Institutional Commissions
Custom Donor Recognition Gifts for Universities, Schools, and Mission-Driven Institutions
Engraved wooden puzzles and keepsake boxes, commissioned with advancement offices for capital campaigns, major donor recognition, planned giving societies, and board gifts. Designed around your institution's crest, colors, and story.
Projects from $70 per unit
10-unit minimum
5–7 week production
Made in the USA
Reply within 1 business day
Built for advancement teams at institutions that honor their donors
We partner with Development, Advancement, and Alumni Relations offices at universities, colleges, independent and prep schools, seminaries, museums, hospital and health system foundations, and mission-driven nonprofits. Our work is commissioned — not wholesaled — for donors who gave meaningfully and deserve to be recognized the same way.
Commonly commissioned by
Development & Advancement
Alumni Relations
Major Gifts Teams
President's Office
Capital Campaign Committees
Boards of Trustees
Stewardship Teams
Planned Giving Officers
Institutions we serve
- Universities and colleges
- Independent and prep schools
- Theological seminaries
- Museums and cultural institutions
- Hospital and health system foundations
- Mission-driven nonprofits
When to Commission
Occasions
Advancement teams commission our work for the moments that matter to your institution and your donors.
Named Endowment and Chair Gifts
Planned Giving and Legacy Society Welcome Gifts
Board of Trustees Recognition
Honorary Degree and President Emeritus Gifts
Major Reunion Class Gifts
Scholarship-Founder Recognition
Retiring Faculty, Presidents, and Deans
Building and Naming Milestones
What We Build Together
Customization Options
Every commission is designed around your institution's identity. We keep the decision light: your team picks from a focused set of options, and we handle the craft.
The Product
UV-printed directly onto 3mm laser-cut MDF. Rich color, tight piece tolerance, archival quality. The keepsake box protects it. Donors keep it because they can't throw it out.
Custom Included Add-Ons
Your institution's crest, seal, or wordmark engraved on the box lid. A motto, campaign line, or message from the president. We also print premium numbered edition cards — hand-numbered with copy of your choosing.
Your Image
Supply your own campus photography, architectural imagery, or campaign artwork — or we help you find art from our curated public domain library. File prep assistance included.
Logo or Seal on the Box
Engraved on the lid in your institution's mark. Most commissions use a crest, seal, or official logo.
Custom Quote on the Lid
A line from your campaign mission, a quoted passage, your motto, or a message from the president. Short and meaningful — we help you land on the right words.
Donor List Insert
A printed insert inside each box naming all campaign donors, the giving society, or the cohort being honored. Drafted with your advancement team before production.
Numbered Limited Editions
Each unit numbered (e.g., "1 of 150") on the base of the box. Especially effective for founding donors and pacesetters.
How It Works
Our Process
From first conversation to delivered gifts, a typical commission runs 7 to 10 weeks.
01
Discovery
A short call with your advancement team to understand the campaign, the recipients, and the story you want the gift to tell.
02
Artwork & Quote
We develop the engraving design and send a firm quote, typically within 3 business days.
03
Sample Approval
On larger commissions, we produce a single sample for your president's office or advancement team to sign off on before production begins.
04
Production
Craftsmanship begins. Production typically takes 5 to 7 weeks, depending on project size and specification.
05
Final Review
Photos of finished units before shipping, so nothing leaves our workshop without your approval.
06
Delivery
Bulk shipment to your institution, or white-glove shipping directly to each donor's address with tracking.
Start the conversation 8 to 12 weeks before your event. Rush production is not offered on institutional commissions — the artwork, sample approval, and craftsmanship process is what makes these gifts worth giving.
Case Study
Repeat Institutional Client · 2025 + 2026
150 donors. One gift. Zero ended up in a drawer.
How a seminary turned their annual gala into a moment their donors still talk about.
The Challenge
Every year, this seminary hosts a major donor appreciation gala. They needed a recognition gift that would feel genuinely meaningful to major donors — something kept, displayed, and remembered. Not a branded pen. Not a tote bag. Something worth the relationship.
What We Built Together
150 custom wooden jigsaw puzzles, each featuring a photograph meaningful to the seminary's mission and history. Every puzzle arrived in a laser-engraved wooden keepsake box with the seminary's logo on the lid and a personalized message inside. The boxes live on bookshelves, on desks, in offices — the seminary's name in front of their most important donors, every day.
150
Custom Puzzles
$70
Per Unit
$10,500
Order Value
"The product you provide truly is the best out there and your customer service is above and beyond. We really were that pleased with the puzzles that we don't want to take our business elsewhere for our 2026 Gala."
— Brooklyn P., Advancement Operations Coordinator, Institutional Advancement
Transparent, Flat Pricing
Project Pricing
Per-unit pricing is set by puzzle specification. Custom logo engraving, inside-lid quote, individual donor name engraving, and numbered editions are included in the per-unit price — no add-on fees for customization.
| Specification | Piece Count | Price Per Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 23" × 15" | 300 pieces | $70 |
| 23" × 15" | 500 pieces | $85 |
| 31" × 23" (Leadership Tier) | 1,000 pieces | $110 |
Minimum & Scale
Minimum commission is 10 units. Most institutional commissions run 25 to 300 units. Pricing is flat across project sizes — every gift carries the same craftsmanship whether you commission 10 units or 300.
Shipping
Standard shipping to the institution is quoted based on location and unit count. White-glove shipping to individual donor addresses is quoted separately. Leadership-tier commissions ship at slightly higher freight cost due to puzzle size.
Sales Tax
We operate from New Hampshire with no sales tax nexus in other states. Commissions ship without sales tax to institutions across the United States.
Lead Time
Most commissions deliver 5 to 7 weeks after artwork approval. Artwork development and sample approval adds 1 to 2 weeks. Full timeline: 7 to 10 weeks from first conversation. Start 8 to 12 weeks before your event.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything advancement teams ask before commissioning their first project.
Can you engrave our institution's seal or logo?
- Yes. We engrave institutional seals, crests, and logos on each keepsake box lid. We accept PNG, JPG, or JPEG at 300 DPI or higher. If your artwork needs prep work, we help with the files as part of the project.
Can each donor's name or a custom quote be added?
- Yes. A custom quote can be engraved on the inside of the box lid — typically a line from your campaign mission, your motto, or a message from the president. Each box can also be engraved with an individual donor's name when requested.
What is the minimum commission?
- Projects start at 10 units. Most institutional commissions run between 25 and 300 units. Our largest repeat customer commissions 150 units per campaign round.
How much does a donor recognition gift cost?
- Per-unit pricing is flat by puzzle specification: $70 per unit for the 23" × 15" 300-piece puzzle, $85 per unit for the 23" × 15" 500-piece puzzle, and $110 per unit for the 31" × 23" 1,000-piece Leadership tier. Minimum commission is 10 units. Custom logo engraving, inside-lid quote, individual donor name engraving, and numbered editions are all included in the per-unit price. Shipping is quoted separately. We don't charge sales tax.
What are typical lead times?
- Most commissions deliver 5 to 7 weeks after artwork approval. Artwork and sample approval typically adds 1 to 2 weeks. We recommend starting conversations 8 to 12 weeks before your event or campaign milestone. Rush production is not offered on institutional commissions — the artwork, sample approval, and craftsmanship process is what makes these gifts worth giving.
Can we order a sample before committing?
- Yes. On larger commissions we produce a single sample for your president's office or advancement team to approve before production begins. [Confirm: unit threshold (e.g., "over 50 units") and sample cost if any]
Can you ship directly to each donor's address?
- Yes, through our white-glove shipping service — each gift delivered individually to the donor's address with tracking. White-glove shipping is quoted separately based on the donor list. Most institutions still prefer bulk shipment to the advancement office for personal hand-off at events.
Do you charge sales tax on institutional commissions?
- No. We operate from New Hampshire with no sales tax nexus in other states, so our commissions ship without sales tax to institutions across the United States.
Can we include a custom message or campaign story?
- Yes. A custom quote on the inside of the box lid is one of our most-requested customizations. Common uses: a line from the campaign mission, a quoted passage, a message from the president, or the giving society the donor joined.
Can you create numbered limited editions?
- Yes. Each unit can be numbered (e.g., "1 of 50") on the base of the box. Numbered editions are drafted together with your team as part of the commission — often used for leadership circle donors, founding members of a giving society, or pacesetter gifts at a campaign kickoff.
What if we need to add donors after production starts?
- Additions before artwork is finalized are accommodated at no extra cost. Once production begins, late additions are produced as a supplementary run with a separate lead time. [Confirm: per-unit pricing for add-on runs]
Do you work with international institutions?
- We currently serve institutions in the United States and Mexico. International shipping beyond Mexico is not offered at this time.
Who owns the artwork we develop together?
- The digital artwork prepared for your commission is yours. We retain a production copy so reorders or additional runs can be produced without starting from scratch.
How do we start a project?
- Email info@whatawoodwork.com or submit the form on this page. We reply within one business day, schedule a short discovery call, and follow up with a design direction and firm quote within 3 business days.
Start a Project
Tell us about your campaign.
Tell us about your campaign, your recipients, and the timeline. We reply within one business day and schedule a short discovery call from there.
Response Time
Within 1 business day
Quote Turnaround
Firm quote within 3 business days of discovery call
Service Area
United States and Mexico · No sales tax
The Craft
Built to be kept, not shelved.
Every puzzle is UV-printed directly onto 3mm laser-cut wood — rich color, tight piece tolerance, archival quality. The keepsake box protects it. The engraving makes it personal. Donors don't quietly donate these to a thrift store. They assemble them, frame them, or pass them on.
See our workKeep Reading
Related Resources
Guides, case studies, and tools for advancement teams planning their next donor recognition program. More publishing soon.
PDF Guide · Coming Soon
The Advancement Office Gift Playbook
A 10-page guide covering tiered recognition strategies, customization checklists, and a commission brief worksheet.
Case Study · Coming Soon
300 Donors Across Two Capital Campaigns
How one institution used two rounds of custom puzzles to build lasting recognition for their founding major donors.
Collection
Corporate & Brand Gifting
For corporate and brand gifting outside the institutional advancement context, see our Corporate Gifts collection.
