Health system foundations often work with their patient accounting departments to screen patient census data for potential donors. Patients that hit certain wealth criteria are then approached to support the foundation. This outreach is done from either the hospital staff (including physicians or nurses) or follow-up initiated by the foundation via mail or assignment to major gift officers.
Most hospitals are community-based and organized as 501(c)3 tax exempt entities. These organizations were developed to provide the communities they serve with benefits that help justify their tax-exempt status. In the last decade, there has been increased pressure from consumer advocates, local regulators, federal regulators and even Congress challenging some hospitals’ tax status. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act established provisions that require tax exempt hospitals to justify their tax status in IRS filings and to provide Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) every three years. The CHNAs are designed to create a plan for hospitals to address community needs with the goal of improving the health outcomes of their patients.
With this in mind, health system foundations should expand upon their Grateful Patient process and incorporate all community stakeholders in donor development beyond only those with high wealth indicators. Within any patient census is a group of consumers that are well established within your community and eager to participate in your community health objectives. In a survey conducted by Brightway Data in 2018, we found that the majority of consumers interviewed felt that donations to hospitals should go to causes that improve healthcare outcomes. Interestingly, 50% of those surveyed had given to a hospital in the past and most felt that the “ask” amount should be less than $500 with 54% indicating less than $100.
So where does that lead us? It leads to more opportunity. Most foundations consider Grateful Patient screening as a fixed process using established practices that identify capacity. Why not add to your existing process and include all consumers that have an interest in your causes? By focusing on goals established through your health system’s CHNA, you can add to your audience and improve the gift process by establishing individual causes for smaller amounts. This benefits all parties by:
- Increasing awareness within your patient base for community health initiatives
- Improving visibility of the health system’s efforts to improve community health and supporting the non-profit status
- Adding an additional donor stream that is for specific causes and amounts
- Including more patients in the health system’s mission through their support of your foundation
- Sharing details of how much work the health system and foundation does for the community through a wider audience
How do you do this? Simply pick a cause from your health system’s CHNA, set goals and involve all interested parties. The more you share your mission, the more everyone understands the important work your foundation and health system does each day for the community that you serve.
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