Is your church looking for a unique way to raise funds and/or recognize donors? If so, you may want to consider an engraved brick and tile fundraising program.

The program concept is straightforward. A donor buys a brick or tile to be engraved with a personalized message. Once engraved, the item is installed in an appropriate location at the church. Replica products (full-sized or miniature reproductions of the items to be installed) can also be sold and proudly displayed by the donor at home, work or school.

An engraved brick and tile program offers the following benefits.

Revenue Generation
The program concept is a proven fundraising vehicle that has been successfully used by hospitals, libraries, churches, schools, sports teams/venues and other organizations. The most successful programs have attained gross revenue well in excess of $1,000,000. So whether your campaign goal is small or large, an engraved brick and tile program can be appropriate.

Donor Recognition/Satisfaction
Engraved bricks and tiles provide highly visible and long-lasting recognition. Generally, the donor includes his/her name in the inscription. However, if desired, other inscriptions such as religious symbols or sacred text could be used in addition to or in place of the donor’s name. Whatever combination of name, symbol and text is employed, each donor derives satisfaction from having an item with a personally selected inscription.

Promotion
Installed items further promote your fundraising efforts. Because the items are displayed in highly visible locations, they attract attention and interest from other potential donors. This makes a program suitable for either a one-time, phased or ongoing fundraiser.

Aesthetics and Function
Engraved bricks and tiles are aesthetically pleasing and functional. Using engraved items for an entryway, wall, patio or walkway can complement overall architectural design. Additionally, engraved items provide an attractive and durable surface.

Although the engraved brick and tile program concept is a proven and straightforward fundraising vehicle, success is not automatic. Careful vendor selection is the key to success. So make certain that your selection process considers each vendor’s history and experience, engraving technology, products, services and costs. 

History and Experience
Select a vendor that has a verifiable record implementing engraved brick and tile fundraising programs. Some organizations have opted to use a local engraver. The typical engraver has expertise in engraving but may not have the knowledge or experience necessary to plan all phases of a successful fundraising program.

Key considerations in evaluating a vendor’s history and experience include the following:
* Length of time in business
* Size and condition of corporate office and manufacturing facility
* Number of employees,
* Experience of staff to be assigned
* Financial position (request audited financial statements)
* Client references (call to check satisfaction with products and services, conduct site visits and obtain data on the number of bricks/tiles sold, dates of service, installation dates, and gross and net revenue).

As you evaluate vendors and check client references, remain skeptical. Remember that nearly all new installations look good; check sites that have been installed for a number of years to see how items hold up under field conditions. Carefully compare and evaluate client satisfaction, installation appearance and fundraising results.

Engraving Technology
Make sure to carefully evaluate the engraving methods utilized. Engraving has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years, and the introduction of laser engraving offers a cost-competitive alternative to traditional methods. Because some engraving methods are proprietary, you should check to make sure that vendors hold the necessary patents or licenses for the technologies employed.

Traditional engraving methods include sandblasting and mechanical engraving. Because these methods intrude deeply into the brick or tile, the structural integrity of the item could be compromised. Additionally, traditional methods result in small areas, called islands, being created as a result of the engraving. Islands are subject to breaking through normal wear and tear or through the freeze and thaw process. Breakage creates an unattractive appearance and may result in illegible text.

Traditional engraving offers an advantage in terms of color availability. The engraving can be colored with paint or fillers, thus providing a full pallet of colors. However, the paint and fillers are subject to fading, separation, cracking and/or peeling. Until recently, laser engraving has been available only in black. However, recent developments have expanded the pallet, and lasers can produce blue or brown images on ivory bricks and tiles.

Laser engraving has not only eliminated many of the problems associated with traditional engraving but also produces images with an unsurpassed level of detail. Laser engraving directs a continuous flow of energy to produce an image on a brick or tile. The process actually turns the engraving into glass, creates no islands and requires no fillers. Laser engraving produces a detailed, permanent and maintenance free mark not subject to fading, separation, cracking and/or peeling. 

Products
Your vendor should provide a broad product line capable of supporting the “levels of giving” concept, which is critical to maximizing revenue. This concept calls for a product range that affords recognition that varies based on contribution level. For example, a $1,000 donor receives a product that provides a higher level of recognition than that of a $100 donor.

Recognition levels offered to donors can vary by type of product, size of product, or product features. The following are examples of product offerings that can be utilized to differentiate levels of giving:
* Bricks and tiles
* Different colors,
* Various sizes (including multi-brick or tile displays and arrays)
* Replica products
* Logos or symbols
* Installation locations

Your evaluation of a vendor’s products should include a number of steps. Review colors and sizes available. Make sure that the vendor stocks an inventory of bricks and tiles from nationally recognized manufacturers. Inquire about font sizes/styles available and the number of characters and lines that can be engraved on the various sized items. Request engraved samples for evaluation of color, engraving detail and overall appearance. Ask about delivery and assurances that your delivery schedule can be met. Review warranty information and ask if the vendor offers a written lifetime guarantee on its engraving.

Services
Many vendors offer engraving, but few offer the full range of services necessary to help you plan and implement a successful fundraising program. To ensure the success of your program, essential services not available through a vendor would need to be provided by your organization either in-house or through another vendor. Providing certain services in-house can be cost-effective if your organization has the expertise required. Involving additional vendors would likely complicate program planning and implementation and add cost. Therefore, selecting a vendor capable of providing all the necessary services that you elect not to provide in-house should ease coordination, establish clear accountability and reduce expenses.

Make sure that you have a complete and clear understanding of the services provided by potential vendors. The following services are essential to support your fundraising campaign:
* Assistance in developing your marketing plan
* Assistance in the design of promotional materials and order forms
* Order processing (evaluate options such as mail, fax, phone and Internet)
* Production and shipping
* Consultation in the selection of installation locations
* Development of section plans and locator system
* Customer mailings
* Management reporting
* Drafting of public and media relations materials

As mentioned above, ask about satisfaction with services when you call client references. Check if the marketing plan addressed the 4 Ps of marketing (product, price, promotion and place) and included an action plan and budget. See what methods of order processing were used and verify that systems worked smoothly. Ask if production and shipping met schedule. Inquire if packaging was adequate to prevent damage during shipping and if items were properly palletized and labeled for installation. Determine how sections for installation were selected and if the vendor successfully managed assignment of locations to ordered items. Ask what customer mailings were provided (e.g., thank you, order verification and location letters). Find out if management reports met requirements and were accurate and timely. Find out what level of assistance was provided drafting order forms, promotional and public/media relations materials.

Costs
After you have a good understanding of products and services provided by vendors, conduct a careful cost comparison. You should be sure to complete an “apples to apples” comparison. For example, some vendors include the cost of shipping in product prices and others do not.

Conducting this comparison is not as complicated as it may seem at first glance. By the time you are at this point in the process, you should have a general idea about how you envision your program functioning. So your comparison should consider costs associated with the following:
* Bricks and tiles to be installed (include costs for blanks, engraving and shipping to installation site)
* Replica products including packaging, labeling and shipment
* Establishment of an order center to process orders sent by phone, Internet, fax and/or mail,
* Charges for processing credit/debit card payments, checks and money orders
* Printing and mailing letters acknowledging orders and requesting customers to verify inscriptions and any procedures for receiving and processing corrections
* Development of section plans and printing and mailing of locator maps to customers
* Hardware, software or systems used to process orders and payments, control location assignments and produce management reports
* Other support services such as assistance in development of your marketing plan, consultation on installation locations, etc.

While it is important to conduct a cost comparison, don’t forget that this is only one element of the vendor selection process. A vendor with a low price but inferior products and poor service is no bargain.

A comprehensive vendor selection process will help you select the firm most capable of helping you attain your fundraising goal. Conduct a thorough and thoughtful analysis. Remember, your vendor holds the key to success.

Gregory T. Kuehl is a marketing consultant at Brick Markers USA, Inc., www.brickmarkers.com.