Inspire, Engage & Recognize Donors
Beyond the “Thank You”
Fundraising campaigns are the lifeline of a nonprofit. They keep organizations open and operating – enabling them to continue to do good work.
These campaigns not only provide revenue but also help cultivate donor relationships, increase donor retention rates, and help acquire new donors.
Acknowledging your donors in a prominent, permanent, meaningful work of art can be a powerful tool, enhancing these results.
We create ceramic art tile and watercolor donor recognition walls with text panels that can be updated at a nominal cost.
A perfect match for annual giving campaigns, endowment campaigns and a budget-conscious option for capital campaigns.
Lunch Break of New Jersey, Red Bank, NJ
Our Donor WaterColor Wall Recognition panels, feature an original watercolor by Karen Singer tailored to embody your organization’s unique identity.
I love how the tile morphs into watercolor – a beautiful donor wall that engages, inspires, and recognizes donors.
Cross Keys Village, New Oxford, PA
The top area of the donor wall contains an enlarged watercolor depicting a bird’s-eye view of the Gettysburg, New Oxford, and Hanover region with iconic features throughout the landscape.
The vivid ceramic tile frieze of trees connects the top and bottom sections.
The bottom section contains explanatory text and donor names silkscreened on the back surface of a Plexiglas lens over a watercolor background depicting grass.
Barclay Friends West Chester, PA
This mural is a prime example of our innovative Donor WaterColor Wall technique. This donor recognition beautifully combines ceramic tiles with enlarged watercolor art under a layer of clear acrylic.
Friends prefer name recognition to be subtle. Notice the subtlety of the donor names silk-screened on Plexi at the bottom.
The mural features the sunflower, a symbol of heliotropy, mirroring the sun’s movement and symbolizing growth and warmth—iconic to this community.
The design draws inspiration from the raised garden beds found on the campus and the picturesque landscape of Chester County. The inclusion of a pathway motif subtly represents the ‘path of life,’ adding a deeper, symbolic connection to the environment and its people.
This mural honors donors but also integrates the local culture and natural beauty, making it a meaningful and captivating piece in any setting.
Additionally, a series of sunflower gift tiles were sent to major donors.
Looking for an artful way to inspire, engage and recognize donors?
Call Today
215-849-7010
Ceramic Tile Flowers for Mother’s Day
Floral ceramic tiles are a perfect gift for Mom!
They require no maintenance: no watering, no pruning, no wilt, no death.
Ceramic Tile Flowers Don’t Die
A collection of bas-relief ceramic tiles depicting seasonal flora.
Sweet Pea
Sweet peas symbolize blissful pleasure, gratitude, departure, and tender memory.
In the Victorian language of flowers, a bouquet of sweet peas said “thank you for a wonderful time” or served as a gentle goodbye — making them the perfect flower for farewells, graduations, and expressions of appreciation.
Violet
The violet signifies watchfulness, loyalty, modesty, spiritual wisdom, humility, and faithfulness.
POPPY
The poppy is the birth flower for August.
It has many meanings, including:
- Beauty & Success
- Recovery
- Extravagance & Luxury
Chrysanthemum
The Chrysanthemum is the Birth Flower of November and the 13th Wedding Anniversary Flower.
The Chrysanthemum is commonly known by its shorthand name “mum”.
It is a symbol of the sun and is celebrated for its beauty and healing powers. It is the flower of Chicago and the national flower of Japan.
Its many meanings include:
- Compassion
- Happiness and joy.
- Loveliness
- Optimism
- Abundance & wealth
Aster
The Aster is the birth flower of September.
20th Wedding Anniversary.
The aster gets its name from the Greek word for “star,” and its star-like petals
It has many meanings including
- Patience
- Faith
- Elegance
- Daintiness
- Afterthought (or the wish things happened differently)
Cosmos
The Cosmos is the Birth Flower of the month of October, as well as the 2nd Wedding Anniversary Flower.
Some of its other meanings including:
– Peace
– Serenity
– Modesty
– Wholeness
These tiles are a part of a series we call Birth Flowers, in which each month of the year is symbolized by a beautiful flower.
Every flower has been individually designed, hand sculpted, and molded for this series. Our tiles are hand pressed & glazed here in our studio in Historic Germantown.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/karensingertileworks
Happy Mother’s Day from a couple of Mothers!
Karen Singer “Hands-On” Workshops
Clay-Based Learning
“Start with Art, Learn for Life” is the national theme for Youth Art Month (YAM).
It is observed every March. Nonetheless, I practice daily. This emphasizes the value of art for all children, including the little ones pictured above.
Notice how engrossed they are.
It’s never too early.
Children who engage with the visual arts play with clay while developing critical thinking skills.
They experience self-expression and self-esteem while improving cooperation and appreciation for others’ work.
I have conducted diverse “hands-on” clay-based workshops for 35 years.
These workshops have catered to a wide range of ages, from toddlers to seniors.
They have been held in classrooms, outside, and in my Germantown studio.
Creativity enhances the spirit and generates endorphins that make people very, very happy.
Playing with clay has a calming bodily effect on people of all ages. It helps relieve stress and offers a diversion for young, active minds and bodies.
TOUCH and leave your mark.
A fun birthday activity!
After all these years, it is amazing to watch children relax. They unwind, then get busy thinking about what they will create.
You can feel the wheels turning in their minds to create something with personal meaning.
Side Effect… Self-Esteem
“Look what I made!” That undeniable feeling of accomplishment. The beaming smiles are impossible to ignore.
Kids think it is just plain fun!
Our Children’s Client Workshops have included:
Big Brothers & Big Sisters Independence
Girl Scouts of Southeastern PA
Greenfeld School
Mishkan Shalom
Torah Academy
Gladwyne Montessori School
Pa School for the Deaf
Your place, our place, inside or outside.
Call today to make a plan!
215-849-7010
Transforming Spaces with Karen Singer Tiles
The bathroom installation, featuring Karen Singer Geometric Tiles, has completely transformed the space in my home.
These unconventional, dimensional tiles come together to form a contemporary mural art installation, now known as “Emerald City”.
The geometric tile patterns are mesmerizing, and the glaze shimmers in different shades of green like a gemstone.
I love the tile style and the end result.
I love how the border circle tiles above the beadboard tie in the design with the rest of the bathroom.
A true friend, Karen Singer, is grouting the circle tiles. She hates working with black grout!
Transforming Spaces
Geometric Tiles by Karen Singer, Kitchen Design by Hannah Dee. Hannah chose a matte black metallic glaze.
Geometric tile fireplace in matte white by Karen Singer, room design by Hannah Dee.
Is it time for a change?
These Versa-tiles can transform any space.
Karen Singer tiling one home at a time…
Artistic Donor Wall Design at The Hill
The design motif for this donor wall came easily, as the surrounding landscape is a prominent feature of this campus.
The Hill at Whitemarsh is rooted on 96 acres alongside historic Erdenheim Farm.
The farm offers residents a picturesque view of 450 acres of preserved land, featuring hills, ponds, and fields, as well as grazing black Angus cattle and sheep.
The ceramic tile mural is 10′ wide by 4′ high, sculpted in medium relief with a great deal of texture and glazed in a vibrant color palette.
The Dixon Meadow Preserve spans 14 acres, featuring a nearly two-thirds-of-a-mile-long boardwalk. The Preserve is a haven for birders, walkers, and nature enthusiasts who appreciate its diverse flora and fauna.
The donor wall recognizes top levels of giving with sandblasted names in the fenced area.
Five text panels below acknowledge other levels of giving, accompanied by explanatory text about the capital campaign.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we would like to thank our non-profit clients and their donors for enabling us, for nearly 35 years, to create fine art donor walls that say…
Happy Thanksgiving!
Karen & Lisa
Donor Walls – Cancer Centers
October observes Breast Cancer Awareness Month. An international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities to increase awareness and to raise funds for research into cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and a cure for this insidious disease. The goal is to convey a message of hope, not fear, and survival with early detection.
Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide. With early detection and proper medical care, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured.
Our designs for donor walls in cancer centers focus on creating imagery that brings beauty and provides respite and hope to those receiving treatment while recognizing and inspiring donor gifts.
Donor Recognition Walls for Cancer Centers
Doylestown Health Doylestown, PA
The botanical images featured in this donor wall are used medicinally in cancer treatment.
- Mayapple
- Periwinkle
- Bittersweet
- Comfrey
- Bloodroot
A series of room plaques and donor plaques were created and displayed throughout the cancer center.
St. Joseph’s Hospital, West Bend, WI
Designed for St. Joseph’s Oncology Department, this recognition system features a ceramic tile mural featuring the Kettle Moraine landscape flanked by portraits of flowers used medicinally in cancer treatment. Donor Names are screened on the panels.
The DayLily is used by the Chinese in fighting breast cancer, and incidentally, is the official flower of West Bend.
Pottstown-Cancer Center, Pottstown, PA
The donor wall design draws inspiration from a traditional Amish quilt pattern and features images of plants used medicinally to treat cancer.
Marsh Marigold, Mayapple, and Coneflower images in the mural were glazed one color with sanblasted inscriptions of donor names.
This triptych was created for the three largest donors. In these panels, the plants were glazed in a more naturalistic way.
Recognition is a way of showing donors they are valued.
Art and Fundraising: A Unique Combination for Success
American Artist Appreciation Month, which is observed throughout August, was established with the simple aim of celebrating artists and the incredible work they do.
Consider the work of American artists, Jackson Pollock, Georgia O’Keeffe, Norman Rockwell & Andy Warhol; crowds flock to museums to study, analyze, admire, and find inspiration for their own work.
But not all art is in a museum! Our murals are displayed on the walls of hospitals, universities, and social service agencies nationwide as a fine art form of donor recognition.
The Karen Singer Tileworks team is an American art collective making a difference by creating ceramic tile murals that visually represent our nonprofit clients and function as donor recognition.
These donor walls inspire giving while simultaneously recognizing contributions.
We call this method – “A Fine Art Approach to Fundraising.“
Leonardo DaVinci said, “Art is the Queen of all sciences, communicating knowledge to all the generations of the world.”
Fundraising involves both scientific and artistic thinking: The science of fundraising is concerned with strategy, statistics, tracking, and amassing data.
The art of fundraising consists of touching the heart. No one makes a significant donation for the tax deduction. There are reasons why people care about specific organizations, and these all involve heartfelt connections.
Fine art fundraising works.
Inspiration, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “a divine influence, action, or power of moving the intellect or emotions”.
Art inspires!
There is no denying that art communicates, makes us think, touches our souls, and stirs our emotions.
University at Buffalo School of Management, Buffalo, NY
The donor wall for UB features a series of doorways. The motif presents the school as a portal to exciting futures around the world – Wall Street, International business, exotic travel… The design for this donor recognition wall inspired an alumni donor to underwrite the cost of the mural, believing it to be a motivational wall for future MBAs.
Misericordia University Dallas, PA
The iconic arch at the entrance to the campus is considered a threshold to quality education, professional preparation, and service leadership for every student who passes through.
Alder Center for Caring, Aldie, VA
This “birds-eye view” mural, in a residential hospice, provides a vibrant welcome in the foyer in addition to its function as donor recognition. Sense of Place was a primary consideration in its design.
The mural features an undulating river that symbolizes the journey of life. The grassy area represents the horse farms and rolling countryside of Loudoun County. In the background are the Shenandoah Mountains and the skyline of Washington, D.C.
Langlade Hospital, Antigo, WI
This unique donor recognition system features ceramic columns depicting the riverfront park area adjacent to the hospital, in Both Spring and Fall. The focal point is the meandering Le Royer Memorial Walkway, suggesting a symbolic journey.
The bases of the columns feature roots and leaves, implying local roots and groundedness. The capitals depict the rising sun – symbolic of hope.
Best Wishes to all American artists
We appreciate all you contribute.
Capital Campaign Branding
A brand is more than a logo or a catch phrase.
Branding is visually communicating who and what the organization is all about.
A donor wall design that visually communicates your mission and identity, brands your campaign. We believe donor recognition needs to be personal – to reflect the reason why donors give to a specific cause.
Skip creating a special campaign logo, because the design imagery says it all.
That saves dollars and makes sense!
In this example, the design furnishes a “wow” factor to the case statement.
It’s a visual approach – making a case for support and motivation for giving to this campaign.
This donor wall design was inspired by the school’s culture and Xaverian values expressed through symbolism. The school successfully raised $ 10 million and credits our work as a major factor in meeting their goals.
Used on all campaign solicitation materials and on the website’s giving page, the design maximized its usefulness by branding the campaign and inspiring donations.
Plus, the completed donor wall for Our Lady of Good Counsel High School (shown below) will continue to attract positive attention and inspire giving for years to come.
Because it is ceramic tile, it will last. Its colors will not fade.
Ceramic murals have survived for centuries across the globe in both indoor and outdoor conditions.
Continue the Brand
Upon completion of the donor wall, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Olney MD, commissioned us to design and fabricate complementary room naming plaques and donor gifts.
We believe that when you have an image that resonates, keep using it. Reinforce the impact by reiterating the imagery.
Think of the donor wall as a branding system. Use it on room naming plaques, promotion materials such as donor gifts, thank-you notes, annual reports, etc.
In Christianity, cherry trees symbolize the sweetness of character that derives from good works, encouraging the Good Counsel community to fall in love with service of God.
The tree and its blossoms were chosen for the mural not only for symbolic meaning but also in recognition of the cherry tree that stood in the Senior Courtyard on the former campus.
Donor Room Plaques Good Counsel
Donor Gifts
A cherry blossom tile and stand, and a set of watercolor note cards that were presented to donors at the dedication event.
Donor Gift Tile Good Counsel
Donor Gifts Good Counsel Note Cards
Donor gifts that are displayed stimulate conversation, leading to the owner spreading word about the organization and their involvement. For this reason, we consider gifts like this an additional branding, marketing and motivational tool.
Before executing your next Capital Campaign, during the strategic planning phase, incorporate branding imagery with a donor wall design.
Donor Walls Inspired by Architecture
Donor Recognition refers to the custom of honoring generosity by listing the names of benefactors on site in a prominent location.
At Karen Singer Tileworks, we believe that donor recognition must reflect an organization’s character and mission. After all, people give because they care about what you do. They have a personal connection. Our work aspires to celebrate this connection in a work of art incorporating donor names.
As artists, we design our donor walls as art, representative of our clients’ needs, culture, and architecture.
Architects design spatial constructs to meet the needs and culture of their clients.
Art and architecture are intertwined.
Check out a few examples of architecturally inspired door walls.
Ronald McDonald House – Jacksonville, FL
This “house built by love” is in a traditional Southern-style community. We designed this donor recognition system to provide a “child’s eye view” of the modern cityscape, framed within a conventional Southern-style plantation window.
The donor names were laser-engraved onto the slats of wooden shutters. Blanks were easily replaced with names as donors joined the campaign.
Capitol Lakes Terraces – Madison, WI
This donor wall depicts the Capitol Building in Spring, and donor names have been sandblasted in the tile.
St. Coletta of Greater Washington – Washington, DC
The columns flank the donor text panel, honoring those who made the new campus possible.
The inspiration for the recognition system came from the buildings designed by Peter Graves.
The naming plaques were designed to mimic the columns and are displayed throughout the buildings.
Academy Notre Dame de Namur
This donor wall was developed to capture a “mental map” of the campus. The mural, 9′ wide by 5′ high, depicts the Mansion and a partial view of Connelly Hall.
Two ceramic tile pillars mimic the stone pillars that support the school’s entry gates. Top donor names were sandblasted into the “stone” tiles.
The text area below the mural lists the remaining donor names screened on glass and back-painted.
The metal framing mimics wrought iron work in the original school building called “The Mansion.”
Various Awards and Donor Gifts
These gifts and awards focus on architectural facades recognizable by donors and awardees.
Happy Spring!
Ceramic Tile Images – Flora of February
Flowers first appeared over 130 million years ago – creating beauty, color, and glorious scents. It is believed that flowers have been given as gifts since the Roman Empire, and the origins of birth flowers could be said to date back to these times.
Flora was the Roman Goddess of flowers and her name continues to be used as the collective term for plants & flowers.
Our research finds three birth flowers for February – violet, primrose, and iris. Although thanks to Valentine’s Day, the rose is the flower most associated with February.
Violet
A diminutive flower, the violet has a multitude of meanings. Christianity associates the violet with Mary and the quality of modesty. Violets can also denote spiritual wisdom, humility, and faithfulness.
According to floriography (an elaborate language developed to convey feelings & emotions during the Victorian era), violets said “I return your love” & “I’ll always be true.”
The color violet was named for the flower and signifies royalty, power & confidence.
Primrose
The name is derived from the Latin “primus”, meaning first rose. They symbolize courage because they blossom in the cold harsh month of February.
Iris
The iris symbolizes faith, valor, and wisdom.
The Rose
Happy Valentines!
Recent Comments
Ray on The Hidden Power of the Ruby… Laura Punnett on A Sense of Place Monty Bridges on Capital Caring Mural Inst… Leslie@MasteryCoachi… on Small Changes in Perspect… Mordechai Liebling on Our Largest Donor Mural Yet…
Karen~Singer~Talks~Tile 