For nonprofit hospitals and health systems to sustain successful philanthropy programs, they must invest in fundraising staff and build a culture that demonstrates a commitment to the field, according to separate reports from the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy.
Many nonprofit healthcare foundations and fundraising initiatives suffered during the recession and its aftermath, according to a news release. However, the reports indicate donations and fundraising thrived at hospitals that maintained a fundraising expense budget, retained key staff members and focused on major gifts.
The AHP said the highest-performing healthcare organizations usually had seven or more full-time staff members on the fundraising and development side. Those organizations raised almost 30 times more in donations than those with fewer than three FTEs.
"Philanthropic contributions can make an extraordinary difference in the health of our communities," William Littlejohn, chair of AHP's board of directors, said in a news release. "Philanthropy is an investment strategy, and key to that investment is highly skilled fundraising professionals who know how to inspire a culture of philanthropy from the top down in their healthcare organizations."
In 2012, hospitals and health systems raised about $8.9 billion through philanthropy.
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