Count On Coffey

For hospitals and health systems of all sizes, there is an ongoing need for fundraising to support new equipment, enhanced programs and facility upgrades. To maximize these efforts, development teams must be creative and collaborative—and that's where marketing comes in.

When hospital foundations and marketing departments work together strategically, everyone benefits. Fundraising efforts are amplified, awareness of programs and providers increases, and community affinity grows stronger.

Key ways marketing can support development

Be compelling with your storytelling. Marketing can help develop clear, consistent messaging about the foundation's mission across multiple channels. Featuring impactful patient stories creates personal connections that inspire donors.

Optimize the giving process. Marketing expertise can enhance online donation forms and digital giving platforms to build donor confidence and increase recurring gifts. Making it easy to give, even if the foundation is a separate entity, is crucial.

Leverage multichannel outreach. While digital is important, direct mail remains effective for reaching older adults. Marketing can help identify the right channels to engage different donor segments.

Create focused microsites and/or landing pages. Dedicated microsites allow for expanded storytelling around specific campaigns or initiatives. Marketing can develop these to provide valuable context and details.

Broaden community awareness. Marketing your fundraising efforts and outcomes to the general public educates the community on the foundation's impact. This builds overall support and identifies potential new donors.

Strategies for effective collaboration

Align foundation and hospital branding/messaging. Ensure consistency in visual identity, tone and key messages across all communications. This reinforces the connection between the foundation's work and the hospital's mission, creating a more compelling case for support.

Coordinate content calendars and campaigns. Develop a shared content strategy that aligns fundraising initiatives with broader hospital marketing efforts. This synchronization amplifies the reach of both teams' efforts and creates more touchpoints with potential donors throughout the year.

Share data and insights on donor/patient demographics. Establish regular data-sharing protocols to gain a more comprehensive understanding of your audience. This collaborative approach will uncover new donor prospects among patient populations and help tailor marketing messages for maximum impact.

Cross-promote events and initiatives. Integrate foundation activities into hospital marketing plans and vice versa. For example, feature fundraising successes in hospital newsletters or highlight new medical technologies funded by donations in foundation communications, creating a cycle of awareness and support.

Develop joint KPIs to measure success. Create shared performance indicators that reflect both marketing and development goals. These might include metrics like donor acquisition rates, community engagement levels or the ROI of joint campaigns, fostering a culture of mutual accountability and shared success. Creating integrated strategies to amplify fundraising results while building stronger connections with patients, donors and the community positions the entire organization for greater philanthropic success.

Even if the path ahead is clear, making progress can be a challenge. That's where Coffey Communications comes in. We can help you develop and implement a communication plan that works for marketing, development and leadership.

Categories: Marketing