Providing Tools for Architects to Become Hyper-Philanthropic Partners

In over thirty years of practice, THG has identified tools that are important to have when considering the relationship your philanthropic project has to the architectural firm that oversees its design and development. When retaining a firm, it’s critical to use these three tools to ensure alignment between the community, its expectations of the outcome of the project, and the architectural firm:

Culture: Does the architect truly understand and value the community they’re working in. Culture is a pillar of Hyper-Philanthropy, and it is vital that time be taken to ensure the architect for your project appreciates the community’s culture. Some communities have a very high priority on preservation. Others have an environmental focus, while still others are value-oriented. At the end of the day, the architect has to speak and respect the community’s language while contributing their own vision.
Communication: How an architectural firm communicates with the community is crucial. Just as we stress that communication is the last pillar of building a Hyper-Philanthropic response, it is vital that the architects do not disseminate information before a strategic vision has been finalized and that vision has been tested within the community to ensure a cultural fit. The form, pace, and quality of the information an architect releases, particularly to donors, is important. Their information must be consistent with the information being disseminated through the philanthropic process. This might sound easy, but our experience is that information can often be a powerful tool to accelerate philanthropy, but it can also have the opposite effect.
Availability: Having worked with numerous world-renowned architectural firms and outstanding local firms, we have found the availability and approachability of an architect to the donor community is very important. Whether it’s a world-class performing arts hall or a simple community center, people want to interact directly with the architect so that they can feel their vision is being respected.

In conclusion, there are three questions an organization should consider when speaking with architectural firms: Does the firm reflect the values of your community? Will their information always promote the campaign and its vision? Are the architects available to support the philanthropic efforts of the organization?