AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal Spring/Summer 2021

Journal of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy | www.AHP.org | Spring 2021

HEALTHCARE

philanthropy A Surgeon’s Journey to Help Create a Culture of Gratitude

Also in this Issue How gift planning solves 26 donors’ needs earlier in their cycle of generosity 33

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SPRING 2021 | VOL. 49 NO. 3

CONTENTS 5

6 8 9

Letter from the Chair

By Fred Najjar

Letter from the CEO

By Alice Ayres

Letter from the Journal Chair

By Bob Nolan

Gratitude: A Surgeon’s Journey

By Les Matthews, MD, MBA and Leah Murray

How MedStar Health is using the “MedStar Philanthropy Academy” to create a culture of gratitude and build a strong foundation for philanthropy and clinical partnerships.

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In the Midst of the Mother of All Tipping Points, What Tips Philanthropy?

By Lori Cloninger Sweeney, MEd

Reviews the milestones that impact giving that astute gift officers can utilize as philanthropic triggers with their donors.

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Building the Best – Pathways to Fundraising Success

By L. Alayne Metrick, FAHP

Sharing fifteen practices honed over thirty years of experience to help you build your best foundation.

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A Case for Gift Planning Early in Donors’ Cycle of Generosity

By Wm. David Smith, CAP®

A look at the influences evolving gift giving and how to adapt your gift planning strategies and develop a more sophisticated program that accommodates more donors earlier.

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President and Chief Executive Officer: Alice Ayres, MBA 2020 AHP Journal Advisory Council Chair: Robert Nolan, FAHP, CFRE Members: Sophia S. Ahmad; Murray Ancell, MS, CFRE; Jewanna Apawu; Michelle J. Collins; Sarah Fawcett-Lee, CFRE; Jolene Francis, FAHP, CFRE; Matthew Lang, CFRE; Bonnie Jess Lopane, CFRE; Andrea Page, FAHP, CFRE; Harrison Porter, CAP, CFRE; Elizabeth Rottman, CFRE

/ FORWARD THINKING

33

Yes, We Accept Crypto: Embracing Digital Assets & the Future of Finance in Philanthropy

By Matt Miller, CFRE, CSPG

Discusses the rise of digital assets, the technology supporting them, and what you should consider when soliciting and accepting them as gifts.

FORWARD THINKING SPONSOR

42

10 Ways to Multiply Your Campaign Impact

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Fund and Friend Raising After the Pandemic: Is Your Healthcare Organization Poised for Action?

By Rick Bragga, JD, CFRE, FAHP

Why simply achieve your campaign goal when you can structure them to be an immediate and lasting force multiplier for your community and your mission?

By Howard L. Smith, PhD and Sally E. Deck, PhC

A look at how to apply the innovations and maintain the innovative, problem-solving mentalities of the last year as we move into a new phase of fundraising and donor expectations.

AHP Board of Directors: Chair: Fred Najjar Vice Chair: Arthur J. (Art) Ochoa, JD Secretary/Treasurer: Pamela Puleo, FAHP Immediate Past Chair: Randy A. Varju, MBA, FAHP, CFRE Directors: Flynn Andrizzi, PhD Julie E. Cox, FAHP, CFRE Jeanne Jachim Sharon A. Jones, FAHP, CFRE Bridget Murphy, CFRE Jory Pritchard-Kerr, FAHP Published by: Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, 2550 South Clark Street, Suite 810, Arlington, VA 22202 Managing Editor: Jordan English Copy Editor: Olivia Hairfield Business Manager: Devin Barnes The Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) is the healthcare development professionals’ definitive source of thought leadership, connections to facilitate innovation, and tools to advance knowledge and elevate philanthropy. As the world’s largest association for healthcare fundraising professionals, AHP represents 5,500 members who raise more than $11 billion each year for community health services. Our mission is to inspire, educate, and serve those transforming healthcare through philanthropy.

The Healthcare Philanthropy Journal’s Mission: Healthcare Philanthropy will be an authoritative resource for healthcare development professionals by providing a timely, informative, and insightful collection of literature that will raise the standard of individual and organizational performance. Serving as the premier forum for healthcare philanthropy literature, the Healthcare Philanthropy Journal will educate, empower, and inspire development professionals and, thereby, help strengthen the case for philanthropic support and the mission of AHP.

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Letter from the Chair

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hroughout the pandemic, it has been wonderful to witness all of the changes our philanthropy staffs have made to be nimble, but also to see how this hardship has had the positive effect of sparking a return to the strong foundational elements of fundraising, which we are now seeing is reaping dividends. On the one hand, the pandemic is a monumental tipping point, writes Lori Cloniger Sweeney, but on the other write Les Matthews and Leah Murray, a patient’s gratitude, and a physician’s acceptance of it are the best possible motivators for philanthropic giving. While we need to continue to lay the ground work early for planned giving, writes Wm. David Smith, we also need to consider accepting new currency and think about the future of gift giving instruments, explains Matt Miller. I hope you will enjoy reading these and all seven of the articles within.

I also want to take this opportunity to showcase the many ways that professionals in healthcare philanthropy can strengthen those foundational skills through our association. In the past 12 months, there have been over 40 webinars, 3 virtual mini-courses, virtual conferences, and resources posted at AHP.org on COVID, fundraising in crisis, and diversity, equity, and inclusion to name a few.

For many of us, July 1 is the beginning of a new year of membership with AHP, and we hope you will continue to be a part of this vibrant community. In the coming 12 months, consider taking advantage of a virtual Madison Institute track, virtual content from this year’s International Conference, in-person attendance at Leading Forward – the Executive Summit, webinars, the Primer or Advanced course, the mentorship program, and more. There is so much to learn, and so many new ways to incorporate the building blocks of great fundraising into our continued creative solutions for the world we are in today.

As always, thank you for your membership and for your support of the work of this incredible profession.

Best, Fred Fred Najjar Chair of the Board of Directors at AHP, Executive Vice President & Chief Philanthropy Officer at CommonSpirit Health

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Letter from the CEO

I

have been saddened and angered by the experiences shared by fundraisers of color, including those in the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s profile of Tycely Williams. The descriptions range from being second-guessed, discounted, discriminated against, excluded, and even worse. As leaders in healthcare philanthropy, we have the opportunity and obligation to ensure that all people from all backgrounds know that they belong in our organizations and on our teams.

At our annual conference in 2020, I shared that AHP was assembling a taskforce to identify ways that our association could become truly inclusive and provide ways to support members as you work to increase recruitment and retention of candidates from diverse backgrounds. I am excited to share the progress AHP’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) taskforce is making.

Process and Programs This subcommittee, led by Jory Pritchard-Kerr, FAHP, Executive Director at Collingwood General & Marine Hospital Foundation, has reviewed and updated the board nomination process, changing the requirements to broaden and diversify the experiences and backgrounds that board members bring to the association. Additionally, the committee has updated the language of the nomination submission to make it more inclusive and accessible. In May, these changes were ratified by AHP’s Governance Committee and Board of Directors. They are also looking at the nomination forms and criteria for AHP’s Si Seymour Award and will make suggestions to the Si Seymour committee to ensure a broader candidate pool for AHP’s highest award.

Educational Content This subcommittee, led by Sharon Jones, FAHP, CFRE, Director and Vice President of Development at Be Your Haven, has identified two bodies of work. The first, reviewing and updating AHP’s educational resources to ensure inclusivity in all content developed by AHP, and secondly, gathering, curating, and disseminating best practices for recruiting and maintaining a more diverse philanthropy workforce. Later this month, the Madison Institute faculty will engage in development training, led by Nancy Bussani, Vice President Strategy and Governance at CommonSpirit Health, on how to create more inclusive curriculum and content (as well as best practices in online teaching).

They have also identified resources and organizations for AHP to partner with to fast-track content development around recruitment and retention. We will publish those resources on the DEIB page on AHP.org—please check back regularly for new materials.

Partnerships and Outreach This subcommittee, led by Art Ochoa, JD, Director and Senior Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer at Cedars-Sinai, has identified 11 organizations with which AHP should develop relationships and explore partnerships. The committee has already begun the work of reaching out to begin those conversations. We need your help—if there are organizations you know about or are a

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part of that you think AHP should partner with on this work, please let us know. You can send me a note at alice@ahp.org.

We are making tangible progress, and there is still so much more to do. We are in the early stages of what will be a multi-year journey with the goal of ensuring we have a diverse profession, an inclusive association, and an environment where we can all belong. Thank you for all that you will do to help walk this path together.

Alice Ayres, MBA President & Chief Executive Officer of AHP

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Letter from the Journal Chair

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he work behind the scenes to put together each issue of Healthcare Philanthropy is truly a team effort – beginning with the work of the Journal Advisory Council brainstorming topics and reaching out to potential authors, through the call for submissions, and on to the work of reviewing and evaluating the submissions considered for publication. The AHP staff takes over to move through the process of editing, laying out, producing, and distributing. Let’s not forget the work that our members and contributors put in to develop the articles that are presented here for you, the membership. There is a lot of work that goes into each issue.

The focus of the work of the Journal Advisory Council over the last several years has been to promote Healthcare Philanthropy as a valuable tool to expand the knowledge our field and to curate content that is meaningful for the practice of our profession. We’ve had success in generating more content and will continue to work to make our journal the definitive resource for information on the art and science that is healthcare philanthropy.

It’s helpful to us to hear from the membership about what’s important to you. What are the challenges you’re facing in day-to-day practice? What opportunities could you take advantage of if you had more information on tested and successful approaches? Have you had success with a particular aspect in building support for your mission that can translate to others facing the same challenges? All of these are opportunities to share your expertise across the profession.

The time to begin thinking about submitting an article for publication in Healthcare Philanthropy is NOW. The development of an article from the seed of an idea to publication usually takes time, and we can help you with that process. Reviewing the gallery of past issues will help you to find an idea to explore in more detail, or with a different approach. Maybe you can find a gap in our knowledge that your article can fill.

Each AHP member has valuable information and experience to share. We hope that you will consider sharing your expertise with the membership. Members of the Journal Advisory Council are always available to assist in answering questions to help you develop an idea, and then an article for Healthcare Philanthropy.

Bob Nolan, FAHP, CFRE Journal Advisory Council Chair

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Gratitude: A Surgeon’s Journey

By Leslie S. Matthews, MD, MBA, Emeritus Chief of Orthopedic Surgery, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital; Medical Director of Philanthropy, MedStar Health and Leah Murray, Director of Philanthropy Education, MedStar Health

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here are few experiences in life that are as rewarding or fulfilling as a career in healthcare. I practiced orthopedic surgery and sports medicine for over 35 years and now find myself in a unique role as a health system’s Medical Director of Philanthropy. During my time as a surgeon, I had the privilege to care for countless patients and perform over 30,000 surgical procedures. In addition to my surgical career, I was an administrator, a Department Chair, and a researcher. I also served as President of the Arthroscopy Association of North America.

As age and arthritis made the conclusion of my career inevitable, I found myself seeking another opportunity and challenge. I still had the desire to interact with patients, help others, and experience the same reward that I had as a surgeon. Retirement was not of great interest to me. Of the many potential paths I thought

I might follow, I will admit that healthcare philanthropy was not the option that came to mind first.

Similar to many of my clinical colleagues, I was hesitant and uncomfortable with the idea of “asking any of my patients for money.” However, once I discovered the impact of gratitude on a patient’s life, an approach to a philanthropy model where gratitude is facilitated, and the foundational role it can play within a healthcare system, my perspective changed.

Why Gratitude?

The long-standing playbook for philanthropy in healthcare is unfortunately transactional.

Philanthropy officers strive to identify and “tag” patients of means, then too often engage AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 9

their treating physicians in an attempt to pry philanthropic dollars from them. Physicians may be asked, or even expected, to help identify “patients of means,” as well as to broker meetings and even participate in the “ask” for a gift.

For much of my time in clinical practice, this approach to philanthropy was extremely uncomfortable to me and was to most other physicians as well. It can often feel as though it violates the doctor-patient relationship or like a HIPAA violation. To many physicians, it seemed to create two classes of patients—the “haves” and “the have nots.” This concept did not align with the way I practiced because my goal as a physician was to treat all patients equally with the same level of care, attention, and excellence.

My perceptions about healthcare philanthropy and operating in a way that is wealth-centric was definitely not comfortable nor acceptable to me, and I would guess the same is true for almost all of my colleagues as well.

My Transformation As I engaged with our philanthropy team at MedStar Health, I quickly learned the real definition and meaning of the Greek word

“philanthropy”—the love of humankind.

Unfortunately, such a wonderful word strikes fear in the minds of many of my clinician colleagues.

Now, as a professional on the philanthropy team, I realize that it is the execution of philanthropy programs that varies across healthcare organizations. If not executed well, with a focus on being invitational, a fear of philanthropy will exist with most physicians.

Fortunately, and thankfully, there is another way.

I believe through my own experience that an innovative approach is truly a better way to build a successful philanthropy program. For us in the Philanthropy Group at MedStar Health, it is our Innovative Philanthropy program, powered by gratitude, which we are bringing to life in significant ways across our health system.

Gratitude is a powerful human emotion that is engendered by unexpected and unearned acts of kindness and compassion. Gratitude is deepseated and has longevity. Gratitude is much more than a “feeling.” We can feel hungry, eat, and the feeling goes away. We can feel tired, rest, and the feeling goes away. On the other hand, when we feel grateful, it is a deeply-rooted emotion that yearns for a meaningful response

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and remains long after the act that prompted our feelings of gratitude.

The power of gratitude is indisputable. My own inquiry, both inside and outside of our health system, confirms this to be true. When gratitude becomes a focal point of a culture within an entity, only good things follow. Research has clearly shown that not only does philanthropic engagement benefit, but so do patients and providers as well. When gratitude is expressed, appropriately acknowledged, and received, data shows patient satisfaction increases and provider well-being is enhanced, all while caregiver burnout is reduced.

The ultimate goal of this gratitude model is to operationalize our work in a way that honors the true Greek definition of philanthropy. We’re asking physicians and their teams to identify expressions of gratitude instead of identifying wealth. When gratitude is identified by the provider and referred to the philanthropy team, then the philanthropy professionals are able to facilitate the expression.

How to measure success?

The utopian goal of successfully creating a culture of gratitude and recognizing all of the benefits associated with this goal must be supported with data. We are attempting to establish baselines in all areas of impact. As we know, some variables are easier to measure and collect than others. For example, patient satisfaction is routinely measured. With a robust gratitude model in place, we expect it to soar.

Employee satisfaction surveys also take place regularly within our environment in Maryland and the national capital area. We also expect gratitude to positively impact those results as well.

We know how successful our philanthropic development efforts have been in the past and expect results to continue improving through our Innovative Philanthropy program, powered by gratitude.

A Final Thought To succeed, the creation and maintenance of a gratitude culture within an organization cannot occur without the support and strong endorsement of organizational leadership. In our case, this includes the system CEO and CMO, the board of directors, hospital presidents, and, of course, philanthropy leadership.

It is the support from that level that led to the creation of my full-time position with our team as Medical Director of Philanthropy. Not all organizations may be willing to commit the resources needed to bring a physician into a key philanthropy role. But a physician can relate to physicians and other providers in a way that is unique to philanthropy. By participating in our education, messaging, and culture-building methods, a “bridge” is created between the two that has clearly proven to be invaluable.

It is a role that I have embraced, found very rewarding, and am looking forward to expanding in the coming years!

Emmons, Robert A. (2016). The Little Book of Gratitude, Hachette Book Group NY, NY. Emmons, Robert A. (2013). Gratitude Matters Josey–Bass, San Francisco, CA. Gostick, A. and Elton, C. (2020). Leading with Gratitude, Harper Collins, NY. AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 11

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In the Midst of the Mother of All Tipping Points, What Tips Philanthropy?

By Lori Cloninger Sweeney, MEd Regional Director, Providence Foundations of Oregon

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he term “tipping point,” introduced by Malcolm Gladwell in 2000, has been applied to everything from economic crises to climate change since his bestselling book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference was published. And, of course, COVID-19 is the mother of all tipping points.

With every surge, we wondered anxiously how COVID-19 would affect our world sociologically and economically; with vaccination, will fundraising be forever changed? When it comes to fundraising, I see “tipping points”— even a pandemic-induced tip—as one of the most hopeful aspects of working with major gift donors, a fulcrum that tips donors to give when life-changing circumstances like COVID-19 occur in their lives.

I don’t believe donor tipping points can cure poverty, but I do believe that events in our donors’ lives change the way they think about their own philanthropy. Sometimes it is a series of small changes that become significant enough, but it can also be a transforming experience like this pandemic that changes the way donors view their own philanthropy—and to what organizations they might make donations.

And, for me as a fundraiser, these tipping points have buoyed me through a long career, as the relationship-building and critical conversations I’ve had with donors manifest themselves in gifts when tipping points occur. Moreover, I’ve become schooled in looking for these critical moments in donors’ lives, in anticipating and planning for them, to the benefit of the organizations for which I work.

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You and I see these changes in our donors’ lives daily. What are they?

Well, life and death, right? Losing a spouse or a child can completely change the way a donor thinks about legacy, the disease that led to the loved one’s death, heck, even the tax consequences of widowhood. Certainly, these are tender times, ones where, as fundraisers, we have to step thoughtfully and empathetically. However, realizing that, at these times, philanthropy could be healing is authentic fundraising. Gift officers can come alongside donors and families, initiate a crucial conversation, and show how a loved one might be remembered. The tipping point of loss marks a time of remembrance and healing—and impactful philanthropy for the organizations we serve.

I got a call in November one year from a mother whose son had died by suicide in September, wanting to learn more about the mental health research my organization did. The first thing I asked her was if she was ready to talk about this topic now. I told her honestly that I wanted to honor and not exacerbate her grief. She and her husband were strong in their belief that donating from their family foundation would make a difference for others, lessening the sting of their own son’s death. During the visit with researchers, the gift conversation, and even the stewardship process, I checked in with them frequently about their grief. I remember meeting them at their car when we unveiled the named fund they created, to tell them that if they felt uncomfortable at any time, to let me know, and we would step back. The father took pictures every step of the tour, chronicling their journey of remembrance and toting home the poster touting the fund with the son’s picture. I learned how healing philanthropy could be in a time of grief.

Spouses often want to honor their lost partner.

As fundraisers, we can help facilitate a legacy endowment or an annual ritual and see the

benefits for both our organizations and our donors. Augmenting a patient care program or changing the trajectory of a disease helps a donor realize they are changing experiences for others, an empowering notion. I regularly send flowers on a spouse’s birthday or date of death, with an empathetic note that I remember too. These cultivation touches often lead to discussions about how best to honor the lost spouse and are an opportune time to talk about estate giving. I visited a gentleman who had memorial gifts for his beloved wife directed to our senior care program, and when I visited him the first time, he told me the story of their life together, including her death, where our care was exceptional. He was a thoughtful and religious man, and when the long conversation led to estate giving, I asked him to consider designating his IRA to our hospital. He made the designation a couple of months later and was so pleased when I arranged for his care team to come to his house to thank and pray with him.

It doesn’t take a crisis like COVID-19 for people to feel grateful for their healthcare. A new diagnosis or health emergency are reasons grateful patients give. Philanthropy gives hope in the face of a daunting diagnosis. When healthcare organizations come alongside exemplary care and a plan, patients remember.

Again, approaching this tipping point in a family’s life often involves the counsel of a physician partner and an authentic approach offering a chance to make a difference. These points in our lives are powerful—we know it from our own experiences, and we can authentically have critical conversations with our donors to help them prioritize their philanthropy.

Births (especially of grandchildren), momentous birthdays, divorce, marriages, and other family events can also tip donors to or from your organization. Thoughtful fundraisers anticipate these events and work to integrate philanthropy into the family event equation. Did you send a note to the new grandparents with a reminder of the value of AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 15

your hospital’s children’s programs? Astute gift officers keep an eye out for these events in their donors’ lives as a springboard for a gift conversation. I worked with a donor couple who gave to their family endowment annually on their wedding anniversary, honoring the work they did together as a couple but spurred by the wife’s chronic illness. Once I noticed this pattern, I asked them to make a multiyear pledge and name the endowment in their estate.

But what about economic tipping points?

Of course, we all know economic times do affect giving. But there are a host of smaller, impactful financial events that can occur for donors and change the way they think about their philanthropy.

Retirement is a big tipping point. Most people reassess their estate and financial planning when they retire. Volunteering becomes important.

The success of adult children is measured and calculated into the funds available for giving. Donors have more time for experiential engagement, like lab tours or wellness seminars.

Retirement is a critical moment for determining philanthropic priorities for the rest of our lives.

Remember when a lackluster board member retired, got deeply engaged, and made a principal gift to your organization? Tip it to retirement!

Inheritance, especially from a cherished family member a donor may want to honor, can be a lever for a named gift or the establishment of an endowment. I worked with three daughters whose father had been a grateful patient. I had approached him about an estate gift, but he had never confirmed his intentions. When he died, I sent my sympathies to the family and approached the daughters about a named endowment to honor their father; they all contributed from their inheritances.

Amazingly, turning 70 ½ is becoming a transforming tipping point. I was astonished when our own financial advisor counseled us to have a plan to “change up our philanthropy” when we could donate directly from our retirement assets. This tipping point is so common—and often gets an informational assist from an advisor—that I regularly query donors about their age and their knowledge of qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). A gift officer can have two critical conversations, particularly with single donors: (1) the benefits of a QCD gift and (2) designating their retirement assets for a charity. The “season of the 70s” is a pivotal time for donors to think through their philanthropic priorities; gift officers should be attuned to birthdates!

Among all the other financial transactions important in our donors’ lives, a liquidity event like selling a business can transform how a donor views philanthropy. Some donors open a donor-advised fund (DAF) at this time and have another asset to access for giving. Others think through their highest philanthropic priorities and establish funds directly at organizations. I worked with a retired physician who finally won a patent settlement, and he thoughtfully established endowments at organizations who had cultivated him during his long litigation. Their philanthropy was a chance for him and his wife to celebrate perseverance and values.

Because almost any donor can be a major donor through a bequest, I remember tipping points AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 16

cultivating almost any prospect. Revising estate plans (which researchers tell us occur at ages 38, 68, and 80) means that I look for those agerelated tipping points when working with donors (and what are they doing at these ages? Having children, retiring and losing a spouse, right?). You can plant a seed during a gift conversation that flowers later into a confirmed bequest or estate proceeds.

Gift officers who are cognizant of these life occurrences, who care about life’s tipping points, and come alongside donors, will reap benefits for their organizations and augment their daily work with these hopeful philanthropic triggers. I have found tipping points to help me sustain my enthusiasm for fundraising and initiate authentic conversations around these momentous life experiences.

Instead of scary pandemics fostering uncertainty, tipping points in fundraising can lead to good outcomes we can applaud.

Need a cure for your direct response fundraising?

Here’s the MarkeTeam prescription: • Grateful Patient Programs • Outside List Acquisition • Renewal and Lapsed Recapture • Donor Recognition • Stewardship and Cultivation Efforts • Multi-Channel Integration • Mid-Level Programs • Planned Giving Lead Generation • Emergency Response • Donor-Advised Fund Strategies

That’s a lot, but it’s just a start.

Inquiries@MKTeam.com Healthier results start with

mkteam.com

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Building the Best: Pathways to Fundraising Success

By L. Alayne Metrick, FAHP Special Advisor to the President and CEO, Scarborough Health Network

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or over 30 years, I’ve been inspired by the rewards of seeing philanthropy in action and the momentous changes that generous donors have made possible.

After raising over half a billion dollars at two Canadian foundations, St. Michael’s Hospital and Scarborough Health Network, I want to share the strategies that work best for me—strategies you can consider when leading your own organizations and adapting to the realities of today.

As fundraisers, we know that the philanthropic environment is constantly changing. What worked yesterday needs to be modified today— case in point as we work to raise money for essential causes during a global pandemic! Many of us have made radical shifts in our fundraising strategies as we strive to maintain and build new connections in a time of physical distancing.

As we navigate the “new normal,” I’ve been amazed by the generosity of donors who have stepped up to support their favorite charities in the hope they can ease the burden on front-line workers. Many of us have been able to tap into individuals and corporations who are new to giving and want to do what they can to help. For the most part, donors have embraced the new environment of virtual events and Zoom calls.

As we have recently learned, there are many pathways to fundraising success, and this article outlines the pathway that has worked best for me. Building the Best gives you strategies to establish your foundation, bring your best game, build the best board, foster leading donor engagement, and create the best staff experience. My key takeaways are outlined below.

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Build the Foundation

Build your foundation m

Find where you can be the “First, Best, Only”

m Show how your fundraising is changing lives

m Align your audience and team

Build your “best game” m Be the expert at sharing content and finding answers

m Become the chief cheerleader— it’s not about you

m Communicate to build friends and success

Build the best board m Start with the co-chairs m Clearly set expectations m Take the “bored” out of board

Build the best donor engagement m All gifts are great gifts m Build both personal and professional connections

m Uphold confidentiality, ethics, and integrity.

Build the best staff experience m Recruit for the organization’s mission m Give staff the tools to make them shine m Keep the fun in fundraising

Find where you can be “first, best, only” Your organization has attributes, products, or services that set it apart from others in the same sector or industry. Spending time with your executive team, staff, board of directors, physicians, and other key internal stakeholders—although this will most likely be virtual time instead of face-to-face—will help you to identify the unique qualities that define your organization’s “brand” and make it shine.

Your corporate communications team—if you have one—can also help to pinpoint programs and services that highlight areas of innovation or specialization.

Take a deep dive inside your organization.

What actions or practices were among the first to be developed, one of the best in their class, or the only one of its kind? “First, best, only” doesn’t need to be on a big scale.

Maybe you work for a small non-profit that’s the only one in the city to offer a specialized program for unmet needs. Or perhaps you’ve won an award for a unique service that’s the first in the sector.

Tangible examples of excellence, specialty, and innovation inspire donors to give. Once you’ve defined your organization’s “first, best, only,” you can prioritize the two or three projects that will advance the institution to a new level of expertise and leadership, provided the organization has earmarked these for funding. Likewise, eliminate (or “park” for the time being) those projects you know will pose challenges in fundraising. Educate your leadership on why these would be more effectively funded through operations or in other ways. Even if you can’t fundraise right now for the “first, best, only” project of choice, you can give profile and prestige to accomplishments, which will make supporters and participants feel proud.

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Show how your fundraising changes lives When donors have contributed to new equipment or programs, use your internal and external communication channels, social media, and virtual events to showcase the impact of these donations—for example, shorter wait times for patients, improved physical surroundings, faster test results. Describe the problem that existed—and the solution that evolved when donors stepped up to meet the need. Use these examples of success at foundation events, in donor meetings, and in your marketing and communication tools.

Every organization has inspiring examples of care and compassion that you can weave into compelling stories. Sharing these stories with donors, board members, staff, physicians, and others in the organization builds pride and momentum. As the fundraising leader, make sure you take every opportunity to get to know the people in these stories in the safest way possible during the pandemic and build a personal connection with them and their families. If you hear their experiences and challenges firsthand, you’ll be a better storyteller for donors who want to know why they should give to your cause and how their gift will make a difference.

Align your audience and team Take the time to educate the CEO and key internal stakeholder groups about philanthropy, helping them to understand the differences between government funding and individual and corporate donations. Focus on donors’ expectations—they want accountability from the foundation and demonstrated evidence that their money has been used for a timely purchase of equipment, renovations, or other projects.

Donors want to know that their money has been spent wisely and efficiently.

Engage the senior administration team by guiding them in establishing realistic financial

goals with respect to fundraising, and by enlisting their support as donors. Ensure your top priorities for fundraising are aligned with those of your organization and its strategic plan.

Build Your “Best” Game Be the expert at sharing content and finding answers To be successful in your role, it’s essential that you’re prepared and ready at all times with compelling information and memorable stories to describe what your organization does and how it’s making a difference. It’s crucial that you are seen as a “go-to” content expert. This is more important than ever right now. Take time to engage with people on Zoom or other virtual meeting platforms and provide opportunities for interactive conversation. Your presentation time during a virtual meeting or event should be concise, tightly scripted, and on-message so you can inspire and resonate with donors who might be experiencing technology fatigue. Knowing and understanding the CEO and senior team’s priorities and vision for the future is essential so you can share and articulate these in a meaningful way to board members and donors.

Get to know the experts and specialists in your organization so you are equipped to provide answers if you need them. For example, if you are fundraising for a new building, make sure the respective Vice President is available to donors and armed with blueprints and relevant details about the construction.

Become the chief cheerleader— it’s not about you Your #1 job is to make your organization, your board, and your volunteer fundraisers successful.

Acting as Chief Coach and Cheerleader motivates people to go beyond and inspires them to exceed goals. Set the tone across the organization, knowing what is excellent about the work being done, and sharing this

AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 20

knowledge with donors, board members, your staff, and others in the institution.

In this role, your CEO must become a number one priority and should be treated as you would your wealthiest and most demanding donor.

Provide an exemplary level of support at all times so he or she can shine as a leader—for example, prepare briefing notes for board meetings and conversations with donors to offer context.

Outline key deliverables and key messages that will ensure success.

Communicate to build friends and success Communication is key to mobilize internal staff who can help support your fundraising and to encourage other donors to give. Highlight successes, both large and small, to show how fundraising helps the organization maintain its mission and reach strategic goals. Thank internal ambassadors who help, whether they identify a donor, prepare proposals or meet with prospects on tours when this is possible. Make sure you publicly thank people during donor receptions, board meetings, etc., and provide ongoing recognition and appreciation to help others understand how important it is to support fundraising. Everyone wants to be part of a team that’s seen as a winner! You have a captive audience when the events are virtual so make sure that the thank yous are abundant and vocal.

Follow-up later with a telephone call or email.

Fundraising becomes a “team sport” when every member of your team feels valued and appreciated. Each member of the foundation team needs to believe in the cause, provide some level of financial support through a personal donation, and be confident to “pitch” if asked about hospital priorities. Share the credit and compliment others when they do great work. Acknowledge the role everyone plays in acquiring gifts—from the warm welcome at reception to the communications specialist who prepared the notes and PowerPoint presentation for a donor meeting.

With fundraising as a “team sport,” everyone has to be on board to get to the goal. If there are problems, deal with them privately and in confidence. Make sure you have a trusted contact in Human Resources who can provide guidance and help deal with tricky situations when needed.

As the leader, you can provide occasional opportunities to have fun such as icebreaker activities that are developed so everyone can participate, with a chance to smile at the end.

You can assign this important project in advance to one or more of your team members. Using Zoom or other virtual conferencing when needed, take the time to meet with each of your teams, holding staff accountable to bring key issues to the table that need your input. Thank staff often for activities well done, especially given that many of them are also juggling care for older parents and/or young children. Keep your eye on deliverables, spotting slippage quickly, and asking staff without judgement if they need help. Starting a “what’s keeping you up at night conversation?” with your direct reports is a great way to ensure quality face time, even if it’s virtual.

Build the Best Board Start with the Board Chairs Having the best business provides the momentum you need to attract successful people who can leverage their influence and connections to get others on board. Start with an outstanding board chair or two co-chairs who can jointly share responsibility. Make sure these volunteers are leaders who have time to manage the board, financial resources to demonstrate leadership in giving, and expertise in building relationships and networking.

They’ll need a track record of inspiring others— helping them to understand the actions that will be expected of them such as making fundraising calls and championing the organization’s needs and strengths. Having two AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 21

or three exceptional leaders on your board will open doors so you can approach other people who are known for philanthropy and have positions of influence. Look for people who can sell your organization’s cause and introduce you to others who can help.

an unprecedented level of support. Ask them what they need from you to be as successful as possible and make sure you deliver. Ensure you hold people to expectations—if they underdeliver, kindly move them off to make room for other people willing to do so.

A high-performance board requires an exceptional level of support and preparation from the foundation. For example, make sure you and your team research and provide information on prospective board members and donors well in advance of any scheduled meetings.

What projects have excited these potential board members and volunteers in the past?

Do they have a history of supporting a specific cause? When board members make calls on the foundation’s behalf, make sure they are armed with useful information that can support their initial discussions and help them to explore common ground and interests with the people they meet with.

Take the “bored” out of board

Building the best business will increase the likelihood of attracting motivated, talented people to join your foundation board. Look for directors who can contribute both their operational expertise on the board while getting involved in active fundraising.

Ongoing communication and engagement help your donors to understand how their contributions can change lives and save lives.

When times are tough—and the current pandemic is an excellent example—donors need to know that the one charity they cannot drop is your organization. That’s why many fundraising organizations have done an exceptional job of marketing and communicating with their donors so they clearly know how COVID-19 is changing their organization’s current reality and why their support is urgently needed in the future.

Clearly set expectations Orient directors to fundraising expectations and responsibilities before they join the board to eliminate surprises. My team created a Framework for Philanthropy for a hospital fundraising board. This succinct onepage reference guide outlined fundraising expectations for board members—for example, making an annual gift each year, supporting capital campaigns and asking others to give, supporting major fundraising events through sponsorship and ticket sales, and counting our organization among their top three charities.

Once board members understand and sign on to their responsibilities, provide them with

Your board members will appreciate meetings that are informative, interesting, and targeted to making them successful fundraisers. Ignite excitement by giving board members unique education opportunities and a chance to interact with other interesting people (your CEO and senior team, physicians, researchers, etc.) Take the time to build some fun into your meetings, providing opportunities for the kinds of great conversations that spark great ideas.

Build the Best Donor Engagement

All gifts are great gifts If you haven’t already done so, make this a go-to motto for successful fundraising and engagement. You need to believe this and put it into action when people give you a donation, regardless of amount. Each donor who gives— whether it’s $10 or $1 million—needs to believe that you are appreciative and respectful of their gift. Consider that every donation helps to do something that wasn’t possible yesterday.

AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 22

Donor support—whether it’s done collectively with others in supporting a broader cause or fundraising event, or on an individual basis— should be seen as significant and a reason for celebration.

Build professional and personal connections Keep on top of what your donors are doing and accomplishing. Help them understand that you know they are involved with other priorities and that you appreciate their commitment to your organization. Congratulate them if they have received a public award, been recognized for a significant accomplishment, or made a public gift to another organization. Provide your support during family celebrations and more challenging events such as the death of a loved one. Check-in more frequently if you know they are experiencing additional responsibilities associated with COVID 19—if they are a caregiver for an older parent or homeschooling young children. Thoughtful gestures such as handwritten notes, a tribute of flowers, or attending a funeral can make a lasting impression.

Create opportunities where donors can connect in a safe, engaging way with you and other members of your organization so they can feel like part of an extended family. People who come to an appreciation or other event should be introduced to others and made to feel comfortable and welcome. When the time is safe to resume onsite events, assign specific staff to talk to donors, making sure you schedule this ahead of time so staff can do some research on a donor’s specific area of interest. Ensure that physicians, hospital staff, senior leaders, and/or the CEO thank donors for their support and are available to personally chat with them.

Introducing donors to other donors strengthens the family and connectivity.

Successful stewardship takes discipline, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Set aside half a day per week to be in touch with your top donors and volunteers by phone, a virtual discussion, or

by email. Use this time to share items of interest within your organization and exciting news about people who have been directly helped by their generosity.

Uphold confidentiality, ethics, and integrity Donors need to remain confident in you and your team and believe that you will maintain confidentiality and demonstrate the highest ethical standards. A breach of trust—divulging confidential information without permission from the donor for example—can have long-lasting and negative consequences. Hold yourself, your team, and your colleagues to agreed-upon standards, ensuring staff understand and signoff annually on your Code of Ethics.

Build the Best Staff Experience Recruiting and retaining exceptional staff is an ongoing challenge and the human resources environment in fundraising is competitive. You can create a best-in-class experience for staff by helping your staff team to understand and believe that everyone is a fundraiser with a vital role to play in fundraising success. Make sure all staff understand that your shared mission is to provide donors with the opportunity to do great things by involving them in enterprises that make life better for patients and their families.

Recruit for your organization’s mission In this competitive environment, it can be tempting to make a quick hire based on a personal recommendation or an appealing candidate who has suddenly become available.

But taking the thoughtful time you need to make the right hire will reap dividends later on. Hire people with a mission and values perspective who want to achieve the greater good for the cause, work hard, and are loyal. Use the interview process to assess the candidate’s alignment with these key attributes. Ensure that all staff know the values that are important to you when fundraising and that you have AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 23

concrete examples to help them understand how they can be put into action.

To retain talent and maintain a cohesive atmosphere of teamwork, make sure that you hire and reward loyal staff who live the values of integrity, exhibit ethical behavior, aren’t afraid of hard work, and are team players. Ensure that fair and equitable human resource policies are in place to operationalize and measure the performance you want to see.

opportunities for them to try new things, take on new responsibilities, and learn the business by taking courses or becoming a member of a professional fundraising association.

Identify your best people and find mentors for them—senior, more experienced leaders who can provide a critical sounding board and offer advice on internal issues and sensitivities that may not be apparent to a less seasoned fundraiser.

Keep the fun in fundraising

Successful fundraising requires commitment beyond a typical 9-5 day. Often there may be evenings, weekends, and occasional trips away from home. Your staff needs to be committed to the cause to shine when extra time is required.

Give staff the tools and the time to help them shine People will thrive when they clearly understand the expectations of their fundraising role and they have opportunities to learn and to grow. Spend time educating staff about the importance of ensuring that donors and board members are acknowledged and thanked regularly for what they do and bring to the organization. Give them opportunities to show their strengths while they work with donors, board members, staff and physicians, and other key stakeholders. Provide ongoing

With fundraising a team sport, it’s important to motivate the team at regular intervals by having fun. Celebrate victories and accomplishments in all departments and across the lines of business that are contributing to the action.

Thank you celebrations, drop-in visits to express appreciation, and public acknowledgments of help all go a long way to keep the momentum going and move closer to the goal.

Of course, many of these activities cannot take place in our current environment, and the pandemic has added a new challenge in being able to build the best staff experience.

Online calls can be exhausting without the opportunity to brainstorm, build relationships, and enjoy friendships in person. Many staff say they miss the excitement and energy from working together on a common cause, while others appreciate the reduced commuting time. Set time aside to touch base with your key employees each week to see exactly how this new work environment is affecting them individually. This is not the time for a “one size fits all” approach. Your job is to take the time to understand what motivates them, what keeps them up at night, and provide your counsel and guidance if required. Be creative and think in new ways—for example, masked and socially distanced meetings held outdoors could literally provide a breath of fresh air to a problem or issue.

AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 24

Closing Thoughts Like any major foundational work, building the best business, board, engagement, and staff experience takes time and tenacity. Whether you are fundraising for an academic or community hospital, a small non-profit, a health-focused organization, or a niche cause, the principles outlined in this article can be applied in some way to build the best possible foundation. Given equal and balanced attention, they will keep you focused as you build an environment which transforms your cause, inspires your donors, motivates your board and volunteers, and resonates and is appreciated by the senior leadership in your organization.

Our new challenges provide all of us with the chance to try methodologies and ideas which we may not have used before. The use of video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and social media are revolutionizing the way we develop relationships and keep donors close to us. Of course, we all look forward to the day when we can resume real face-to-face communication, but for now, staff of all ages can help to redesign how we do business and engage our donors and prospects in a physically distanced world.

As we all adjust to a different fundraising environment and the “new normal,” I’d love to hear how you’ve applied and adapted these strategies to a “new normal.”

Please feel free to get in touch with me at metricka@rogers.com.

AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 25

A Case for Gift Planning Early in Donors’ Cycle of Generosity

By Wm. David Smith, CAP® CEO & Founder, Heaton Smith Group

H

ealthcare fundraising professionals frequently asked themselves: How can we secure more blended gifts to advance our mission? This question is especially relevant since planned giving in the healthcare subsector is less mature than in higher education. The need for current gifts to healthcare institutions clouds the vision for and execution of an effective planned giving program since deferred gifts may not be realized for eight to ten years hence.

The planned giving landscape has changed significantly since 1969. The fundraising vernacular to describe these programs has evolved from deferred giving, to planned giving, and now the commonly preferred term is gift planning. This change is much more than mere semantics but reflects the growth and sophistication of when and how more mature fundraising programs engage in gift planning discussions with prospects.

As trailing and leading baby boomers reach their late fifties and mid-seventies, respectively, a golden opportunity exists for gift planning.1 The baby boomer generation’s total wealth exceeds $64 trillion.2 Since 40% of boomers are retired,3 the inter-generational transfer of their wealth is currently underway.4 While donors in their fifties and sixties typically have needs and goals that differ from older donors, gift planning offers solutions for all.

Influences in the evolution of gift planning

An evolution in gift planning Bequests in a will or trust were front and center of all planned giving programs for decades and continue to be a priority. However, the Tax Reform Act of 1969 ushered in new definitions, requirements, and tax benefits for what are known as “split interest” gifts. These new gifts included charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, pooled income funds, and remainder interests in personal residences and farms.5

Three important factors influenced this evolution in the gift planning space: (1) the significant increase in wealth in the US over the past two decades, (2) an increased recognition that gift planning vehicles can address donors’ needs caused by greater wealth, and (3) donors’ desire to make a significant impact on organizations most important to them during life rather than only at death. Let’s consider these three factors in more detail.

Increase in wealth. According to the Federal Reserve, the average US household net worth in 2019 was $746,821.05 compared to $189,367.92 in 1989.6 For the top one, five, and ten percent households, net worth increases were equal to or more significant than the general population, as noted in Tables 1-3.

AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 26

TABLE 1: TOP 10% HOUSEHOLD NET WORTH BY YEAR YEARS

TOP 10% NET WORTH

1989

$368,000

2019

$1,219,499

TABLE 2: TOP 5% HOUSEHOLD NET WORTH BY YEAR YEARS

TOP 5% NET WORTH

1989

$693,360

2019

$2,598,400

TABLE 3: TOP 1% HOUSEHOLD NET WORTH BY YEAR YEARS

TOP 1% NET WORTH

1989

$2,321,030

2019

$11,121,000

Simply put, the average household net worth increased 3.70 to 4.80 times over the past twenty-year period. These data points are important when one considers, according to U.S. Trust, that 90% of high net worth households (an annual household income greater than $200,000 and/or net worth greater than $1,000,000, excluding primary residence) reported making charitable donations compared to 56% of the general population.7 This study found that high net worth donors gave $29,269 to charity in 2017 compared to the general population that donated $2,514 to charity the same year. High net worth individuals and couples comprise the majority of healthcare organizations’ major and principal gift donors based on Heaton Smith’s work since 2009. The significant increase in wealth alone creates meaningful gift planning opportunities for the healthcare sub-sector.

Increased interest in gift planning. A material increase in wealth is often accompanied by

more complex donor needs and goals that gift planning may help address. Needs and goals include writing a will, updating an existing estate plan, how and when to make gifts of assets rather than gifts of cash, tax planning, long-term income needs/goals, inter-generational wealth transfer decisions, and strategies for leaving a legacy for a healthcare organization and other not-forprofit institutions. For some higher-capacity donors, their needs and goals involve more than making a major, principal, or campaign gift to a healthcare organization.

Solutions to donor needs and goals do not necessarily have to be complex, but sometimes complex needs and goals require more than simple solutions. The Giving USA Foundation Leaving a Legacy report found that 19% of respondents reported funding a current charitable trust (no testamentary charitable trusts were reported). 8 Charitable trusts can uniquely meet donors’ income, intergenerational wealth transfer, tax reduction, and philanthropic goals. The report also found that donors who funded charitable trusts had a net worth of $10,000,000 or greater, and they funded charitable trusts only after consideration of less complex gift options. This highlights the reality that for many highercapacity donors, a simple bequest does not solve their needs or meet their personal, family, or philanthropic goals.

Maximizing personal philanthropy. Most donors with whom my colleagues and I work want to help their healthcare organization “all they can, when they can.” These high affinity, high-capacity donors want to make a significant impact on healthcare organizations during life as well as at death. However, few donors understand the benefits and effects of gift planning on their estate, their heirs, and their healthcare organization. They are busy “living life” by working, traveling, caring for family members, and volunteering. It is a gift planning officer’s responsibility to spend the requisite amount of AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 27

time with donors to understand their needs and to offer relevant solutions at the time of need rather than waiting until donors are in their 70s or 80s.

How should the three aforementioned factors shape a healthcare organization’s gift planning program? Consider introducing donor-centric gift planning earlier in a donor’s cycle of generosity. Even donors in their 40s or 50s, depending on their fact pattern, may be interested in long-term gift planning. The following illustrates an outcome of this strategy.

A case study: Prisma Health Upstate Prisma Health Upstate, located in Greenville, South Carolina, is part of Prisma Health, includes an academic medical center, and is the largest health system in the state. The Office of Philanthropy leadership made a decision to introduce donor-centric gift planning earlier in their high-affinity, higher-capacity donors’ cycle of generosity. The results are interesting and instructive.

Table 4 lists the ages of donors who were engaged in gift planning conversations and the percentages of each age category. Note that 66% of donors were in their 50s and 60s. These are high-affinity, higher-capacity donors and include those with significant volunteer histories.

TABLE 4: DONORS ENGAGED IN GIFT PLANNING BY AGE AGE

PERCENTAGE OF DONORS

50s

0.33%

60s

0.33%

70s

0.29%

80s

0.05%

Hard data for the average-sized planned gift in the US is difficult to source, but a recent report

on bequests is useful. “Everyday” donors in the study included an average bequest of $78,630 in their estate plans. However, Prisma Health Upstate’s average planned gift is $928,000, which is nearly twelve times the national average. Gifts used to calculate the institution’s average are documented and include gift agreements based on the impact and legacies these donors want to leave. Importantly, these gifts, listed in Table 5, include a mix of vehicles, and all but two gift pathways help the healthcare system now.

TABLE 5: GIFT PATHWAYS Appreciated Stock Bequests Cash Current Charitable Lead Annuity Trusts Current Charitable Remainder Trusts Qualified Charitable Distributions Real Estate

Donors in this cohort funded full and partial scholarships at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, programs and endowments for Prisma Health Upstate Children’s Hospital, programs for the Cancer Institute, neuroscience, and a camp for children with cancer, to name a few. They are current business owners, practicing and retired physicians, a former Fortune 500 CEO, senior health system executives, investment advisors, insurance professionals, and long-term current and retired employees of corporations—not dissimilar to donors in any gift officer’s portfolio.

However, very few of these donors are truly wealthy by US standards yet were able to make meaningful gifts as young as age 51.

What needs and goals did philanthropy solve and meet for donors in this cohort?

AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 28

• Establish an endowment

relationships and to fully understand their needs and goals that may include:

• Estate planning update • Estate tax reduction

• Did their youngest child recently marry?

• Honor spouse through philanthropy

• Was their first grandchild recently born?

• Leave a legacy

• For childless donors, how do they wish to leave a legacy?

• Long-term income • Make the greatest impact on those served by Prisma Health Upstate • Meaningful impact on healthcare organization while retaining control of most assets during life • Reduce size of estate

• Are they approaching retirement?

• Are they expecting or did they recently experience a liquidity event?

• Have they recently received an inheritance?

• Do they have tax liability concerns?

• See fruits of generosity during life

• Would they like their giving to be more strategic and measure their gifts’ impact?

• Meet scholarship recipients during life

• Are they interested in endowment?

• Tax savings–income and capital gains

• Would they like to experience the joy of meeting scholarship recipients?

Relationship-based fundraising A key to introducing gift planning to donors earlier in their cycle of generosity is relationshipbased fundraising. Gift officers re-orient donor discussions from institution-focused to donorfocused while articulating the compelling needs of one’s healthcare organization. The purpose of most donor meetings is to build trusting

• Do they want to share in the responsibility of their healthcare organization meeting the needs of more people in the community?

• Do they want to leave a significant and lasting legacy with a healthcare organization?

• Is your healthcare organization one of their three top charities?

DONOR-CENTRIC GIFT PLANNING EARLIER IN DONORS’ CYCLE OF GENEROSITY

Gift Planning

Principal Gift

Gift Planning

EVENT

Annual Gift

Major Gift

Gift Planning AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 29

While this is not a complete list, it is a good start to better understand the fact pattern of a donor for whom gift planning discussions earlier in their cycle of generosity may be appropriate.

The youngest and oldest Prisma Health Upstate donors in its gift planning cohort, aged 51 and 82, funded current charitable lead annuity trusts. The younger donor had needs that differed greatly from the older donor. Yet, gift planning solved each of their problems with a similar gift vehicle: the younger a grantor charitable lead annuity trust and the older a non-grantor charitable lead annuity trust. If not for the introduction of gift planning earlier in the younger donor’s cycle of generosity, then this gift would likely not have come to fruition until a much later life stage.

Russell N. James III, in a paper entitled American Charitable Bequest Demographics (19922012), found that donors who add a charitable beneficiary to their estate plans late in life “are of a smaller size than the longer-term planned gifts.” 10 Prisma Health Upstate’s Office of Philanthropy leadership could have continued their previous major and principal gifts’ strategy with high-affinity, higher-capacity donors in their 50s and 60s and thus postponed the gift planning discussions until later in life. Many of these donors would likely have named Prisma Health Upstate as a charitable beneficiary in their estate plans due to their affinity for the health system. Moreover, a small percentage of those estate gifts may have been significant, but many would have been average-sized bequests rather than an average gift of more than $900,000. Such a strategy would have neglected the current needs and goals of younger donors, including their philanthropic goals.

Two-thirds of this donor cohort should have twothree more decades of continued engagement with Prisma Health Upstate but at a much deeper level. Moreover, they get to experience the joy of seeing the fruits of their generosity during their life. Perhaps most importantly, these donors benefited from thoughtful donor-centric

Once donors add a charitable beneficiary to their estate plans, then donors’ current giving increases an average of 77% over the following four-year period compared to the previous four years ($4,355 versus $7,699 per year).11 gift planning earlier in their cycle of generosity that allowed them to give “all they can, when they can.”

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Footnotes 1

(2018). The Transfer of Wealth, Welcome to the Windfall Years, 04-13. The Chronicle of Philanthropy

2 Federal Reserve. (2021). Q4, Distribution of Wealth, Distribution of Household Wealth Since 1989. https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/dataviz/dfa/distribute/table/#quarter:119;series:Net%20worth;demographic:generation;population:all;units:levels.

3 Fry, Richard. (2020). “The pace of Boomer retirement has accelerated in the past year.” https://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2020/11/09/the-pace-of-boomer-retirements-has-accelerated-in-the-past-year/.

4 (2018). Welcome to the Windfall Years, p ???.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

5 Sharpe Group. (2008). Was Planned Giving Invented in 1969?. Sharpe Insights, https://sharpenet.com/give-take/planned-giving-invented-1969/.

6 Federal Reserve. (2020). Survey of Consumer Finances. Assets by All Families. https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scfindex. htm.

7 Bank of America. (2018). The 2018 U.S. Trust Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy. https://www.privatebank.bankofamerica.com/ articles/2018-us-trust-study-of-high-net-worth-philanthropy.html.

8 Giving USA Foundation. (2019). Giving USA Special Report: Leaving a Legacy, p. 19 and 41. Giving USA Foundation.

9 Stiffman, Eden. (2019). Survey of Wills Created by Everyday Donors Shows an Average Bequest of $78,630, The Chronical of Philanthropy. https://www.philanthropy.com/article/survey-of-wills-created-by-everyday-donors-shows-an-average-bequest-of-78630?cid2=gen_login_refresh&cid=gen_sign_in.

10 Russell N. James III, (2013) American Charitable Bequest Demographics (1992-2012), p. 55. http://www.encouragegenerosity.com/ ACBD.pdf 11 Russell N. James III. (2020). The Emerging Potential of Longitudinal Empirical Research in Estate Planning: Examples from Charitable Bequests. https://lawreview.law.ucdavis.edu/issues/53/5/symposium/files/53-5_James.pdf2020, 2422-2423.

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AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 32

/ FORWARD THINKING

Yes, We Accept Crypto: Embracing Digital Assets & the Future of Finance in Philanthropy

By Matt Miller, CFRE, CSPG Director of Development & Strategic Engagement, Loma Linda University Health

A

mongst the many ways COVID-19 has changed human behavior, the way we spend money has been a less frequently highlighted, but subtly consistent reminder of the effects of the virus on our society. Only a year ago, a trip to the grocery store was all it took to be informed of the national coin shortage while news outlets shared stories of world governments using ultraviolet lights and heat to sterilize paper currency before recirculating it.1 The coin shortage itself created challenging scenarios for cash payers in which merchants became unable to make change. The outcome of which required the use of exact change,

credit/debit cards, or smartphone pay options.2 These factors further fueled an independent, ongoing movement toward an increasingly digital economy.

Concurrently, the maturity and adoption of digital assets began to rise in September 2019 and quickly realized over $1 trillion in total market capitalization for the first time in January 2020.3 In December 2019, financial technology (FinTech) company Ripple Labs recognized a number of trends contributing to this rise and rightly predicted that 2020 would be “The Year of the Digital Asset.” 4 In July, Cornerstone AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 33

Advisors shared a study that revealed that 15% of Americans then owned cryptocurrency with half of those holders making first-time purchases in 2020.5 Another study, conducted in February 2021 by consumer research firm Piplsay, revealed adoption of digital assets advanced further with 25% of Americans confirming ownership thereof. Pipslay also learned an additional 27% of the population indicated their intent to purchase digital assets for the first time in 2021, and a combined 57% of respondents want to see merchants and retailers begin accepting payment with digital assets immediately, furthering the realization of a robust digital economy.6 The IRS is paying attention, too. New to every tax schedule form in 2021, tax-payers are now being asked about their digital asset transactions from the previous tax year.

While still a nascent asset class, digital assets have ingrained themselves in the global economy and are here to stay. Once dismissed as the preferred currency for cybercriminals, traffickers, and those wishing to avoid government detection, digital assets have evolved, expanded their capabilities and use cases, appreciated in value, and have now been embraced by institutional investors. The time has come for fundraising shops to educate themselves on digital assets, explore their potential for philanthropic gifts, begin engaging their own constituents who may own these assets, and also engage cryptosavvy owners who are considering philanthropy as an exit strategy to liquify their appreciated holdings.

Blockchain Technology: What is it, how does it work, and what is used for?

2009 saw the launch of blockchain technology with the release of Bitcoin. While the technology is a more recent realization, its roots can be traced back to the late 1980s when David Chaum conceptualized an anonymous, virtual currency

system and payment platform in the early days of the internet. His vision came to fruition in 1989 under the name DigiCash. The platform shut down a decade later, just as e-commerce began to take off. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, several similar iterations launched with varying levels of success through trial and error. The collective lessons learned from those endeavors inspired the creation of the technology we recognize today.7 Blockchain technology is software. It establishes a decentralized ledger, an online method for record-keeping. As Nathaniel Popper of the New York Times explains, “Unlike conventional records kept by one bank or accountant, the blockchain ledger uses a bunch of computers that each add new entries visible to everyone. The blockchain design that Bitcoin inspired has been adapted for other kinds of records. The underlying principle is there is no central authority controlling a single ledger. Everyone who is part of the system controls a decentralized and shared record.” 8 The system works by connecting two or more people through a blockchain’s software to execute a transaction without the need for a centralized authority, such as a bank or banks, to verify the exchange.

Because the information is spread across the shared system, the data within it is verifiable and far less vulnerable to corruption, manipulation, and data loss as a centralized system otherwise would be.9 Use cases for the technology are seemingly endless with an abundance of new applications presenting themselves almost daily. These span industries from finance, capital markets, and global trade, to supply chain management, real estate, and more. Most commonly, these applications are focused on blockchain technology’s ability to create decentralized ledgers with transparency, immutability, and automation. Future elections may even be held on a blockchain with these features in place.10

AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 34

What Are Digital Assets?

Why Crypto? Why Now?

Digital assets are data that are both digitized and come with the right of use. While digital assets can take on a number of forms, there are generally four agreed-upon classes of assets.

2020 sparked an explosive run in the cryptocurrency market that significantly dwarfed the gains seen in late 2017, when a majority of the world was first introduced to Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies at large. As a result, Cornerstone Advisors13 and Piplsay 14 performed studies in spring 2020 and winter 2021, respectively, and made fascinating discoveries about cryptocurrency holders.

Their studies revealed insightful trends on the growing number of Americans whose collective attitudes continue to trend positively toward digital asset purchases.

1) Cryptocurrencies —Tokens living on a decentralized blockchain generally serving as a store of value or medium of exchange. They can provide faster, and in some cases, immediate, payment and settlement compared to traditional banking methods; cross-border payments included.

Transactions are largely anonymous. Some have a fixed supply while others can be “mined” using computers to solve new equations released onto the network through automation. Solving the equations first rewards the “miner” with a preset quantity of tokens.11 Mining requires significant amounts of energy, the consumption of which has fueled a debate around resource utilization, the environmental impact of cryptocurrencies, and in some contexts, even national security.

2) Decentralized Protocols and Platforms— Blockchains with corresponding tokens providing services such as smart contracts, or protocols which automatically execute actions outlined in an agreement or contract. These agreements range from simple transactions to highly complex programs and systems.

3) Asset-backed Tokens—A token backed with tangible, real-world assets, often with a specific or fixed value. Think equities, debt, or hard assets/commodities.

4) Pass-through Securities —Token structures with a limitless level of customization and purpose. A recent example of these is the emergence of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), which can include digitized art, real estate, or sports media and trading cards. Each is unique and cannot be duplicated, unlike cryptocurrencies.12

While Generation Z represented only 7% of buyers in July 2020, they are projected to account for 32% of them in 2021. Millennials are expected to increase their market representation from 27% of buyers in 2020 to 32% of projected stakeholders this year.

Generation X is also projected to see increased market participation from 21% of buyers to 29% of all participants by the end of 2021. Baby Boomer participation is expected to continue to be modest as the asset class continues to evolve. Most significantly, 25% of Americans now own digital assets of some kind, and 50% believe they are a safe investment.15 Institutional investors have also seen their perspectives on digital assets metamorphose over the past several years. While in 2017 institutional investors could not have been less interested publicly, 2020 saw them fully embrace the sector. Cryptocurrency hedge funds began aggressive marketing campaigns in the spring, railing against government stimulus and spending packages while selling their funds as safe havens from inflation and potential debasement of the US dollar. Then came Paypal’s announcement in October that they would begin offering cryptocurrency sales and custody services followed by Tesla’s announcement of a $1.5 billion purchase of Bitcoin to add to its AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 35

corporate treasury.17 Since then, companies such as Walmart, Time magazine, and Square have all added digital assets to their balance sheets with more companies expected to follow suit due to softening volatility in the market juxtaposed to the dramatic increases in asset value.18 Additional institutional support has come in the form of salaries being paid in cryptocurrencies. The City of Miami is currently exploring the proposition of paying its employees in cryptocurrency,19 while several professional and e-sports athletes have begun requesting and receiving their compensation in digital assets, thus enhancing their total income as these markets have continued to rise in value.20 Collectively, this data forecasts significant dollars will continue to be pumped into the digital asset market from both retail and institutional sources as the decade continues. Over $67 billion of assets alone were purchased between January and June 2020; impressive numbers considering the economic downturn that began in the spring. However, this will be nothing compared to the purchasing volume projected to occur in 2021. Principally, this behavior is what drove the total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies to double to $2 trillion in April of this year and potentially reach $3 trillion or more by year end.21 Finally, the arrival of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) signals the next substantial movement away from physical fiat currency.

CBDCs are, in essence, digital banknotes designed to be used in increasingly digital economies. The difference between a CBDC and cryptocurrency is a significant one—the CBDC is backed by its country’s central bank.

For example, a digital dollar backed by the full faith and credit of the United States versus a single Bitcoin backed by retail/institutional speculation.22 Thus far, 36 countries, including the United States and Canada, have publicly disclosed they are working on their own CBDC, with nine additional countries currently piloting or recently completing piloting one.23 China continues to be the most aggressive in its

timeline to launch its CBDC, the digital Yuan, with the ambition to replace the dollar as the world’s reserve currency.24 The confluence of these movements— the sustained drive for a digital economy, strengthening adoption from retail and institutional holders, stabilizing and appreciating asset markets, the imminent arrival of CBDCs— combined with a significant interest from everyday Americans to receive digital assets and conduct business with them should put charities and foundations on notice. It is increasingly likely our donors have or are entering this space, and the time has arrived to begin accepting gifts of digital assets from them.

Do We or Don’t We? What to consider and how to accept gifts of digital assets The first thing charities and foundations must evaluate is mission alignment with the asset class. Do gifts of this kind reflect our institutional values? Are these assets something our health system or foundation wants to be associated with? While attitudes toward cryptocurrencies continue to evolve, there are significant portions of the population who still associate the asset class with criminal activity, particularly human, drug, and weapons trafficking and ransomware attacks. Conversations around the energy consumption required for mining and completing financial transactions, along with the subsequent environmental impact of doing so for some cryptocurrencies have also emerged.

Finally, the identity or identities of the inventor(s) of Bitcoin itself have been cast as potentially controversial if they were ever revealed. When cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase filed its IPO prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission in February, it disclosed “the identification of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous person or persons who developed Bitcoin, or the transfer of Satoshi’s Bitcoins” as a risk to its business model.25 AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 36

Could the decision to accept gifts of this kind alienate existing constituent bases? Additionally, consideration to gift acceptance policies must also be given with their content updated to reflect which digital assets or types of assets your institution will or will not accept, how they will be accepted, and how they will be used.

Understanding how your institution will utilize digital assets will directly influence your options for receiving them. The decision parameters to sell or hold gifted assets should be reflected in your institution’s gift acceptance policy, then agreed upon with the donor before taking any action with a gift. Institutions wanting to start out more simply with digital assets should consider a strict “receive and sell” policy before considering a broader range of options. Those wishing to hold the asset may do so for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, treating the asset as a long-term investment, using it as collateral for institutional financial needs, or even creating research chairs or scholarship endowments by lending the asset and using annual percentage yields to underwrite the purpose of the fund.

Additionally, long-term holders of digital assets with significant tax implications around liquidation are actively pursuing tax-advantaged planned giving vehicles such as charitable remainder trusts or gift annuities to create streams of income. An emerging trend in the digital asset space has been the utilization of private firms whose only service is to draft and administer these giving vehicles for their clientele.26 For institutions with the resources to provide these services, gifts of this kind may be transformational in nature and seen with greater frequency as the asset class continues to mature.

Accepting gifts of digital assets is fundamentally more complicated than receiving a check or wire transfer from a donor. Determining an appropriate custody solution for your institution will require an appropriate level of research juxtaposed to how you intend to utilize gifted

assets, risk tolerance, and cybersecurity considerations. Custody solutions may include retaining a third-party custodian offering industry-grade security features, using a cryptocurrency exchange wallet or online vault service, or “cold” storage options in the form of physical wallets, many resembling USB thumb drives, utilizing an internet connection.27 There are also third-party crypto-exclusive services where donors may give and direct their donation to the charity of their choosing so long as they’re registered on the site. Services such as these keep a percentage of the gift for transaction fees and services.

Traditional banking institutions have also begun offering custody solutions for their clients.

Last summer, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released an interpretive letter authorizing national banks and federal savings associations to custody cryptocurrencies for their clients. This federal opinion complements the position of several states which have already permitted state banks and trust companies to do the same.28 Foundations and institutions exploring digital asset custody options may have services already offered or coming soon from their financial institutions.

How to Engage Donors About Gifting Digital Assets Exploring gifts of digital assets with a constituency begins with having current and updated information on your giving page and in physical materials. Information about the types of assets the institution accepts, its methodology for receiving those assets, and its policies for selling and receipting those assets should be in clear and simple language. It would be prudent to include digital wallet address information to aid donors in knowing where to send their gifts. These may be displayed as a customized QR code for exchange-based wallets or vaults.

Depending on your institution’s or foundation’s comfort, QR code address information can be

AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 37

included on business cards or email signatures to help develop awareness and spark questions and conversation around the asset class and giving. Additionally, suggestions on how to structure gifts to accomplish a variety of donor objectives should be included with a specific focus on tax planning. Contact information for a fundraising or accounting professional from the fundraising team should also be featured for the convenience of the donor.

Discussing gifts of digital assets with donors should be approached in the same manner as giving more traditional assets like securities or real estate. When appropriate, fundraisers would serve their donors well to remember to ask open-ended, fact-finding questions pertaining to the objectives of the donor apart from mission advancement and investment. Are you happy with your assets? How do you feel about your income? How do you like to give? Have you had or will you have any foreseeable taxable events this year? Finally, it is important to recall deferred giving opportunities incorporating digital assets, including exploring beneficiary designation gifts from digital asset accounts.

Embracing the Future of Digital Finance Blockchain technology is quickly ushering in an era of financial access and independence previously thought unreachable. Among its many hallmarks, transaction speed, reliability, privacy and security, and cross-border functionality are going to change the way the world views and uses currency. As additional assets like real estate, securities, art, and more become tokenized, the collective value of the asset class will continue its meteoric rise and

bring unimaginable wealth to those who buy into it. Digital assets have the capacity to change the nature of philanthropic outputs around the world and move the needle of total giving against national GDP unlike any asset, currency, or setting in history.

Embracing philanthropic gifts of digital assets today will allow charities and not-for-profit institutions to engage with new groups of donors and tap into an ever-growing class of digital asset holders. It has the potential to expand the volume of gifts being received and enhance the size of gifts coming into the institution. It will provide holders with highly appreciated assets to create win-win scenarios for themselves and the charitable causes who afford them the opportunity to donate.

In 2020, nearly 75% of Millenials and 66% of Generation Z gave to COVID-19 related causes – an incredible level of engagement.29 These two demographics are also projected to be the largest holders of digital assets by the end of this year, many of whom will have appreciated unprecedented wealth along the way. The statistical likelihood these individuals are currently or will soon be in your donor base is undeniable. It’s time to meet this engaged and affluent group where they are in the digital space. We all will be better for it once we do.

Forward Thinking article sponsored by

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Footnotes 1 Sangster, Kalila. (2020). Banknotes may be spreading coronavirus, World Health Organisation warns. March 3. Accessed February 18, 2021. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/who-world-health-organisation-coronavirus-banknotes-warning-111019361.html.

2 Peter O’Dowd, Samantha Raphelson. (2020). US Coin Shortage Highlights Implications Of Moving Toward A Cashless Society. December 4. Accessed February 19, 2021. https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/12/04/coin-shortage-cashless.

3 Shevlin, Ron. (2020). The Coronavirus Cryptocurrency Craze: Who’s Behind The Bitcoin Buying Binge? July 27. Accessed December 29, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ronshevlin/2020/07/27/the-coronavirus-cryptocurrency-craze-whos-behind-the-bitcoin-buying-binge/?sh=4eebdfe72abf.

4 Team Ripple. (2019). 2020: The Year of the Digital Asset. December 19. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://ripple.com/insights/2020the-year-of-the-digital-asset/.

5 Shevlin 2020 6 Piplsay. (2021). The Growing Crypto Universe: How Interested Are Americans? Consumer Report, Pleasant, South Carolina: Piplsay.

7 Klint Finley, Gregory Barber. (2019). The WIRED Guide to the Blockchain. July 9. Accessed February 28, 2021. https://www.wired. com/story/guide-blockchain/.

8 Ovide, Shira. (2021). What is a Blockchain? Is It Hype? January 26. Accessed February 21, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/ technology/what-is-blockchain.html.

9 Ovide 2021 10 Boring, Perianne. (2021). The Future of Voting is Blockchain. Accessed March 16, 2021. https://digitalchamber.org/the-future-of-voting-is-blockchain/.

11 Popper, Nathaniel. (2017). What Is Bitcoin, and How Does It Work? October 1. Accessed April 2, 2021. com/2017/10/01/technology/what-is-bitcoin-price.html.

https://www.nytimes.

12 Dorman, Jeff. (2020). The Four Types of Digital Assets. June 29. Accessed March 2, 2021. https://www.ar.ca/blog/crypto-market-recap-06-29-20.

13 Shevlin 2020 14 Piplsay 2021 15 Piplsay 2021 16 Morris, David Z. (2020). PayPal will soon offer Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency purchase options. October 21. Accessed February 12, 2021. https://fortune.com/2020/10/21/paypal-cryptocurrency-bitcoin-ethereum/.

17 Kovach, Steve. (2021). Tesla buys $1.5 billion in bitcoin, plans to accept it as payment. February 8. Accessed February 8, 2021. https:// www.cnbc.com/2021/02/08/tesla-buys-1point5-billion-in-bitcoin.html.

18 Bambysheva, Nina. (2021). Expect More Bitcoin On Balance Sheets, As Paypal, MicroStrategy Fidelity and Walmart Sound Off On Blockchain. April 14. Accessed April 14, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ninabambysheva/2021/04/14/expect-more-bitcoin-on-balance-sheets-as-paypal-microstrategy-fidelity-and-walmart-sound-off-on-blockchain/?sh=2c7efdc76a05.

19 Jonathan Levin, Michael Smith. (2021). Miami Mayor Pushes Crypto With Offer to Pay Workers in Bitcoin. February 11. Accessed February 11, 2021. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-11/miami-mayor-pushes-crypto-with-offer-to-pay-workers-inbitcoin.

20 Warner, Jonathan. (2021). Former Seattle Seahawk Russell Okung puts half of salary in Bitcoin, considered highest paid in the league now. February 22. Accessed February 22, 2021. https://www.nbcsports.com/northwest/seahawks/former-seattle-seahawk-russell-okung-puts-half-salary-bitcoin-considered-highest.

21 Kharpal, Arjun. (2021). Cryptocurrency market value tops $2 trillion for the first time as ethereum hits record high. April 6. Accessed April 6, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/06/cryptocurrency-market-cap-tops-2-trillion-for-the-first-time.html.

22 Bank for International Settlements. n.d. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Accessed April 2, 2021. https://www.bis.org/about/ bisih/topics/cbdc.htm?m=1%7C441%7C714%7C98.

23 Raphael Auer, Giulio Cornelli, Jon Frost. (2020). Rise of the central bank digital currencies: drivers, approaches and technologies.

Working Papers, Basel, Switzerland: Bank for International Settlements.

24 Vincent, Danny. (2020). ‘One day everyone will use China’s digital currency’. September 25. Accessed February 2, 2021. https:// www.bbc.com/news/business-54261382.

25 Voell, Zack. (2021). Coinbase Lists Unmasking of Bitcoin’s Creator Among Business Risks. February 25. Accessed April 2, 2021. https://www.coindesk.com/coinbase-ipo-risks-defi-satoshi.

26 Camuso, Patrick. (2018). CRYPTOCURRENCY DIVESTMENT TAX PLANNING STRATEGY: CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUSTS. May 6.

Accessed February 18, 2021. https://medium.com/@patrickcamuso/cryptocurrency-divestment-tax-planning-strategy-charitable-remainder-trusts-c073fb1a15b7.

AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 39

27 BitIRA. (2021). Cryptocurrency Security. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.bitira.com/cryptocurrency-security/.

28 Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. (2020). Federally Chartered Banks and Thrifts May Provide Custody Services For Crypto Assets. July 22. Accessed January 28, 2021. https://www.occ.gov/news-issuances/news-releases/2020/nr-occ-2020-98.html.

29 Leonhardt, Megan. (2020). Nearly 3 Out of 4 Millennials Have Donated Money During the Pandemic. September 30. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/29/more-millennials-donated-money-during-the-pandemic-than-other-generations.html.

References Bambysheva, Nina. (2021). Expect More Bitcoin On Balance Sheets, As Paypal, MicroStrategy Fidelity and Walmart Sound Off On Blockchain. April 14. Accessed April 14, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ninabambysheva/2021/04/14/expect-more-bitcoin-onbalance-sheets-as-paypal-microstrategy-fidelity-and-walmart-sound-off-on-blockchain/?sh=2c7efdc76a05.

Bank for International Settlements. n.d. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Accessed April 2, 2021. https://www.bis.org/about/ bisih/topics/cbdc.htm?m=1%7C441%7C714%7C98.

BitIRA. (2021). Cryptocurrency Security. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.bitira.com/cryptocurrency-security/.

Boring, Perianne. (2021). The Future of Voting is Blockchain. Accessed March 16, 2021. https://digitalchamber.org/the-future-of-votingis-blockchain/.

Camuso, Patrick. (2018). CRYPTOCURRENCY DIVESTMENT TAX PLANNING STRATEGY: CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUSTS. May 6. Accessed February 18, 2021. https://medium.com/@patrickcamuso/cryptocurrency-divestment-tax-planning-strategy-charitable-remainder-trusts-c073fb1a15b7.

Dorman, Jeff. (2020). The Four Types of Digital Assets. June 29. Accessed March 2, 2021. https://www.ar.ca/blog/crypto-market-recap-06-29-20.

Jonathan Levin, Michael Smith. (2021). Miami Mayor Pushes Crypto With Offer to Pay Workers in Bitcoin. February 11. Accessed February 11, 2021. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-11/miami-mayor-pushes-crypto-with-offer-to-pay-workers-in-bitcoin.

Kharpal, Arjun. (2021). Cryptocurrency market value tops $2 trillion for the first time as ethereum hits record high. April 6. Accessed April 6, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/06/cryptocurrency-market-cap-tops-2-trillion-for-the-first-time.html.

Klint Finley, Gregory Barber. (2019). The WIRED Guide to the Blockchain. July 9. Accessed February 28, 2021. https://www.wired.com/ story/guide-blockchain/.

Kovach, Steve. (2021). Tesla buys $1.5 billion in bitcoin, plans to accept it as payment. February 8. Accessed February 8, 2021. https:// www.cnbc.com/2021/02/08/tesla-buys-1point5-billion-in-bitcoin.html.

Leonhardt, Megan. (2020). Nearly 3 Out of 4 Millennials Have Donated Money During the Pandemic. September 30. Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/29/more-millennials-donated-money-during-the-pandemic-than-other-generations.html.

Morris, David Z. (2020). PayPal will soon offer Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency purchase options. October 21. Accessed February 12, 2021. https://fortune.com/2020/10/21/paypal-cryptocurrency-bitcoin-ethereum/.

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. (2020). Federally Chartered Banks and Thrifts May Provide Custody Services For Crypto Assets. July 22. Accessed January 28, 2021. https://www.occ.gov/news-issuances/news-releases/2020/nr-occ-2020-98.html.

Ovide, Shira. (2021). What is a Blockchain? Is It Hype? January 26. Accessed February 21, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/ technology/what-is-blockchain.html.

Peter O’Dowd, Samantha Raphelson. (2020). US Coin Shortage Highlights Implications Of Moving Toward A Cashless Society.

December 4. Accessed February 19, 2021. https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/12/04/coin-shortage-cashless.

Piplsay. (2021). The Growing Crypto Universe: How Interested Are Americans? Consumer Report, Pleasant, South Carolina: Piplsay.

Popper, Nathaniel. (2017). What Is Bitcoin, and How Does It Work? October 1. Accessed April 2, 2021. https://www.nytimes. com/2017/10/01/technology/what-is-bitcoin-price.html.

Raphael Auer, Giulio Cornelli, Jon Frost. (2020). Rise of the central bank digital currencies: drivers, approaches and technologies.

Working Papers, Basel, Switzerland: Bank for International Settlements.

Sangster, Kalila. (2020). Banknotes may be spreading coronavirus, World Health Organisation warns. March 3. Accessed February 18, 2021. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/who-world-health-organisation-coronavirus-banknotes-warning-111019361.html.

Shevlin, Ron. (2020). The Coronavirus Cryptocurrency Craze: Who’s Behind The Bitcoin Buying Binge? July 27. Accessed December 29, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ronshevlin/2020/07/27/the-coronavirus-cryptocurrency-craze-whos-behind-the-bitcoin-buying-binge/?sh=4eebdfe72abf.

Team Ripple. (2019). 2020: The Year of the Digital Asset. December 19. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://ripple.com/insights/2020-theyear-of-the-digital-asset/.

AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 40

Vincent, Danny. (2020). ‘One day everyone will use China’s digital currency’. September 25. Accessed February 2, 2021. https://www. bbc.com/news/business-54261382.

Voell, Zack. (2021). Coinbase Lists Unmasking of Bitcoin’s Creator Among Business Risks. February 25. Accessed April 2, 2021. https:// www.coindesk.com/coinbase-ipo-risks-defi-satoshi.

Warner, Jonathan. (2021). Former Seattle Seahawk Russell Okung puts half of salary in Bitcoin, considered highest paid in the league now. February 22. Accessed February 22, 2021. https://www.nbcsports.com/northwest/seahawks/former-seattle-seahawk-russell-okung-puts-half-salary-bitcoin-considered-highest.

AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 41

10 Ways To Multiply Your Campaign Impact

By Rick Bragga, JD, CFRE, FAHP Senior Principal, JEROLD PANAS, LINZY & PARTNERS

E

very campaign has two important cornerstones—the community needs that will be met and the money to meet those needs. However, another consideration is what else might be achieved in the halo effect of fundraising? Assuming you are setting the campaign as a priority, assigning staff and volunteers, and providing the resources, are there other issues that, if included, would benefit from the nature and structure of a campaign? Why simply achieve your campaign goal when you could have an immediate and a lasting multiplier effect—if you just plan carefully? Integrating items such a branding, public relations, volunteerism, human resources, and others into the campaign provides both a platform and vehicle to more easily and effectively accomplish these goals than if implemented separately.

Every audience, from prospects to donors and from inside to outside the organization, can be impacted by strategically adjusting the campaign to include goals and objectives that are related to the third cornerstone of a successful campaign—non-monetary benefits.

This article describes ten key areas that can easily be woven into the campaign plan to broaden and deepen the reach of the hospital or system.

With these objectives included, the impact can be both immediate and long-term.

1. Raise visibility—internally.

There’s nothing like the intensity and comprehensive nature of a campaign to raise the profile of the development staff and volunteers internally. Does most of your organization know AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 42

about fundraising happening on their behalf?

Whether it is grateful patients, interaction with departments that are impacted by the campaign, or key physicians that are essential, plan to make time and explain who we are, what we do, and how they are involved while demonstrating the value of campaign successes.

Additionally, ensure campaign themes must become part of the president’s and other leadership’s key presentation notes. It will pay off now and in the future.

2. Raise visibility—externally.

Campaigns generally have bigger goals and more connections through electronic and person-to-person vehicles, including group and individual meetings and live or over the phone individual time. This is your chance to reconnect and to reach out to new prospects, donors and community leaders. Take some chances and provide educational opportunities with nontraditional donors and those who are key to your community. Even if some don’t donate this time or give at a smaller level, you have established or enhanced a relationship. Dynamically tell the story, and they will tell it to others. This produces pride among the employees, medical staff, community, and volunteers in the success of the campaign. This increased visibility advances the institution and prepares the organization for the next major fundraising initiative.

3. Create/Enhance staff integration.

Making sure everyone has a campaignrelated role and feels a part of the campaign is important. There will be increased requests and other communication among the philanthropic team. Reassessment is an often accompanying element in a campaign. This is the time to determine who is ready to step up and take a leadership or advanced role. There may also be staff who have skill sets that meet the specifics of the campaign. Many times, prior to a campaign, development departments and

foundations conduct an assessment to ensure that they have the resources and preparation necessary to conduct the campaign. There may even be a demonstrated need for additional staff across the organization. The best development performers rise to the top.

4. Create/Enhance institutional integration.

How connected is your staff to the hospital/ system functions such as various clinical departments, finance, and nursing? Do they see you as an ally, or do they not see you at all? A campaign is a great reason to build confidence and understanding among these departments.

“In the Marshall University’s Comprehensive Campaign, Marshall Rises, staff and institutional integration/communication have been enhanced significantly,” said Dr. Ron Area, CEO of the Marshall University Foundation, Inc. “For example, through our contacts with the Hearst Foundation in New York City, Marshall Health and our School of Medicine received a $250,000 grant in the area of Addiction Sciences of which they were previously unaware. It has broadened and expanded the connections between the Medical School and our Health System.”

Utilized properly, a campaign will bring the organization together, break down barriers, produce a common purpose, and eliminate or diminish fiefdoms. No doubt your CEO and human resources department can provide critical local insight.

5. Create/Enhance culture of philanthropy.

Commitment, engagement, and involvement are critical to establishing an environment where everyone knows about philanthropy and their role. Campaigns, due to their size and impact, get the attention of your CEO and the administrative team at all levels.

AHP Healthcare Philanthropy Journal|Spring 2021| 43

According to Dr. Ron Area, “The continued success of the campaign has built upon our culture of philanthropy. Our Board of Directors is more engaged by not only stretching their personal financial commitment but more importantly, they are more active in spreading the campaign message to their friends and colleagues.”

If you don’t have a culture of philanthropy or need to improve yours, a campaign is a valuable vehicle to move the organization forward.

6. Build/Enhance donor relationships.

While not every relationship will result in an immediate donation, many will and set the stage for a larger commitment to the next project or campaign.

“In our campaign, we have had several examples of benefits beyond just the contributions of cash,” said Susan Hafkemeyer, Executive Director of the Mercy Health Foundation at Mercy Medical Center–Dubuque. “We are very missiondriven and take every opportunity to tell our story. At a conference I attended a few years ago, one phrase stuck out—’capital campaign asks should be transformational, not transactional for the donor.’ We have taken the opportunity to build strong donor relationships beyond the monetary benefits. We partnered with an existing vendor to not only give a major gift but to provide a coffee station allowing the donor to showcase their brand and provide comfort to caregivers waiting for patients during treatment.

In addition, we have several new relationships which we are hopeful will eventually be lifelong donors. Having a campaign, no matter what the area of need, has given us the opportunity to connect with people that we might not have otherwise.”

7. Create opportunities for staff to advance.

For your staff, campaigns can be the stairway to stardom in your institution or the ticket to a larger role somewhere else. Have you had individual conversations with the departmental team to determine what they want to accomplish in the campaign? What discussions have been held individually to discuss their potential in this unique opportunity to grow and perform? Campaigns can increase the skill set of development staff.

8. Create situations for volunteer leaders to shine.

Are you recruiting the next generation of leaders? Are you building excellent opportunities for them in your campaign? Have you matched them with appropriate positions in the campaign to prove or stretch their commitment and accomplishments? The best volunteer performers rise to the top.

9. Find/Develop prospect relations.

Additional benefits to these efforts for fundraising are uncovering a new group of major donor prospects, increasing the overall donor base of support, and focusing donors on the institution’s major priorities. This diversifies and expands your pool of support and gives you new input and feedback from the community.

10. Raise the sights of your donors, employees, doctors, prospects, staff, and the entire organization about the future needs and potential.

A campaign can also help build a base for future requests to support additional operational resources through fundraising. Especially if

you are aware of future needs or a next phase to the campaign, you can utilize the current conversations to uncover and cultivate interest in future projects. While every hospital or health system has its own unique characteristics, this article has laid out a pathway and addressed the major strategies that can lead you to ultimate campaign triumph. Your general actions will include creating and communicating a vision, image enhancement, individual/group engagement and participation, building relationships, and storytelling/education to advance your institution.

Whether you implement one or all of these valuable suggestions in your next campaign, think big. Imagine more than the money and what it can do! Be sure to address, in advance, the other cornerstone of a really successful campaign. Set a vision for the non-monetary components of the campaign, then plan, set objectives, and evaluate so that you can precisely report the impact and benefits. You’ll be amazed at the results.

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Fund and Friend Raising after the Pandemic: Is Your Healthcare Organization Poised for Action?

By Howard L Smith, PhD, Professor, Milgard School of Business, University of Washington Tacoma Sally E. Deck, PhC, Doctoral Candidate, School of Leadership Studies, Gonzaga University

T

hanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, healthcare organizations have adjusted their fundraising efforts to align with a strange world of the new normal. Advancement teams turned to virtual fund- and friend-raising strategies as means to make progress toward their philanthropic goals. From this perspective, Covid-19 has helped to nurture widespread innovation in prospect and donor cultivation.

Skeptical healthcare executives, clinicians, and ancillary staff might question the assertion that anything good could arise from this contagion.

But, inarguably, Covid-19 has stimulated new discoveries for imaginatively reaching advancement goals.

Before becoming over-confident about meeting the virtual reality challenges driven by the ever-evolving pandemic, it is appropriate to ask a pertinent question: Is your healthcare organization poised for action in the postpandemic future? The purpose of this paper is to guide development executives and healthcare leaders toward an affirmative answer.

This question should send a little shiver down the spine of development officers or advancement executives worth their salt.

Pandemic-induced ambiguity is likely to haunt healthcare philanthropy long after herd immunity is reached. Thus, savvy advancement

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leaders should finish planning now in order to implement the next phase of ingenious strategies and tactics. Healthcare organizations should be on the very cusp of rolling out their creative plans befitting a post-pandemic environment. Those who are just beginning to contemplate the possibilities of a post-pandemic phase have every reason to pick up the pace.

The virus has essentially forced healthcare organizations to innovate because Covid-19 overturns traditional thinking about delivering health and medical services. Its impact on philanthropy and fundraising is startling and often game changing. Innovation enables traditional fundraising strategies to continue, albeit with tactics vastly changed over preCovid-19 times. And therein is an illuminating observation for hospitals, clinics, medical groups, and associated healthcare organizations.

Fundraising changes usually begin as a conscientious effort to fine-tune an existing strategy. However, altogether more creative practices are essential in responding to Covid19’s impact.

Early Stage Responses to the Pandemic As far as healthcare philanthropy is concerned… things typically slowed down as development officers and executive teams contemplated the best path forward. This semi-pause led to many circular discussions regarding why an over-abundance of caution should be used in revising fundraising practices. Retrospectively, this appears to be little more than stalling with hopeful waiting; that is, the Covid-19 outbreak would be quickly resolved, and traditional fundraising programs could resume as the pandemic eased.

As weeks added up with the pandemic roaring in growth, it became increasingly difficult for healthcare organizations to square inaction in altering traditional programs with the need

to reinvent them. In unique cases, leadership teams made an exponential leap by envisioning an entirely new approach to fundraising. The pandemic was not going to disappear overnight.

This perspective encouraged advancement teams to think out of the box. Freed from the status quo, novel ideas gained voice and support.

In effect, Covid-19 gave healthcare organizations latitude to be more aggressive in rebuilding what had been effective, often elegant, and timeproven methods to raise resources. Traditional models were temporarily sidelined as virtual models gained traction. For some organizations, after talking for years about instilling a refreshed fundraising model, the pandemic prompted them to move from intention to action.

At this point, there may be a growing unease among advancement directors that catchy virtual pathways have run their course. Which raises the question of: “What next?”. On-line auctions, imitated wine tasting events, simulated dinners, exclusive invitations to small-scale soirees, entertaining speakers for guerrilla popup solicitations, mini-sessions with renowned expert presenters, Zoom sessions for high tea or happy hour, and similar inspired brainstorms have played out on our computer screens.

Nonetheless, there remains some serious questioning about how deep and long-lasting these clever virtual reality tactics can run.

Apathy seems rampant regarding the prospect of yet another Zoom session. And, how sincerely connected are people who are drawn to our digital web? This is a disturbing question that other fields, such as education, are openly exploring. How much have our children and young adults gained through distance education, and how depreciated is their learning? Tales from parents of finding their child mindlessly playing computer games while miming attention to their teachers is a common phenomenon. No wonder society is so concerned about a return to face-to-

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face instruction where both scholarship and socialization benefit. And therein is the rub for philanthropy. Are these facsimile tactics actually paying off for the short and the long run?

We may be fooling ourselves because we have essentially applied a bandage to address a gaping wound that needs stitches, if not surgery. Accordingly, an alarming surprise may be encountered in the coming months. Weary of the computer screen that seldom elicits warm and fuzzy feelings as well as semi-detached from the meaningful relations they have enjoyed with passionate advancement team members, donors are susceptible to slowly drifting away. If you cannot work your magic in person and speak to the explicit specific connection that any single donor seeks, chances are growing that giving will decrease. An intensely genuine relationship is a, if not the, fundamental causal factor underlying generous giving. That sort of connection is very difficult to reach when you are relying on digital technology to embody the message.

Post-Pandemic Strategizing Accepting that our donors are growing weary of digital dunning, it makes sense to focus on creating the next generation of resourceraising strategies. Two caveats are important to consider before examining viable options for post-pandemic strategizing. First, it would be a serious mistake to trivialize the advances healthcare organizations have made in recreating fund- and friend-raising strategies during the pandemic. Some very powerful new methodologies have surfaced this past yearplus. Just because the pandemic may go away does not mean that these advances should be put back on the shelf. Each ingenious idea represents yet another proverbial tactical arrow in the strategy quiver from which fundraising teams can draw and use accordingly to their circumstances. Second, the Covid-19 virus and its mounting variations will presumably continue to diminish as vaccines, and prudent

health behaviors have effect. Nonetheless, it is the human behavior side that raises the risk that the virus will be perpetuated. Let us proceed while assuming that eventually, the virus will be controlled.

Create a Culture where Imagination Proliferates It is difficult to draw deeply from the well of creativity when imaginative suggestions, ideas, and hunches do not receive a favorable welcome.

Lead as though every single person on your team has the capacity to bring brilliant suggestions to the table. Communicate that they are on this journey together as colleagues. Underscore that everyone has a responsibility to look for good ideas. Enable staff to freely express their ideas by constructing venues that facilitate sharing and discourse to vet the best suggestions. Hold periodic scheduled meetings that are focused solely on articulating good ideas. Commit to the operating rule that no idea is discarded until it is completely examined and validated/invalidated or a better alternative(s) surfaces.

Innovation has been, and will always be, a fount of inspiration for addressing difficult issues in uncertain times. Thus, it is particularly apropos that imaginative thinking be elevated within advancement units. Eventually, the pandemic will succumb, and society will move forward.

Hence, healthcare organizations should be planning their next specific steps and a longerrun perspective should be nurtured. Develop short, intermediate, and long-run strategies and tactics. Make them graphic and breathe life into them through visual images. Frequently revisit progress toward key goals while identifying ways to overcome obstacles to their achievement.

Now, more than ever, healthcare organizations can benefit from nurturing a culture of innovation. Donors and supporters feel distracted and constrained by the pandemic’s fallout. They may perceive that there are

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more reasons not to be generous than there are reasons for giving. Imbue them with the intellectual and emotional ammunition they need to continue investing in your healthcare organization’s programs. They understood the importance of their gifts before the pandemic; help them realize that their rationale for donating has not evaporated, and if appropriate, has grown larger because of the pandemic.

Gain Insight by Looking Through a Different Lens One lesson that the pandemic has consistently driven home is the value of looking at fundraising from a different lens. As the world went into crisis mode, development executives and fundraising staff responded accordingly by essentially pulling the plug on many of their ongoing and planned events, campaigns, and solicitations. By pausing, philanthropy leaders were trying to gauge the direction and velocity of a new context.

The pandemic carried very ominous overtones: face-to-face contact became artificial, economic turmoil blossomed, resources suddenly became unavailable, and thousands lost their jobs. Added to the mix was the reality that the everyday variety of healthcare crises— surgery, infectious disease concerns, chronic disease treatment—would not stop and delay or possibly aggravate matters for patients. A predictable response to these challenges has been to plug along while performing triage on existing strategies and tactics.

gain an improved perspective. Some describe this as thinking out of the box, flipping the situation, or reversing the algorithm of thinking.

Regardless of what term is used, the process is powerful: think of the traditional way that you would solve a problem at hand; then completely reverse that solution to gain new insights–a new lens–on solving the problem.

A traditional advancement approach might be to recalibrate and adjust events, campaigns, and solicitations planned for the current year.

Tweak the planned activities to respond to the constraints imposed by the virus. Many planned fundraising events centering on luncheons or dinners–big social events–were forced to go viral and those who followed this path reported respectable results. But as the pandemic dragged on, donors and prospects became tired of the virtual hoorah; some began drifting away.

Other fundraisers flipped the big social events.

They stopped to ask about the value of large get-togethers that often do not penetrate below the surface of a minimal relationship with donors and prospects. By flipping the algorithm of thinking, these fundraisers gained important insight: the pandemic was a providential way to pursue a more genuine relationships with constituents. Minimize the excesses of the grand events and plow effort and resources into building relationships through more intimate, meaningful, and personal connections.

Create small social hour events that do not take the donors away from their job (during

Looking backward, analyzing the present, or gazing into a crystal ball to read the future—all tended to produce the same conclusion: there has been a cataclysmic shift, and it is difficult to discern how best to react. And therein is an answer: reacting is not the correct response; forging an enlightened path forward is the goal.

One of the best ways to work think through a dilemma is to apply a new, or different, lens to

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the afternoon) or their family (in the evening).

And, since the medium is often virtual, a small number of participants ensures that no one will quietly slip into the background. When the pandemic eases, the virtual tactic can be replaced by a genuine personal connection.

Fully Connect with Professional Colleagues and Associations Not every good idea is applicable for every healthcare organization. A fundraising strategy that may work spectacularly for an urban hospital may fall flat on its face for a rural hospital. But, if each of these hospitals does not consider the latest and greatest ideas being tried, there is little hope that they will move beyond their status quo. In searching for successful ways of cultivating prospects and building indelible donor relations, no better opportunity exists than informal and formal sharing among professional colleagues.

A plethora of professional associations and societies exist for many reasons, but none is so promising as the simple ability for participants to share what is working, and not working, in their organizations. Professional conventions and meetings provide a wellspring of creative thinking and a non-threatening marketplace of novel concepts that may be applicable to other healthcare organizations. But, if representatives of an organization eschew these gatherings, they sequester themselves from the flow of imaginative notions that might prove extremely invaluable. The Covid-19 pandemic is exactly the sort of crisis that demands originality from healthcare leaders.

Seasoned healthcare executives and leaders may look upon annual associations and conventions with a jaundiced eye. After all, they have the gravitas that renders attending these meetings as a low priority on their busy schedules. That sort of attitude is exactly what leads to stale and outdated thinking. All—each and everyone in

the healthcare profession—should remain open to new thinking and the application of better ideas to their operations and organizations. No better source for inventive ideas exists than participation in professional societies.

Formulate the Next Better Practices Most professions endorse benchmarking because there is a strong demonstrated relationship between following best practices and the ability to deliver better outcomes. Highperforming organizations, and those that aspire to reach this lofty echelon, recognize that the payoff from replicating best practices is a higher probability of actually delivering desired results.

Best practices are not necessarily a panacea, but a strategy to ensure that over time an organization stretches to systematically integrate the best ideas for consistently attaining the highest levels of performance.

In healthcare philanthropy, the pandemic has challenged advancement teams to go beyond best practices by crafting, beta testing, and implementing better practices… going to another level by aspiring to enhance performance beyond the best practices. Rather than accepting the common metrics of great performance (e.g., funds raised per development officer, net gifting per event, percentage of new donors added to at various donation levels, and similar measures), the better practices philosophy sets a higher standard to guide decisions and actions. It is often the failure to think BIG enough about goals that limits their achievement. This is observed in many areas of life. Running a four-minute mile was once thought beyond the capability of a human body.

Self-driving cars were a fantasy. A global internet that provides immediate access to unthinkable amounts of information was laughed at by skeptics.

With the pandemic dampening the ability of people to give generously toward causes that

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matter to them, a better practice is to encourage staff members to conceive ambitious ideas that are not only challenging but also achievable. In the daily routine of operating any organization, it is easy for a malaise to surface; actions become routine, and it is natural to become hyperfocused on doing a good job. From an operations management perspective, this tendency is a good thing because it achieves greater efficiency.

However, effective fundraising in ambiguous conditions cries for more than routinized action. As so many in advancement can attest, healthcare advancement units need to nurture brilliantly novel ideas that form the genesis of the next best practices. There is no better fount for these ingenious concepts than those who are working directly with prospects and donors. Look inward to discover the next generation of best practices for your organization.

Poised for Action The end of the pandemic is in sight no matter how many weeks, months, or years it will take to reach that point. And, eventually, it too will pass.

After reaching this pinnacle, having survived the adverse conditions and their attendant ugliness, diligent healthcare philanthropy teams will dust themselves off and look toward the future. These teams can bear witness to the hardships they encountered, the sacrifices made, as well as the tremendous milestones achieved in the process of keeping focused on mission. A brief look back over their shoulders will confirm the greatest lessons learned over this battle: be ready to pivot when the going gets tough, embrace innovation and experimentation, and above all, be poised for action.

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Graham-Pelton is the fundraising consulting firm chosen by leading healthcare organizations worldwide. We empower hospitals, institutes, and foundations to attract high-level philanthropy, enabling them to achieve their missions.

www.grahampelton.com/healthcare

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