Beyond the Bill: The Case for Gratitude-Driven Giving in Healthcare

With many nonprofit health systems already operating on thin margins, philanthropy is one of the few means to close the gap to providing the very best care.

Hospital and health system foundations across the United States seek donations from patients and families who have received care, and they have been successful. According to the latest Giving USA Report, 9% of all donations to charity went to healthcare, that’s $56.58 billion of the $557.16 billion given.

Additionally, gifts to healthcare tend to be on the larger side, particularly grateful patient giving. “Whether you are a hospital fundraiser or a disease state fundraiser, grateful patient programs are and will remain a cornerstone of fundraising,” said Alice Ayres, President & CEO of the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP). “These programs directly engage those who have experienced the impact of an illness and high-quality care firsthand. These programs can be incredibly effective as initial outreach efforts because they connect on a deeply personal level, transforming patient gratitude into philanthropic support.”

While many elements of delivering care make headlines, philanthropy works quietly in the background to provide what other sources of funding cannot consistently deliver. Because of philanthropy, healthcare organizations can:

• Provide care to those who cannot pay their medical bills.
• Develop better, more effective treatments.
• Purchase and maintain state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.
• Improve medical outcomes.
• Increase capacity for patient care.
• Train providers in the most up-to-date methods.
• Mitigate the effects of reduced government funding.
• Stave off stagnation and continue to embrace progress in treatment and research.

Giving to Express Gratitude

It has been found that many patients and their families want to express their gratitude and that providing an opportunity to do so can offer them a special feeling. Russ Alan Prince and Karen Maru File in their 1994 book The Seven Faces of Philanthropy analyzed the motivations of individuals relative to their interest and support of nonprofit organizations. Prince and File stated that 10.2% of us are Repayers. A typical Repayer has personally benefited from the organization, often a school or medical center, and now supports that institution due to feeling a loyalty or obligation. They want to give back to those organizations that have helped them at some point. It’s easy to see how those that have been helped in a health crisis would feel the need to want to offer some thank you for their care.

A balanced development program provides opportunities for all to express their gratitude in whatever way they might wish to do so. Perhaps it is a small donation to a nursing scholarship when many nurses provided their typical special touch. Or it could be support for a new piece of equipment that improves what can be done for others who share the same condition. Still others see a way to assist physicians who also do research that can advance our medical knowledge or even find a cure for a specific cancer.

One patient recently shared that “the hospital provides a service for you, just like a university and many others charities, and if you had a good experience and are in a position where you are able to donate, why not give back and help others to have a similar experience?”. Some can’t afford to make a donation so they may seek a way to give of their time as a volunteer while a special few not only have the means to give, but they want to help direct their investment by serving on a foundation board where they can get more engaged. Like in any sophisticated nonprofit organization, a strong major gift program is the mainstay of the development effort. In healthcare systems, those that have benefited from the work of the clinicians are the patients and their families.

Just like the focus in higher education where alumni are approached to ask for their support, grateful patient fundraising asks those who directly received the care and attention during their experience, to consider helping to sustain the hospital that provided their care.

One thirty-something donor offered that “solicitation methods used by hospitals are similar, if not identical to other nonprofits. Most nonprofits are going to do some type of screening or prospect research, followed by an ask. As a grateful patient, I see the concept of a ‘gift of gratitude’ or a gift to ‘honor your doctor’ to be parallel with the solicitations from other nonprofits. I have seen many educational institutions pitch this same idea with an “honor your professor” or “show your gratitude for your teacher” campaign. I am happy to have the opportunity to express my appreciation to those that cared for me.”