A Major Boost to the Important Work of Fundraising During COVID-19 By James P. Lyddy
Photo by Intermountain Foundation
As short-term needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic ebb and flow, development professionals must continue to focus on building a robust major gift program by taking notice of donor needs and keeping their fingers on the pulse of strategic innovations in philanthropy. One of those innovations is the addition of a Medical Director for Development. The Medical Director for Development will have the high regard of the institution’s research scientists, physicians, and allied health workers, and have a willingness to re-allocate 0.25 to 0.5 FTE of his or her time to work with the Chief Development Officer. The Medical Director for Development should report to the President and CEO, and would ideally sit on the President’s Cabinet and Board of Trustees. The inclusion of a Medical Director for Development is a boon to both the donor and the institution during the design process of principal and transformational gifts. The rationale for this involvement is to make certain that the correct information is obtained, and that the gift remains within the institution’s protocols. It also gives the prospective donor confidence in the process. In addition to being highly respected, the Medical Director for Development must: have a keen sense of the institution’s mission, needs, and priorities; be comfortable working with prospective donors; have the ability to shape compelling narratives; master the art of the ask and gift negotiation; and be an advocate for both medical colleagues and development professionals.
AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Winter 2021| 6
