COVER STORY : Where Credit’s Due : Some who donate time or money get public recognition.

At Cal State Northridge, where most available dollars go toward continuing earthquake repairs, the Oviatt Library has employed some creative fund-raising to create an endowment for books and supplies.

A giant sculpture in the shape of an oak tree adorns a wall in the library’s entrance. For donations ranging from $100 to $2,500, benefactors can have their names inscribed on the leaves, acorns and on accompanying plaques.

“We felt it would be a good way to raise money,” said Cindy Ventuleth, a vice provost at the campus. “We had seen this sort of thing in other places.”

Offering public recognition in return for a small donation ranks among the most popular fund-raising tools, nonprofit experts say. In the San Fernando Valley, public and private organizations inscribe benefactors’ names on everything from bookplates to freeway signs.

Their ploy is highly specific, and specifically public. It appeals to both the noble human instinct to do good and a slightly vainer desire to be publicly recognized for beneficence. It might also tap into an aspect of mortality.

“It could be tied into facing the inevitability and finality of one’s own death,” said David A. Levy, an associate professor of psychology at Pepperdine University. “A person says, ‘I know I’m going to die, but what can I do to provide myself with the illusion of immortality?’ ”

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that we hunger for the illusion because of our dissatisfaction with any other solution. Generals have fought wars if only to secure their place in history. Magnates have built entire universities.

At the Valley Cultural Center, however, a taste of immortality can be bought for only $100. That is the cost to have a name inscribed on a brick at the foot of the group’s outdoor stage in Warner Center.

“We enjoy the concerts in the park,” said Glenda Patton of Woodland Hills who, with her husband, Pat, paid to have the family name enshrined in masonry. “We think it’s wonderful. Every time we go, we walk by and see our brick.”

Like many organizations, the cultural center set its price low to attract donors who cannot spare a million dollars to christen the chemistry building at their alma mater. Between 300 and 400 inscriptions have sold so far, according to Marilyn Hankins, the group’s executive director.

A number of these were given as gifts, she said. One man received a brick for his 60th birthday. His wife felt left out, so he subsequently purchased one for her. The profits from these kinds of sales have helped to pay for maintenance at the concert facility.

Across the Valley, in Studio City, chamber of commerce officials undertook a similar, if smaller project.

“The palm trees along Ventura Boulevard have to be frequently trimmed,” explained Sondra Frohlich, the executive director.

In the past, the chamber solicited donations from shopkeepers. But those gifts waned in tough economic times. This year, the chamber is offering to put the names of businesses and individuals on plaques hanging from the curbside trees.

“Our president came up with the idea,” Frohlich said. “He figured there would be more interest if people got something out of it.”

This type of fund-raiser can succeed in several ways, said Patty Oertel, executive director of the Center for Nonprofit Management, a consulting group. Not only do name plaques offer something for the donor, but they also serve as a continuing advertisement for the campaign.

“If you’re on the way to a meeting and you happen to glance at the names, it may encourage you to donate,” Oertel said. “It also gives credibility, a way of showing that the organization has community support.”

A few recognizable names can bolster this credibility and the campaign’s success.

“If there are some up-and-comers already on the wall, well, you might not otherwise get to rub elbows with them,” she said. “Now your name gets to rub elbows with some high-profile names.”

Such campaigns must be handled carefully, though. Too many blank spaces can taint an organization with the aura of failure. Groups such as the Valley Cultural Center and the Studio City Chamber of Commerce collected numerous donors before installing a single name.

Precautions notwithstanding, the name game offers endless possibilities.

For $100, the Library Foundation of Los Angeles names the donor on a bookplate inside the cover of a book at the Central Library. At Pierce College, supporters will be honored along a brick walkway at the Performing Arts Building. And the state of California erects personalized freeway signs for anyone willing to spend one day a month cleaning roadside trash or painting over graffiti.

While other public-recognition campaigns seek to attract further donations, Caltrans officials would prefer simple public awareness.

“Maybe the signs aren’t a deterrent to people who litter on the freeway,” said Jose Fonseca, an adopt-a-highway coordinator. “But if 10 people get together to clean up the highway, those 10 people are going to talk to 100 people each. That’s a thousand people. So Mr. Smith is going to say, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t throw that wrapper out the window because my friend’s buddy is out there picking up litter.’ ”

The brothers at Sigma Phi Epsilon were counting on a similar word of mouth when they enrolled in the program last year. The CSUN fraternity is responsible for painting over graffiti along stretches of the Simi Valley and San Diego freeways. “At this university, the Greek system is not known for much,” said Chris Glos, a fraternity member. “This is a way to get out there in the community, to show that we want to participate.”

Individuals seek the same benefit. Levy says that public recognition enhances how others see us, and how we see ourselves.

Bree Chierighino readily agreed. The 31-year-old art student decided to commemorate her approaching graduation from CSUN by purchasing a leaf on the tree in the library.

“I’ve donated for animal causes and you don’t get anything in return . . . not that you expect anything,” Chierighino said. “To have your name engraved on something is kind of neat.”