?

We all know how important small gifts are. Their donors may not have much now but they may be thinking of leaving a legacy, they may be giving to your cause for the first time, they might be in the first stages of their career. And small gifts can often be lost if their givers think their contribution isn't worth bothering with. Small gifts, though, can add up to a large amount, as our illustration on the left shows, with larger, possibly corporate, donations boosting the total substantially.

The other, very important, role of a Donor Tree is to say very clearly that this organisation is fundraising. As an engagement tool, a Donor Tree is extremely powerful. Well situated in a public space, a Donor Tree is impossible to miss. Visually striking, it makes a statement that is hard to ignore saying,

"We are FUNDRAISING here! Please contribute NOW!"