Becker's Hospital Review

Becker's Hospital Review 5th Annual Meeting - call (800) 417-2035 48 ket. Instead, hospitals must focus on other special events, major gifts, planned giving and capital campaigns on top of the annual campaign — and one staff member should be devoted to each of those areas, if possible. "We'll have hospital foundations, small ones, focusing on special events and the annual cam- paign," Dr. McGinly says. "But they are losing op- portunities for larger donors." Do: Make this a C-suite priority In addition to her role as president and CEO of Methodist's fundraising, Ms. Chamberlain serves as senior vice president of external affairs for the entire Methodist system. She is embedded within the senior executive team, which she says shows her how overarching goals intersect with Method- ist's fundraising goals. "My position as part of the C-suite allows me the opportunity firsthand to understand the priorities of the system and how the foundation can support our ongoing mission," Ms. Chamberlain says. In his experience, Dr. McGinly says one of the biggest mistakes a hospital foundation can make is not involving the CEO, CFO and other C-suite members in the philanthropy process. "If you've got a CEO who is interested in this and willing to devote time to this, it makes a signifi- cant difference," Dr. McGinly says. "Donors want that appreciation from the top dog, so to speak, and that helps tremendously." Don't: Badger patients In January, a column in the Los Angeles Times ex- plained a situation involving Evelyn Stern, a 75-year- old patient who received a solicitation from her hos- pital's division of geriatrics for a donation. She said it was "a little peculiar when you get such a letter from someone you rely on for your well-being." Dr. McGinly says although more than half of all hospital contributions come from "grateful pa- tients and families," hospitals cannot take a crass approach. "High performers are not going to visit you in the hospital to ask for money," Dr. Mc- Ginly says. "They are visiting with you to serve as an ombudsman, to see how you're doing and how they can be helpful." Ms. Chamberlain agrees, saying any sort of fol- low-up with patients must be conducted with tact and genuine concern. "It is important to spend time to get to know the individual's or family's interests, and develop a relationship before ever asking for a gift," she says. For Ms. Johns and Mercy, engaging patients re- quires a thoughtful approach. "In my opinion, en- gaging patients to ensure good relationships starts with three main elements: patient-centered care, communication and getting the basics right," she says. "It's important for nonprofit hospitals to build a culture for high-performance philanthropy." Do: Have an optimistic attitude Fundraising, grant writing and pledging can sometimes seem like tasks stuck in a miles-long traffic jam, inching forwarding only incremen- tally. This is another time when dedicated, knowl- edgeable, team-oriented, donor-centered, creative and communicative staff members are worth their weight in gold. "The key to success in fundraising today is perse- verance and persistence," Ms. Chamberlain says. "While the economy has compelled some donors to ask for greater flexibility in paying major gifts over a longer pledge period, in Dallas we are very fortunate to have a community that celebrates and supports philanthropy and understands how important it is for the health of the entire city." Don't: Take relationships for granted Individuals and big donors who have been most supportive of a hospital's mission need the full at- tention of fundraising and development officers. "Know your industry," Ms. Chamberlain says. "Continue to build new relationships. Never take a relationship for granted." Often, the most responsive donors are in a hospi- tal's backyard. "As the healthcare industry business model shifts, healthcare providers are engaging in more thoughtful and strategic philanthropic giv- ing," says Javon Bea, president and CEO of Mercy. "We are very fortunate to have donors that sup- port the communities we serve, and we do a great job creating new fundraising opportunities so we can continue to meet those needs." n

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