Issues About Naming

Alden F. Briscoe, MAT

The past few years have seen a rise in an important conversation: What should be done about landmarks named after problematic figures or use problematic language? Judging from the actions made by college campuses, local communities, and government task forces, people are interested in change.

As consultants, we at Brakeley Briscoe want to help you avoid sticky situations and honor people respectfully. If you’re considering using naming as an initiative for donors, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Value of Naming

  • Most donors don’t give for naming but naming may help.
  • A naming opportunity may encourage people to give at higher level (i.e., person was prepared to give $125K, but for $150K, donor gets to name something.)
  • Family gifts to name something for a parent, grandparent, or loved one may encourage a larger gift or participation by a larger number of family members or friends/admirers.

Pledge in Writing

  • No naming should be agreed to unless the gift/pledge is in writing and signed by the donor(s).

Gift Level

  • In general don’t let anyone name anything unless they are making a gift equal to at least 50% of the cost or value of the thing they are naming.
  • No matter what the pledge says, don’t name something for a donor until at least X% [50] of the cash has been actually received. 50% is the norm, but this may vary and some organizations go as high as 80%. It may go higher in order to create an endowment to provide for maintenance of the building.

What Can Be Named?

  • A donor can name a building even if it’s not built with that money.
  • It’s possible to name other things than bricks and mortar: programs, positions, projects, schools, professorships, etc.

Naming for Big Gifts

  • Focus on big things/gifts (schools, buildings, athletic fields, professorships, large programs, etc.) for naming but don’t ignore naming opportunities for even small gifts.

Gift Acceptance

  • The organization needs to have a policy to not accept gifts or to name something for someone who will bring a bad name to the organization (and they need a committee to interpret this).
  • The organization needs to have policy to un-name something if the donor exhibits unethical behavior or is found to be someone with whom the organization does not wish to be associated (and the option of un-naming something should be put in the gift agreement signed by the donor).
  • If the donor has made partial payment but suddenly becomes unable to complete the obligation, you are under no obligation to return what has been paid. This should be stated in your policy.
  • The organization should have a (board or other) committee to decide on un-naming as well as on other tricky issues.

Length of Naming

  • Consider a time period for naming: (for 10 years, this will be the Mary J. Doe Library).

Endowments

  • If someone wants to name an “endowment”, the gift must be at least a minimum amount. This minimum will vary depending on the organization but it should not be so small as to be inefficient to manage.
  • There must be a policy on how any endowment is to be administered.

Amendments

  • Changes in acceptance policies must be approved by an appropriate group such as the Board Development Committee.

We want to hear from you! What are your thoughts on naming practices? What tips would you add?