Buy-a-brick, seat or plaque (capital appeal)

Donors fund a named brick, seat, tile or plaque in a new or renovated facility.

Typically raises

$10,000

$1,000–50,000 per campaignest.

About $182 per organiser hour

Based on one facility project

Is it right for us?

Money: $10,000–50,000
Work: A team for weeks
Helpers: 3–6 people
Lead time: 4+ months
Red tape: None

Uncommon: only seen during building appeals

People: 2-4
Organiser time: 30-80
Lead time: 3-12 months
Up-front cost: $500
Risk: medium (engraving and production costs before all items are sold)
Who can use it: Needs an entity that owns or controls the facility.

Suits: Sports club or team, Church, Community group, marae or service club

Less usual for: Kindy or early learning, Primary or intermediate school, High school, Kapa haka, choir, theatre or band

When: Summer (Dec–Feb), Autumn (Mar–May), Winter (Jun–Aug), Spring (Sep–Nov)

How big a job: A small team for weeks, 3–6 people

How it works

The money, as an example sum

Take about $10,500, pay about $500 of costs, and you keep about $10,000 per campaign: the typical result for one facility project.

From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.

Where the money figure comes from

ESTIMATE: depends on project scale and number of items.

Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.

Step by step

Confirm the project is funded or near-funded (don't sell bricks for a building that may not happen).
Set price levels (brick, seat, wall panel).
Get engraving quotes and the design approved.
Launch with a display of what the finished wall or seat will look like.
Order engraving in batches once paid.
Hold an unveiling and invite every donor.

Getting the word out

Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.

Ask for help: Members to share it with people they know.
Ask people to buy: People to buy a square, a number or a brick.
When to start: Ask for helpers first, as soon as the date is set. Start the public ask about 6–8 weeks out, and book newsletter and paper notices before that: small newsletters close early.

Where to put it

Asking people yourselfMost yeses come from someone asking directly. Give every member a short message they can send to family and workmates.
Email lists and group chatsYour members’ email list and the class, team or church group chats. Short, with one date or one link.
Writing a press releaseA one-page story the paper can use: what’s happening, why, a quote and a photo. Coverage is up to them, not you.
Getting into the newspaperA reporter writes about you when there’s a story: a person, a first, a big number, a good picture.

The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.

What you’ll need

Place: Not neededNone needed
Landowner’s permission: Not needed
Council permit: Not needed
Food rules: Not neededNo food sold
Alcohol: Not neededNo alcohol sold
Gambling rules: Not neededNot gambling

A small name plaque is unlikely to be a material benefit, so a donee can usually receipt it. A business plaque that advertises is sponsorship.

Make more from it

Business matches donations for a set window
can double gifts up to the cap
donors give more when each dollar counts twice
Major-donor naming rights for the facility
often $10,000+ (estimate)
the same project offers a top tier

Stack it: on its own, about $10,000. With the add-on above, roughly

$20,000est.

Tips

Good for local grant applications: shows community buy-in.

Watch out for

Promising plaques for a project that later stalls.