Frequently Asked Questions

New to Rivanna

Who is Rivanna?

Rivanna Natural Designs is a women-owned business and certified B Corp based in Richmond, VA.  We've been making awards and plaques since 2001.

What makes your Rivanna's products different from standard corporate trophies?

Our awards and plaques are planet friendly -- they have specific environmental attributes that we (and you) can verify. Unlike most award vendors, we design and manufacture our own products.  This enables us to offer unique trophy styles, fine awards, custom plaques, and great award designs for every budget.

What is the lead time on orders?

Our standard lead time is 3 weeks, or 2 weeks after you approve your award artwork.

What's the fastest and easiest way to order?

We recommend that you browse our product collections and shop in our online store, where we accept major credit cards.  We also accept orders via phone, mail, and email, so contact us in whatever manner is most convenient for you and we'll help you set your order up.

Can we place a rush order?

Yes. If you need your awards in less than 3 weeks, please contact us before placing your order.

What do you charge for setup and engraving?

We do not charge setup or engraving fees. The price you see on our website is the price of the product (less shipping).

Can we get a sample?

We have a limited inventory of samples. Please contact us and we'll do our best to accommodate your sample request.

We received an award that was made by Rivanna.  Can we order a duplicate award or plaque?

Yes, we can make a duplicate award for you, provided we have approval from the original issuer of the award.  Please note that any changes to the original award text must be approved in advance by the original issuer of the award.

What can we expect after our order is placed?

You’ll receive an order confirmation, which we ask you to check carefully to make certain that everything is in order. If you need to make changes, please contact us immediately.  If everything is in order, we can get started!  Learn more about working with us.

Will we get artwork proofs before you ship our order?

Absolutely.  In fact, we will not ship your order until you have approved your artwork proofs.

Since you're a Richmond VA trophy shop, can we stop by your store?

We don't have a retail store, but you are most welcome to tour our woodshop and production facility by appointment. Please contact us and we'll set up a time for your visit.

We're in the area. Can we save on shipping fees by stopping by to pick up our awards?

Returning Customer

Do you have a record of our previous orders?

Yes, we keep detailed records of all orders, going back to 2002.

Can you send us artwork from previous orders?

Yes. We have all artwork back to 2002.

I don't see the award we ordered last time on your website.  Where can I find it?

From time to time, we discontinue awards.  If you don't see your award, please let us know, and we'll tell you whether or not we are still able to provide it for you.

We've got a new award program. Can you make us a custom award?

New to Buying Awards

I'm a new award coordinator. When it comes to buying awards where do I start?

First, determine the basics: 1) How many awards do you need? 2) When and where do you need them? 3) What is your budget? 

Next, think about the nature of your award program event: 1) Whom or what are you honoring? 2)Who are the likely award recipients? 3) What message do you want your awards to communicate? 4) What matters most to you and your team?

Once you've sorted through this, give us a call or chat with us.  We'd be delighted to talk with you about what awards will work best for you.

How do I figure out what to put on the awards?

In our experience, less is more.  A logo or graphic works well on most awards, but isn't a requirement. Text describing the award name or category, the recipient's name, and the date are generally all that you need.  

If you would like to use a special quotation, check out our quotes for awards.

Do I need to create my own artwork?

Absolutely not. Just upload your logo and text at checkout or send us files and we'll create the artwork for you.  You'll need to approve it before we can send your order to production but we'll do the design and layout work for you.

What's the best way to get the award information to you?

A spreadsheet or word table is best.  We cut and paste text to avoid spelling errors, so please keep in mind that garbage in is garbage out.

Would it be more environmentally and socially responsible for us to work with a local vendor?

That depends.  We buy local whenever we can, but we don't buy local without first doing our homework.  The biggest challenge with purchasing awards is that most awards sold in the US -- including crystal awards, rosewood plaques, even high-end trophies -- are not manufactured in the US.  This means that many award vendors limited visibility into their supply chain and no way of measuring environmental or social impacts.  If your local award vendor cannot tell you about the labor or environmental conditions under which a product was made, you'll have a challenging time making a responsible purchasing decision.

Ordering Awards

How do I order awards?

Ordering online is fast and easy.  Simply browse our collections, add awards to your cart, and check out with a credit card. 

For purchase orders or rush orders, please call us M-F at 434.244.3447 or fill out our contact form and we'll respond asap.

Shipping & Receiving

How do you ship?

Can I use my own courier account for shipping?

Yes, you can use your own UPS or FedEx account.

Can I drop ship to different locations?

Yes, many of our customers use our drop ship service.  Please see our fee page for more details.

Can I ship internationally?

Yes. Please see our fee page for more details.

How will our awards be packaged?

We use white corrugated product boxes and kraft corrugated shipping cartons. We continually seek ways to minimize our environmental impact while ensuring that our products arrive safely and on time. Learn more about our green packaging.

Will our awards be labelled?

Yes, if your awards are personalized, they will be labelled with the awardee's name or category name (if that is more appropriate for identification).

Award Artwork

How do we get started with award artwork?

We suggest you review our artwork guidelines for preparing your text and graphics. I f you need further assistance, just let us know!

Do I need to create my own artwork?

Absolutely not. Just upload your logo and text at checkout or send us files and we'll create the artwork for you.  If you have a large award order, we'll ask you to review and approve the master artwork for each type of award first. After you've approved the master artwork, we'll send you individual proofs.You'll need to approve it before we can produce your awards.

Will we get artwork proofs before you ship our order?

Yes.  In fact, we will not ship your order until you have approved your artwork proofs.

Product Questions

Are Rivanna's plaques and trophies made in America?

Yes, we make our products in our woodshop in Richmond, VA.  Our artisan glass is blown at a hot shop about 60 miles from us.  Our recycled glass comes from a non-profit foundry in Portland, OR.

Many trophy shops say they have eco-friendly awards.  How do I know that Rivanna’s awards are truly eco-friendly?

Our wood and recycled awards are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC-C019049). The FSC logo on the back is your assurance that the wood we use in our products comes from well-managed forests.

Additionally, we are a certified B Corporation and a Virginia Benefit Corporation, so we are committed to transparency and accountability with respect to our environmental and social impacts.  Our B Impact Score provides more insight into how our company operates.  If you have specific questions about any of our products, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Do you offer recycled glass awards? 

Yes.

Do you sandblast or laser engrave your glass awards?

We sandblast our glass awards.  Based on our experience, sandblasted awards are more readable and have a nicer feel. We have laser technology and can laser etch on glass, but the laser etching involves heat, which cracks the glass and gives the etching a grainy texture.  We prefer the more precise, professional look of sandblasted glass.

Do you recommend using a color fill on glass?

Color fill improves readability and can provide a nice contrast for text or graphics, but it is definitely not a requirement.  Learn more about color fill.

Why do your scrap wood trophies bear the FSC Mix label and not the FSC Recycled label?

We take our environmental claims seriously.  As a Forest Stewardship Council® Chain of Custody provider, we are authorized to use the FSC Recycled label only on products that meet FSC’s strict requirements for post-consumer content.  Our scrap wood is wood waste from our own manufacturing process, so it is post-industrial (NOT post-consumer) waste and therefore does not meet the specification for the FSC Recycled label.  However, since all the scrap wood in our shop is either FSC 100% or FSC Mix Credit, we are able to use the FSC Mix label (the lower claim) for our scrapwood awards.