UJA-Federation of New York

The UJA-Federation of New York (UJA) is a major grantmaking institution, using their funds to alleviate major societal ills: mental and physical well being; care of the elderly; poverty; and the creation of inclusive Jewish communities. While much of their work occurs in the New York metro area, their reach is worldwide.

For their new donor recognition program, several factors played into the design: different groups of donors to be honored separately; a historical list of donors well over 10,000; centralization of all donor recognition in the conference facility lobby; and the annual updating of donor names. To satisfy these requirements, walls built out on each side of the lobby unify the program elements and give the installation a sense of permanence.

King David Society donors are listed on panels that are easily removed for updates. For the Life Benefactors Wall, acknowledging long term substantial supporters of UJA’s mission, our designers looked to the UJA logo for inspiration; the names are etched on rolled aluminum that echoes the organization’s symbolic flame. To capture the extensive historical list of benefactors, our team worked with a developer on a digital solution that is both easy to search and update and that provides attractive animation when not in use. The screen itself is integrated into the overall architecture of the installation.

Now, when visitors or staff enter the lobby, they are surrounded by evidence of the support UJA receives from the community, in the past, present, and on into the future.