Hospital Fundraising Drives

3 donor emails that aren’t “asks” but still bring in donations We all know the direct asks matter. But some of the most effective emails I’ve helped send aren’t official campaigns or appeals. They’re moments of relationship. Here are 3 types of emails that donors seem to love and that often lead to surprise gifts: ⸻ 📬 1. The “We Did the Thing” Email Subject: We just finished it. Thank you. You promised to build a playground / fund a program / send kids to camp. This email says: We did. Because of you. Photos. A quote. A short paragraph. That’s it. People love seeing the result of their generosity. 📬 2. The “Saw This and Thought of You” Email Subject: This made me think of you. It might be a story from the field. A note from a beneficiary. Even a newspaper article. You send it to 1–5 specific donors with a personal sentence like: “You’ve always cared about ___, and this reminded me of you.” It’s not a pitch. It’s a connection. And it works. 📬 3. The “No Reason but Gratitude” Email Subject: No ask. Just thanks. A short note that simply says: “We’re so grateful for you. No updates, no links—just gratitude.” I do this quarterly. You’d be amazed how many people hit reply with: “How can I help?” Fundraising is more than asking. It’s paying attention. It’s following up. It’s letting people feel the difference they make. Which of these have you tried or would you add a fourth to the list?

The Trouble With Annual Fundraising Goals They lack context. And they're getting in deeper trouble. All annual goals should be in the context of 3, 5 or 10 year goals. That way, you can evaluate if the annual achievement is taking you closer to greater, far more important long term goals. Annual fundraising goals are just about money and are usually the sole criteria for success, not only for advancement but often the leadership of the organization. That's why, for decades, most organizations have experienced "dollars up, donors down." The sole criteria for success was dollar amounts not donor counts. Now more and more organizations are trying to squeeze more dollars from fewer donors, most of whom are getting on in years. It's unsustainable. You can't build a "donor pipeline" by focusing solely on annual fundraising results. You have to be able to draw new donors from community of shared purpose. Dollar goals must be put in that context. The sooner the better. That context will require you to measure more important goals such as donors retained, level of donor satisfaction, volunteer engagement, volunteer satisfaction, and sustained constituent growth (the ability to engage and involve more people year over year). If you don't establish this context and continue to crow about annual fundraising successes you will be taking more from the past than you are giving to the future. If we truly believe in the institutions we represent, we will establish broader, longer, multidimensional goals and put our annual fundraising goals in a much more important context.

Food as Medicine is integral to whole health, and data are showing what communities far and wide have always known. This second-year impact report from Elevance Health Foundation’s partnership with Feeding America highlights what happens when healthcare and hunger relief intersect: better chronic disease management, healthier eating habits, and prioritization of dignity.   Participants are eating more fruits and vegetables, managing chronic conditions more effectively, and seeing real health improvements. More than 100,000 patients screened for food insecurity were referred to nutritious food resources, and over 20,000 neighbors were connected to SNAP benefits. This is a step to ensure neighbors have access to the food and support they need to thrive. Check out some key activities and learnings found in the full report below. #FoodasMedicine #CommunityHealth https://lnkd.in/e4dDvcaV

5 Metrics Every Nonprofit Board Director Should Master As a nonprofit CEO, I’ve witnessed how powerful a well-informed board can be. To lead with purpose, every director must go beyond governance—they must own the numbers that shape mission, trust, and momentum. |• These five metrics aren’t just indicators—they’re leadership in action. { 1. Fundraising Efficiency . Measures how cost-effectively your nonprofit raises money. A gold standard is $0.20 or less per $1 raised. . Why does it matter? Because every dollar saved is a dollar redirected to impact. - I’ve helped boards recalibrate their strategies using this metric, building donor confidence and financial integrity. { 2. Program Expense Ratio . Reflects the proportion of funds invested directly in mission work—aim for 70%+. . This is more than optics; it’s a signal of alignment between your values and your budget. - Boards that internalize this ratio steer the organization with purpose and precision. { 3. Donor Retention Rate . Tracks how many supporters return year after year. . A rate above 60% indicates trust and a compelling mission narrative. - I’ve seen firsthand how boards that prioritize relational stewardship cultivate reliable, long-term revenue. { 4. Cash Reserves . Measure how long your organization could operate without new income. . The ideal is 3–6 months. . This buffer empowers bold decisions and ensures resilience during disruptions. - A strong reserve isn’t excess—it’s strategic foresight. { 5. Volunteer Engagement . Reveals how time, not just money, fuels your mission. . Track hours and impact—10+ hours per volunteer annually signals a thriving ecosystem of shared purpose. - Boards that elevate this metric unlock new capacity and deeper community roots. | These aren’t vanity metrics—they’re a leadership compass. - Fundraising and Program ratios show stewardship. - Retention and Reserves reflect trust and foresight. - Volunteer data reveals your human capital engine. Master these, and you lead with clarity, credibility, and courage. 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 —and these five metrics are where transformation begins. Thinkers360 #NonprofitLeadership #InspiringTheBusinessWorld #Leadership #ThoughtLeadership

"We need to increase our fundraising goal by 30% this year." Sound familiar? If you've ever felt your stomach drop at words like these, you're not alone. Unrealistic fundraising goals are the elephant in the room that many of us are afraid to address. But today, I'm going to say it: Sometimes, our goals are set up for failure, not success. Controversial take: Blindly accepting unrealistic goals isn't dedication—it's a disservice to your organization and your donors. Here's why: It leads to donor fatigue. Constantly pushing for more can exhaust your supporter base. It encourages short-term thinking. You might hit the goal this year, but at what cost to long-term relationships? It demoralizes staff. Nothing burns out a fundraising team faster than constantly missing impossible targets. It can damage your reputation. Falling short year after year doesn't inspire confidence in donors or grantmakers. But here's the real problem: Many of us don't know how to push back effectively. So, how do we address this? Data is your friend. Use past performance, industry benchmarks, and economic indicators to inform realistic projections. Educate your board. Many unrealistic goals stem from a lack of understanding about the fundraising process. Propose a range. Instead of a single number, suggest a conservative goal and a stretch goal. Focus on long-term growth. Shift the conversation from year-over-year jumps to sustainable, steady growth. Highlight non-monetary goals. Donor retention, first-time donor acquisition, and major gift pipeline development are crucial metrics too. It's our job as fundraising professionals to set our organizations up for success, not just nod our heads. How do you handle pressure from unrealistic goals? Let's work together to create a culture of ACHIEVABLE ambition in our field. P.S. Are you on a board of a nonprofit? Plz share your perspective.

For a number of years this has been bothering me, so I feel compelled to address it. In today's challenging funding environment, early-stage biotech companies with promising therapeutic assets often struggle to secure the capital needed to advance their programs. Simultaneously, many patient foundations, despite their commitment to discovering new treatments for their communities, continue to restrict grant funding to ONLY academic or medical institutions. I think that this policy is really short sighted and not faithful to the commitment that foundations make to their donors. This policy overlooks the critical reality that translating scientific discoveries into approved treatments requires not only groundbreaking research, but also the practical expertise and experience to navigate the complex drug discovery and development process. Companies experienced in preclinical and clinical development play an essential role in this journey and can provide foundations with both therapeutic advancements and potential returns on their investments. Foundations like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) have recognized this gap and pioneered a venture philanthropy model. By investing in biotech firms, CFF helped develop transformative therapies like Kalydeco, significantly improving the lives of many with cystic fibrosis. This strategy not only accelerated drug development but also generated substantial returns, enabling further investment in research. Similarly, the CMT Research Foundation (CMTRF) and CureCMT were founded on the principle of funding translational research, actively collaborating with biotech companies to advance treatments for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. By embracing partnerships with experienced industry professionals, foundations can more effectively fulfill their missions. Such collaborations enhance the likelihood of bringing treatments to patients and offer the potential for financial returns that can be reinvested into further research. In these tumultuous times of limited access to capital, it's crucial for patient foundations to align their funding strategies with their stated goals. Supporting programs and professionals with a track record in therapeutic development is not just logical, it's essential for delivering on promises to the communities they serve. If you are a patient foundation focused on developing therapies for your members, consider investing in early-stage companies that may help your patient population and return a multiple of the investment you make in them. Drug discovery and development is expensive, and there are limited avenues for companies to access the capital needed to advance therapies these days. Everyone has their own perspective, and this is mine after many years working in drug discovery and having encountered many walls to industry from patient foundations. #PatientAdvocacy #DrugDevelopment #VenturePhilanthropy #CureCMT #CFF #InnovationInHealthcare

"What's your fundraising ROI?" is the wrong question. Here's what smart nonprofit leaders track instead: • Cost per dollar raised (by channel) • Donor retention rate (by segment) • Lifetime value (by acquisition source) • Second gift conversion rate • Average gift growth year-over-year These metrics reveal the true health of your fundraising program beyond simple ROI calculations. The most valuable insight? Understanding which donors stay with you longest and increase their giving over time. What metrics have been most valuable for your organization's fundraising strategy?

The way that many charities set fundraising targets puts huge pressure on fundraisers - in any climate, but especially this one. Too often, the approach is simply to look at how much you want to spend in the year ahead - to cover project costs, overheads, staff etc - then use that as the headline figure that you need to raise. Makes sense, right? Wrong. For two reasons: 📉 Just because you need to raise that much, doesn't mean you will. Any target driven simply by what you want to spend, rather than what it's realistic to raise, will set you up for a fall. It'll also give you little time to react if things start to go wrong. 📈 On the other hand side, that target may be too low - both in terms of your fundraising potential and opportunities, and what your organisation really needs. It's a short-term approach - even if you cover your costs, you'll find it hard build reserves, create a fund for new projects etc. So, a better approach: 🔮 If your fundraising is well-established, look at your pipelines for different income streams - what opportunities are on the horizon, what's the rough value of each one, what's the % chance of success? Also using figures from previous years for context, this approach will enable you to create a best-guess income forecast. 🧮 If you're short on data (and as a helpful point of comparison anyway), take a return on investment based approach. How much are you spending on different income streams (staff & direct costs) and what's the typical return on investment for that type of fundraising? Add up all these figures for different income streams. A combination of these approaches will give you a more accurate headline income figure. Now, crucially, compare this to your estimated costs for the year ahead. It's quite likely in the current climate that your expected income figure will be lower. If so, you'll need to: 🌱 Look at increasing your investment in fundraising to close the gap ✂ Trim your expenditure budget to a more realistic level 🎯 If absolutely needed, accept the difference between the two figures, but with full knowledge that you're stretching - so be ready to monitor things carefully and take corrective action when needed I can't recommend this more realistic, evidence-based approach enough. It's kinder to your fundraisers and will set you up for success, not failure.

As a nonprofit email consultant, I’ve seen firsthand how small adjustments to your email strategy can lead to big increases in donation rates. These are some of the strategies I’m actively implementing with my clients to help them engage supporters and drive results: 1. Focus on audience targeting: Segment your email list to send messages that feel personal and relevant. For example, a lapsed donor may need a different message than a first-time giver. 2. Lead with impactful stories: Stories that highlight the direct results of donations—paired with a clear, actionable ask—are incredibly powerful. “$25 provides a meal for a family” resonates far more than a general appeal. 3. Optimize for mobile: With so many emails opened on mobile devices, it’s crucial that designs are clean, buttons are easy to click, and content gets straight to the point. 4. Create a sense of urgency: Deadlines or limited-time opportunities like matching gifts can be effective motivators. I’ve seen significant lifts in response rates when urgency is baked into the message. 5. Test and analyze everything: From subject lines to donation ask amounts, I encourage my clients to test different approaches and make decisions based on the data. A small tweak can make a big difference. 6. Always follow up: A simple thank-you email after a donation not only builds goodwill but also lays the groundwork for future giving. I know every nonprofit’s audience is different, but the common thread is that thoughtful, intentional email campaigns can create meaningful connections and drive real impact. I’d love to hear what’s working for you—what’s been your most effective email fundraising tactic?

✍️ → “But our CEO doesn’t write like that!” You know what you want to say in that fundraising appeal. You know it takes an emotional, personal, clear and simple tone of voice to get results. And yet... whether it’s your CEO or your ED or someone else signing your letter... that signatory won’t sign off. “I don’t write like that,” they tell you. “It’s too... much.”  All hope is not lost, I promise. These two baby step solutions help me. And they can help you too: 1️⃣ Make small changes over time.    When I start working with a nonprofit, edits are often double what they’ll be in a year. It takes time to get tone and voice just right.  And at many organizations, CEOs aren't comfortable using big words like "love." Your CEO or ED might be among them. But you can still add emotion. For non-negotiables, I look for workarounds.    Example: If “Thank you for the lifeline of your love,” or “Your love works miracles” is too much for your signatory, soften it. →Stronger: Thank you for the lifeline of your love. →Softer: Your generosity is a lifeline to us here. →Stronger: Your love works miracles. →Softer: Your kindness works miracles. →Miracles a no go? Even softer: Your kindness moves mountains.  2️⃣ Feature a different main signatory.    Lots of nonprofits do incredibly effective fundraising with non-CEO signatories. Grateful patients at hospital foundations. Parents of children with serious health diagnoses. Programs staff. The list goes on. At one of my clients, we feature family members as signatory. Another features grateful patients and experts in the field – surgeons, nurses, ICU director, etc. ‼️ Caveat: this can mean extra back and forth. But it's a great way to spotlight a different tone and voice, and can add another layer of authenticity. ✍️ Here's an excerpt from a non-CEO signatory letter we did. Noteworthy items are 3-fold: →It's told in the first person. Powerful. →The signatory can mention that his wife remembers praying, not always something a CEO/ED wants to include. →The signatory can use common expressions. ✍️ Like this: A heart attack can cause potentially irreversible damage in just thirty minutes. The day I arrived at the [name of org] emergency room, I had two 100% blockages. My wife remembers praying. She remembers worrying, "What if I have to go home to an empty house alone." I thank my lucky stars that didn’t happen.     It's not fancy copy. You can see that. But it can help you write in a way that touches your supporters. And that's a tool worth keeping. 💕 👉 PS. Lift notes do that for you too. They have a real immediacy to them. It's all in the original article that appeared in my newsletter, four tips total. 🔗 Here's the link → https://lnkd.in/ef9bfBju (You can subscribe to the newsletter there too. I'd love to welcome you. Forever free. 😊) 📸 Photo: Volodymyr Hryshchenko/Unsplash