2020 Resolutions
Posted by [email protected] on Dec. 18, 2019 / Subscribe 0
Top 10 Resolutions Every Healthcare
Professional Should Make in 2020
This year, I will: lose weight; hit the gym regularly; call an old friend; reconnect with a family member. All are solid, traditional resolutions. Noble goals set forth as the New Year opens. Do you make professional resolutions, too? Here are some suggestions to consider for your shop in 2020:
1. Reach for High-hanging Fruit. Yes, high-hanging. There is a whole year (or half of your fiscal year begins July 1) to develop and implement strategies to turn some of those prospects into donors – or at least move them closer to making a commitment.
2. Confirm Your Case for Support. Do the funding priorities you have in mind align with organizational goals and objectives? Sometimes leadership team meetings can feel tedious as you listen to discussions not related to fundraising. Or are they? Use these discussions to identify funding needs, as well as programs and service lines whose stories you can promote and share with your donors.
3. Formalize Stewardship. Do you have a formal program? You may already have the mechanisms in place that form a solid stewardship effort without thinking of it as a formal program. We say, “Count the gift once, but thank the donor as many times as possible.” I’ve made pledges, including monthly credit card payments, that have resulted in acknowledgment letters for each payment. I’ve even told the major gifts officers responsible for those monthly “thank yous” that it wasn’t necessary. But they keep coming, often with handwritten notes, and are definitely appreciated. It is effective stewardship.
4. Involve the C-suite and key physicians. These volunteers can be among your best solicitation partners. Many CDOs also involve these individuals in stewardship – ask them to call a few donors to thank them for their support and tell them how their gifts are being used. In addition to major donors, I’d suggest also including some lower-tier annual donors whose gifts may be proportionately more sacrificial than a five- or six-figure one for a major donor.
5. Institute a Grateful Patient Program. What’s more frustrating than hearing a grateful patient ask how they can say “thank you” for their care and a well-intentioned staff member replying, “candy or cookies are always appreciated”? Educating front-line staff and engaging physicians are key components of successful grateful patient programs.
Bill Littlejohn, Senior Vice President and CEO, Sharp HealthCare Foundation in San Diego, is a guru in the field. He has presented at four NEAHP Annual Educational Conferences over the past decade, is a past AHP chair and the 2017 Si Seymour Award recipient. Here are links to a couple of his presentations. The principles and insights are as valid today as when Bill shared them with us. Conference 2013 Presentation: https://neahp.starchapter.com/images/downloads/m_1045_ag_establishinggrateful_wlittlejohn.pptConference 2014 Presentation: https://neahp.starchapter.com/images/downloads/t_903_el_futureofhealthcarephilanthropy.pptx
6. Ask Foundations and Businesses. Concentrating on major donors may leave approaches to businesses and foundations a little short. Use senior leadership meetings to create a list of projects that might appeal to a foundation, business or corporation in your service area. It may also be the opportunity for an additional targeted gift from one of your event sponsors.
7. Recognize businesses. Thinking about establishing a recognition society for your business donors? Such a group can encourage and deepen continuing involvement by providing a tangible benefit. Might these donors also become the “Official __(insert service or product name)__ sponsor/ supplier/partner” of your institution? Look no farther than Lahey Health, the “Official Health Care Partner of the Boston Bruins.” This year may be a good time to consider such a program – on the appropriate scale for your organization.
8. Educate your board. If not a regular part of your foundation or development board meetings, consider adding an educational item to the agenda. It can be a brief presentation by a physician, C-suite colleague, donor or grateful patient. Such presentations provide vital information and tell your board members that they are insiders who deserve a preview of things to come. They are also reinforcement for your board members’ decisions to share their time, talent and treasure.
9. Implement a Planned Giving Program. Formal planned giving programs can be challenging, especially in a small shop – but, maybe it’s time to think about it. Once a program matures, a certain amount of revenue can be factored into budgeting. Are there attorneys and bankers on your boards willing to offer introductory seminars for your constituents and help you with specific prospects? Check out planned giving resources such as PGGNE (Planned Giving Group of New England), or providers, like Pentera and Stelter, which can get you started with customized newsletters.
10. Make Time for Professional Development. Don’t overlook professional growth opportunities for you and your staff. If you don’t have the budget for travel, multiple memberships or conferences, take advantage of webinars like NEAHP’s Webinar Wednesdays and AHP’s webinar series.
We hope you see an opportunity or two in these resolutions. And, we wish you a very happy, healthy and successful 2020.
About John
Retiring in 2018 after 26 years as Vice-President with Ghiorsi & Sorrenti, Inc. (GSI), John worked with healthcare providers, secondary and higher education institutions, religious orders and museums to raise nearly $500 million. His areas of expertise include capital campaigns, annual fund development, special events, government and foundation grants and much more. Prior to joining GSI, John was Vice-President for Institutional Advancement at Mercy College and Chief Development Officer at Carlow University. In retirement, John stays busy keeping in touch with GSI and NEAHP friends, colleagues and former clients with whom he enjoys answering questions and discussing gift strategy or career path options.
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