The Foundation for Pierce CollegeAwards Ceremony & Banquet
Scholarships2026 Feedback Report
Post-event survey · Spring 2026

How the evening landed

Nineteen attendees — scholarship recipients, donors, and board members — told us what moved them and what to sharpen for next year.

Responses19all attendees who replied
Would recommend9.1/10NPS 68 · 13 promoters, 6 passive
Overall experience4.3/5
Donor–recipient connection4.4/5value of meeting in person

Likelihood to recommend

0–10 scale
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
2
7
4
8
3
9
10
10
Promoters (9–10) 13
Passives (7–8) 6
Detractors (0–6) 0

Overall rating

1–5 scale
1
1
2
3
11
4
7
5

Every respondent rated the night a 4 or 5. The average held at 4.3 out of 5.

How each part of the evening rated

average, Poor → Excellent
Check-in / arrival3.8
Food & refreshments3.7
Donor–recipient interaction3.6
Award presentation3.6
Communication beforehand3.6
Program book3.4
Timing & pacing3.2
Seating & setup2.7
PoorFairGoodVery goodExcellent

Was the length right?

Too short0About right10Too long8

Found their way on arrival

74%said yes
Yes 14Somewhat 3No 2

Connected with who they hoped to meet

74%connected
Yes, connected 14No 2N/A 3

In their words

17 comments
Getting my name called and receiving the certificate.
RecipientJ.P.
I liked being able to meet the donors of my scholarships.
RecipientM.S.
The pre-reception, because I got to meet my donor and chat.
RecipientK.L.
Pre-reception.
RecipientM.H.
Seeing the beaming expressions of the students and meeting the parents.
DonorD.R.
Seeing my classmates receive awards for their hard work and dedication.
RecipientK.G.
Receiving the award.
RecipientI.D.
Being able to meet my donor and thank them.
RecipientJ.P.
The chance to spend uninterrupted time with one of the recipients.
DonorD.B.
Meeting the donors.
RecipientD.E.
Meeting the donors in person and meeting other award recipients.
RecipientJ.A.
Connecting donors and recipients.
BoardM.H.
Personally chatting with our donors and the awardees is the most rewarding part of my role on the Board. Honestly, I wish we could do it more often.
BoardR.T.
When each of the students were receiving their awards.
RecipientP.A.
Meeting the scholarship recipients and their families.
DonorS.D.
Awards portion.
Board
Meeting the donor.
RecipientJ.J.

What to sharpen for next year

Open-ended feedback, grouped by how often it came up. Counts span all 19 responses.

017× mentioned

More tables & seating

Still the most repeated ask. Recipients and donors wanted more chairs, more tables, and room to sit during the meal.

“More tables and chairs.”
026× mentioned

Help donors & recipients find each other

Several couldn’t locate their donor. The strongest new idea: a looping welcome slideshow with each donor’s name, scholarship, and photo — plus seating by scholarship category.

“A slide deck — “The Foundation welcomes [name], donor for X scholarship” — with a photo, looping continuously.”
036× mentioned

Pacing & length of the program

The clearest pattern in the data: 8 of 19 said the night ran too long. Cap each department’s time so later departments aren’t rushed, and shorten subject-award speeches.

“Limit each department to 5–15 minutes so every department gets equal recognition.”
042× mentioned

Heat, shade & moving indoors

New this round: the outdoor dinner ran hot with too little shade. One recipient asked to move inside entirely.

“Too hot for the dinner outside, not enough shade.”
052× mentioned

Refreshments during the program

It’s a long evening with no water or light snacks. Add simple hospitality — water, cookies — to carry guests through the awards.

“It’s a long time with no water or simple cookies.”
062× mentioned

Sound & microphones

Speakers were hard to hear. Mic coaching and a better sound system were both requested.

“Coach the announcers on how to use the microphones — I couldn’t hear what they were saying.”
073× mentioned

Food line flow & program books

Two food lines to cut wait times, the Foundation’s say on the vendor, and enough program books so every family can follow along.

“Two food lines.”
082× mentioned

Handle donor / recipient no-shows

Notify donors in advance if their recipient won’t attend (and vice versa) so no one is left sitting alone.

“Is there a better way to notify of no-shows?”

“Great effort by the Foundation — 1000% better than last year.”

— Foundation Board member
Keep the pre-reception, the food, and the donor–recipient meeting — they were named “most meaningful” again and again.
Fix first seating capacity and helping donors & recipients find each other — the two loudest, most actionable asks.
Think you can help make it even better next year?Contact us