Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

We're not your standard trophy shop. Most award vendors in North America are retailers, who purchase trophies and plaques from award distributors, who purchase products from (mostly foreign) manufacturers. We're unique. We design our own products and build them in America.

Who is Rivanna?

Rivanna Natural Designs is a women-owned business and certified B Corp based in Richmond, VA.  Our team has been making awards and plaques since 2001. Collectively, we have almost 90 years of experience making awards. Ninety. Seriously.

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. Since we design and manufacture our own products, we can 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 for setup or engraving. 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? Yes, of course! We'll let you know when they are ready and you can pick them up between 8 and 5 Monday-Friday or by appointment after hours or on weekends.

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?

Yes, we make custom awards. Let's talk :)

Check out our video: How to Get Great Awards and Plaques in 4 Easy Steps.

Then, 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, or at any point if you get stuck, 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 upload your 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 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.

We accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Paypal.

If I place my order today, when can I expect my awards?

Our standard lead time is 3 weeks, or 2 weeks after artwork approval.  If you need something sooner, please contact us directly. We make most of our own awards, so lead times on larger orders may be longer. It's best to call us early and get on our production schedule if you need 25 or more awards.

Can I change my order?

Yes, you can modify your order within 48 hours of placing it.  After that time, we'll do our best to accommodate changes, but if you request changes to your order after your artwork has been approved, you may incur change fees. Please see our fee schedule for more details. If you have questions about your order or need changes, please contact us


Whenever possible, ship ground as opposed to air. We ship all standard orders via UPS Ground and larger orders via UPS Ground Freight. We ship international order by air. However we ship, as long as we are shipping on our own UPS account number, your order will be shipped UPS Carbon Neutral.

Please note that UPS does not ship to post boxes, so we require a street address for your order.

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 schedule for more details.

Can I ship internationally?

Yes. Please see our fee schedule 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 labeled?

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


We suggest that you review our artwork guidelines for preparing your text and graphics. If 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.


Absolutely! In fact, you must approve your award artwork before we start production on your awards. We will not start your order until we have received your artwork approval.

Learn more about approving artwork.


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.

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.  Award retailers in the US generally do not make their own products. This means that they rely on distributors and generally have little or no insight into their supply chain. This in turn means that they have 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.

Chat with us now (bottom right) or, by all means, call us. We are real people and almost always answer our phones. If we miss you, we'll call you back.

We Are All In on Climate.

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Best for the World: Workers

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Our 2022 Impact Report is here!

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Rivanna supports Climate Justice with Awards for All.

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Best for the World: Environment

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