From the Nominator

The Lawn Society honors the University of Virginia’s most dedicated benefactors by welcoming those whose lifetime giving or commitments exceed $500,000. For years, new members received a mix of custom gifts that, while thoughtful, lacked a cohesive identity, created budget inconsistencies, and extended production timelines—diminishing the impact of the welcome experience. To address these issues, the donor relations team created a standard welcome gift: a custom engraved wooden block crafted from an ash tree that stood for more than a century on UVA's historic Lawn before falling due to natural causes. Each block is engraved with the Lawn Society emblem and personalized with the donor’s name, class year, or custom message, offering a unique connection to the university. This unified gift brings greater symbolism, consistency, and purpose to the donor experience, as each new member now receives a tangible fragment of UVA’s story—an artifact rooted in tradition, history, and the very landscape of the Academical Village. To produce the blocks, the donor relations team partnered with UVA’s Sawmill program and student staff in the School of Architecture Fabrication Lab, ensuring the process remains embedded within the university community. Every block is milled, crafted, and engraved by hands that understand its significance, resulting in a welcome gift that is both artistically made and authentically tied to UVA.

From the Judges

This entry beautifully connects a piece of university history with the lasting philanthropic impact of its lifetime giving society, enriched by meaningful student involvement to create a truly unique item. It demonstrates strong institutional collaboration and an excellent use of university resources—particularly in involving the program in producing the block itself. Perfectly judged, it recognizes that supporters value a single, meaningful item over many, resulting in a top-notch outcome.