Dedication Plaque Wording: 80 Examples for Every Gift
Dedication plaque wording names what is being dedicated, who it honors or who made it possible, and the date, traditionally written as "Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX" with the day and year filled in. Below are 80 original examples organized by situation, from building openings and named rooms to benches, trees, donor walls, churches, schools, parks and businesses. Copy any example, or open it in the designer with one click and swap in your details.
Building dedication, groundbreaking and ribbon cutting wording
A building plaque is part tribute and part public record: name the building, say who or what it honors, and give the date. Groundbreaking and opening plaques often add the board, the architect and the builder, which is worth doing because those names are forgotten quickly.
- The [Name] Center for Community Health
Built to Serve Every Neighbor
Regardless of Means
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - [Name] Hall
Board of Trustees
[Trustee Name], Chair
Architect: [Firm Name]
Builder: [Contractor Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Commemoration of the Groundbreaking
The [Name] Building
First Earth Turned by [Official Name]
[Organization Name]
[Month Day], 20XX - The [Name] Public Safety Complex
Ribbon Cut by Mayor [Official Name]
City of [City Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - [Name] Memorial Hospital
Built by the People of [Town Name]
Cornerstone Laid [Month Day], 20XX - The [Name] Building
Erected [Year]
Restored for Its Second Century
Rededicated [Month Day], 20XX - [Name] Hall
Named for Our Founder,
Who Taught the First Class
in a Borrowed Church Basement
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - [Name] Firehouse
Engine Company [Number]
Built by Volunteers, for Volunteers
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX
Named rooms, wings, libraries and labs
Naming plaques identify a space and credit the gift behind it, usually in that order. Lead with the room's full name exactly as it will appear on signs and maps, then the giver and the date.
- The [Name] Family Reading Room
A Gift to the Readers of [Town Name]
Given on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The [Name] Chemistry Laboratory
Equipped Through the Generosity
of [Donor Name]
So That Students May Learn by Discovery
20XX - [Name] Wing for Pediatric Care
Given in Honor of the Nurses
Who Cared for Our Daughter Here
The [Family Name] Family
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The [Name] Boardroom
Named in Recognition of
Twenty Years of Board Leadership
[Organization Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The [Name] Makerspace
For Builders and Inventors of Every Age
Made Possible by [Company Name]
Opened [Month], 20XX - This Room Is Named for [Name]
Who Believed a Library Should Be
the Warmest Place in Town
Given by [Donor Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The [Name] Music Practice Rooms
Given in Loving Memory of a Pianist
Who Practiced Every Day of [His/Her] Life
[Year] to [Year] - [Name] Children's Library
Where Stories Will Be Read Aloud
for Generations to Come
Endowed by the [Family Name] Family
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX
Bench plaque wording, in memory and in honor
A bench plaque is read by whoever sits down, usually a stranger, so one personal line about the person does more than a long tribute. Keep it to three to five short lines; outdoor plates should be solid metal, which we make to order through a custom quote.
- In Memory of [Name]
[Year] to [Year]
She Loved the View from Here - [Name]
Who Fed the Ducks at This Pond
Every Sunday for Forty Years
[Year] to [Year] - In Honor of [Name]
Who Walks This Path Each Morning
A Ninetieth Birthday Gift
from [His/Her] Grandchildren
Given on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Memory of [Name]
Save a Seat for Me
[Year] to [Year]
The [Family Name] Family - In Memory of [Name]
Lifeguard at This Beach
[Year] to [Year]
Still Keeping Watch - [Name] and [Name]
Married [Year]
Who Shared Their Lunch on This Bench
Each Day of Their Retirement
Given by Their Children
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Honor of [Name]
Crossing Guard, [School Name]
[Number] Years of Safe Crossings
From the Families of [Town Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Rest Awhile, Friend
In Memory of [Name]
Who Carried the Mail on This Route
[Year] to [Year]
Tree and memorial garden plaque wording
Tree and garden plaques sit low and close to the ground, so keep them brief and let the planting do the talking. The species or the planting date is a good detail when it means something to the family.
- This Red Oak Was Planted for [Name]
Who Planted Hundreds of [His/Her] Own
[Year] to [Year]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Honor of [Name]
A Sugar Maple for Our Retiring Principal
Planted by the Class of 20XX - [Name] Memorial Rose Garden
Tended by the [Club Name] Garden Club
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Planted on [Name]'s Birthday
[Month Day], 20XX
Shade for the Children
Who Play Here After [Him/Her] - The [Name] Pollinator Garden
Milkweed, Bee Balm and Coneflower
Planted for the Monarchs [He/She] Loved
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Memory of [Name]
Like a Tree Planted
by the Rivers of Water
Psalm 1:3 (KJV) - A Tree for [Name]
Planted in Joyful Welcome
to the World
Given on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The [Name] Garden
A Place of Quiet Reflection
for All Who Work Here
[Company Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX
Donor recognition and capital campaign wording
Donor plaques thank people in public, so accuracy and consistency matter more than eloquence. List every name exactly as the donor asked to be recognized, group names by giving level, and say what the gifts built.
- Lead Gift
The [Name] Family Foundation
Whose Early Pledge Began This Work
[Campaign Name] Campaign, 20XX - This Elevator Was Made Possible by
The [Name] Family
So That All May Reach the Second Floor
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Founders' Circle
$50,000 and Above
[Name] and [Name]
[Donor Name]
Anonymous (2) - With Gratitude to Our Donors
[Campaign Name]
Led by [Name], Campaign Chair
[Number] Families Gave,
and Every Gift Mattered
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - This Gallery Is the Gift of
A Friend Who Asked Not to Be Named
In Honor of [Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Grateful Recognition
[Name]
Whose Matching Gift Doubled
Every Dollar Raised This Year
[Organization Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - [Name]
Member, The Heritage Society
With Gratitude for Remembering
[Organization Name]
in [His/Her] Estate Plans - The [Name] Endowed Fund
for Nursing Education
Established [Year] by [Donor Name]
Training Nurses for [County Name] County - The Gift of [Name]
In Gratitude for the Care
[He/She] Received Within These Walls
Given on this ## day of [Month], 20XX
Church and place of worship dedications
Memorial gifts to a church traditionally open with "To the Glory of God," then name the person remembered or honored, then the giver. Keep scripture to a short phrase and cite the translation.
- To the Glory of God
and in Loving Memory of
[Name]
This Window Is Given
by [His/Her] Children
Easter 20XX - The Organ
In Thanksgiving for the Life of [Name]
Let Every Thing That Hath Breath
Praise the LORD
Psalm 150:6 (KJV)
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - This Pew Is Given in Memory of
[Name]
Who Sat Here Every Sunday
for Sixty-One Years
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The Altar Is Given in Honor of
Rev. [Name]
On the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary
of [His/Her] Ordination
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The Bells of [Church Name]
First Rung [Month Day], 20XX
Given in Memory of [Name]
I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me
Let Us Go Into the House of the LORD
Psalm 122:1 (KJV) - [Name] Fellowship Hall
Where All Are Welcome at the Table
To the Glory of God
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The Torah Ark
Given in Memory of [Name]
May [His/Her] Memory Be a Blessing
The [Family Name] Family, 20XX - This Baptismal Font Is Given
in Thanksgiving for the Baptism of
[Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - All Things Come of Thee
And of Thine Own Have We Given Thee
1 Chronicles 29:14 (KJV)
With Gratitude to the [Name] Family
School and university dedications
School plaques outlast everyone who attended the ceremony, so give enough context that a student twenty years from now will understand whose name is on the wall and why.
- [Name] Field
Named for the Coach Who Began
This Program with Eleven Players
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The [Name] Scholarship
For a Senior Who Plans to Teach
Established by [His/Her] Former Students
[School Name], 20XX - Room [Number]
The [Name] Classroom
Where [He/She] Taught Freshman English
[Year] to 20XX - [Name] Marine Science Lab
Given by [Donor Name], Class of [Year]
Whose Love of the Sea Began
on a Freshman Trip to the Tide Pools
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The [Name] Library
Renamed in Honor of Our Librarian
of [Number] Years
[School Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Gift of the Class of 20XX
In Honor of [Name]
Principal, [Year] to 20XX
Who Stood at the Front Door
to Greet Us Each Morning - The [Name] Auditorium
Home to Forty Years of Spring Musicals
Given by the [School Name] PTA
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - This Scoreboard Is Made Possible by
[Name] Hardware
Proud Sponsor of [School Name] Athletics
20XX
Parks, trails, playgrounds and public works
Municipal plaques usually list the officials in office when the project was finished, plus the funding source and the builders. Confirm titles and spellings with the clerk's office, because a plaque on public property becomes part of the record.
- [Name] Park
Town of [Town Name]
Supervisor [Official Name]
Council: [Council Member Names]
Parks Director [Official Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The [Name] Trail
[Number] Miles, River to Ridge
Named for the Volunteer Who Cleared
Its First Mile by Hand
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - [Name] Playground
Designed with the Help of
the Second Graders of [School Name]
Built by Volunteers in One Weekend
[Month] 20XX - All-Abilities Playground
In Honor of [Name]
So Every Child in [Town Name]
May Play Side by Side
Given by [His/Her] Parents
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - [Name] Memorial Bridge
In Honor of a Highway Crew Member
Who Gave [His/Her] Life
Keeping This Road Safe
[Year] to [Year]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - [Name] Water Treatment Plant
Clean Water for [Number] Homes
Village of [Village Name]
Mayor [Official Name]
Engineer: [Firm Name]
Funded in Part by [Grant Program]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - This Flag Flies in Honor of
[Name]
and Every Veteran of [Town Name]
Given by American Legion Post [Number]
Dedicated on this ## day of November, 20XX - [Name] Overlook
Elevation [Number] Feet
Dedicated 20XX
Business openings and founding anniversaries
Plaques for openings and anniversaries mark a beginning or a milestone and usually credit the founder or the people who got the company there. They hang in lobbies, so a logo and a clear date do much of the work.
- Fifty Years of Service
[Company Name]
Founded [Year] by [Name]
with One Truck and a Telephone
In Gratitude to All Who Called Upon Us
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - This Office Is Named in Honor of
[Name]
Who Hired Our First Employee
at [His/Her] Kitchen Table
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Grand Opening
[Name] Family Pharmacy
With the [Town Name] Chamber of Commerce
[Month Day], 20XX - [Name] Manufacturing Center
Plant Number [Number]
Built by [Number] Local Tradespeople
For the Families Who Will Work Here
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The [Name] Room
Named for Our Longest-Serving Colleague
Receptionist, [Year] to 20XX
The First Voice Every Client Heard - [Name] and Sons
Three Generations on Main Street
On the Same Corner Since [Year] - [Name]'s Kitchen
Every Recipe Served Here
Was Written in Our Grandmother's Hand
Opened [Month], 20XX
Dedications in honor of living people
"In honor of" is for someone living, and it may be the best surprise a person can receive: a place named for them while they can still visit it. Say what they did, because the plaque will explain the name to everyone who asks.
- In Honor of [Name]
Head Nurse, [Year] to 20XX
This Family Lounge Bears Your Name
Because You Always Made Time for Us
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - The [Name] Greenhouse
Named in Honor of Our Retiring
Parks Superintendent
Whose Hands Planted the Shade We Enjoy
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - This Game Table Is Given in Honor of
[Name]
On [His/Her] One Hundredth Birthday
Our Resident Champion of Cribbage
From the Residents of [Facility Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Given in Honor of Our Parents
[Name] and [Name]
On Their Sixtieth Wedding Anniversary
By Their Children and Grandchildren
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Honor of [Name]
Who Recovered Here and Returned
to Serve as a Volunteer on This Floor
The [Family Name] Family
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - With Pride, in Honor of
[Name]
Eagle Scout, Troop [Number]
Who Built This Footbridge
as [His/Her] Eagle Project
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Honor of [Name]
Whose First Gift Inspired All Others
20XX
Tips: in honor vs in memory, donor names, and sizing
Use "in memory of" only when the person has died and "in honor of" when they are living. Mixing them up is the most painful mistake you can engrave, so confirm with the family before you order. When one spouse has passed, a common form is "In Honor of Mary Smith and in Memory of John Smith." Use "given by" or "made possible by" for the donor of a place or object, and "presented to" for a plaque handed to a person. The date line should be the day of the ceremony or opening, not the day the pledge was signed; the traditional form is "Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX", or "Given on this ## day of" for a gift, with the day and year filled in. Historical years, such as a birth year or the year a building was first erected, stay as plain years.
For donor lists, collect each recognition name in writing on the pledge form and engrave it exactly as given. Pick one style for the whole plaque, such as "John and Mary Smith" or "The Smith Family," and apply it consistently unless a donor asks otherwise; always include both spouses when the gift came from both. List "Anonymous" once per anonymous gift, or as "Anonymous (3)," and never guess at a name. Order names by giving level from highest to lowest, alphabetical by last name within each level, and consider named levels instead of dollar amounts, since they age better. If the list will keep growing, a roster or perpetual plaque lets you add plates without replacing the whole piece.
For sizing, a 5x7 or 6x8 holds 4 to 6 short lines, enough for a bench, tree or single gift. An 8x10 or 9x12 holds 6 to 10 lines plus a logo, right for a named room. Use 11x14 or larger for a list of officials or donors. The full date line suits wall plaques, while small bench plates, tree markers and desk pieces often carry only the year. Benches, trees and anything outdoors need a solid metal or cast piece made to order through a custom quote. Churches, schools and nonprofits can order tax-free, text engraving is always free, and a real designer sends a free proof within one business day, with nothing charged until you approve it.
Frequently asked questions
What do you write on a dedication plaque?
Name what is being dedicated, say who it honors or remembers (or who gave it), and add the date of the ceremony. One short personal line and a "given by" line are common extras.
How is the date written on a dedication plaque?
The traditional form is "Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX", with the day and year of the ceremony filled in, so the ## becomes a day such as "14th". For a gift, "Given on this ## day of" reads naturally, and small plaques can use the year alone.
What is the difference between "in honor of" and "in memory of"?
"In honor of" is for a living person and "in memory of" is for someone who has died. When a gift remembers one person and honors another, you can use both on the same plaque.
How should donor names be listed on a plaque?
Engrave each name exactly as the donor requested in writing, group names by giving level from highest to lowest, and alphabetize by last name within each level. Keep one naming style, such as "John and Mary Smith," throughout.
How do you list an anonymous donor?
Write "Anonymous" in the donor's place, or "Anonymous (2)" when several donors at one level asked not to be named. Honor the request completely; do not use initials or hints.
What should a memorial bench plaque say?
Give the person's name, their years, and one line that ties them to the place, such as "She Loved the View from Here." Three to five short lines is plenty, and outdoor plates should be solid metal.
Should a building plaque list officials, the architect and the builder?
For public and institutional buildings, yes. The usual order is the building name and date, then the governing board or elected officials, then the architect and general contractor.
Pieces that suit this wording
9" x 12" Hand Rubbed Cherry Finish Plaque with Gold Florentine Border Black LaserFX Plate $132.00
8" x 10 1/2" American Walnut Plaque with Gold Border Sapphire Marble LaserFX Plate $105.00
9" x 12" American Walnut Roster Plaque w/ 12 Plates $156.00
9" x 12" Hand Rubbed Cherry Finish Plaque with Black Gold Florentine Border LaserFX Plate $132.00
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