When you work together for three decades, things change! Heurista has seen substantial change at Phoebe Health over the years, but the basic precepts of the donor recognition strategy have held up to the test of time and are able to integrate new brand elements as they evolve. Phoebe has opted for unique theming for each new project or facility, all guided by the same recognition standards and design guidelines.

As Phoebe has grown, the way decisions are reached has changed. The Phoebe Foundations worked with Heurista to develop documented standards and guidelines supported by policies and procedures that have been reviewed and approved by leadership. These policies set specific routines for reporting, reviews and approval by Phoebe Health System leadership and the governing boards. These policies provide structure and institutional support for foundation staff in the areas of gift acceptance, spending policy, and recognition policy.

The Phoebe Foundations introduced digital donor recognition during the era of the Covid-19 pandemic. This versatile, online tool allows both of the foundations supporting Phoebe Health to present up-to-date information on screens in the facilities, to create custom presentations for use at special events, and to maintain an archive of donor recognition content separate from the primary website. Visit phoebephilanthropy.org to experience this information for yourself!

The Phoebe Foundations rely on a hierarchy of sign sizes with specific content guidelines to direct all area naming signage. The signs’ design and materials are customized to match each project or facility, but the structure of the program remains consistent. The guidelines are applied to all campuses and used for interior and exterior naming opportunities. They even include guidelines for grouping recognition in public areas for those situations where public access is limited.

Phoebe has maintained a primary destination for the recognition of individual and corporate giving, employee giving, volunteer service and special projects’ impact reporting. This gallery has been fully revamped three times to adjust to changes in facility design or brand and to provide more capacity. The displays feature large format print graphics, some permanent listings, and a screen for digital content. The displays are updated annually.

As Phoebe has grown, it has become more focused on education and world-class health services for the 41 counties in its region. Tangible evidence of a new vision for the future can be seen in the Emergency and Critical Care Tower that opened in 2024. The character of the facility is bright and innovative, and therefore the donor recognition was designed to support that change. Major donors to the campaign are recognized on a thre-story spiral sculpture that hangs in the lobby. There are two recognition displays on the lobby walls with similar design characteristics, one presenting donor information and the other housing a screen used by the Phoebe Foundation for philanthropic storytelling. Areas are named in recognition of donors throughout the facility, helping to share the impact of philanthropy on community well-being.

Phoebe now serves as a hub for healthcare education in Georgia. A primary feature of the education intitiaves is the Phoebe Simulation & Innovation Center, where staff, students, and visitors from across the region use state-of-the-art tools to experience patient interaction scenarios in a safe and supervised environment. This center was funded by philanthropy. Donor recognition greets visitors in the entrance and the story of philanthropic investment in the future continues with area namings throughout the facility. Heurista was also contracted to design and implement environmental graphics in the Sim Center to generate enthusiasm and excitement for this new way of learning.

While students train at Phoebe, they need somewhere to live. Phoebe has developed two student residences on campus. Flaggstone, the first of the two residential facilities, was funded by philanthropy. Donor recognition is centralized in the main lobby where it can be experienced by students and visitors to the building.

Willson Hospice House was a major accomplishment for the Phoebe Foundation and the largest fundraising effort in the community up to the time it opened in 2010. The project was supposed by scores of donors. Recognition is provided through large displays inside the facility and named areas inside and outside of the facility. The donor recognition theme is the Atamasco lily, a plant native to the area and found in abundance along the walking trails surrounding the hospice house.