Explore the 2023 Philanthropy Pulse report in its entirety.
Of 143 responding healthcare institutions, 64% of respondents reported increased revenue, with 16% raising between $2.5 million and $5 million. The largest noncash gift sources included family foundations (85%), donor-advised funds (83%), and bequests (72%). Looking ahead to 2023, survey participants expect increased funds from major gifts (63%), annual appeal (53%), and foundations (52%). It will be important to secure investment from internal leadership to meet these aims.
In terms of structural composition, 60% of survey participants do not operate through a foundation.
Most survey respondents report that their organization’s fundraising operations were fully or increasingly centralized last year.
Almost half (43%) of respondents answered that their fundraising efforts were organized in a mix between service line and hospital facility.
As with other sectors, the top challenges faced by Health organizations include donor acquisition (59%) and donor retention/stewardship (47%). Strategies to build relationships to retain donors include sending targeted mailing/emails and inviting donors to regular events. Practices adopted over the last few years that organizations plan to continue include enhanced personal communication (64%) and having an enhanced social media presence (64%). Messaging for the healthcare sector should focus on reaffirming confidence among donors and management as we navigate the year ahead.
One area of potential growth is in data management, with only 10% of respondents stating that their organization’s fundraising staff capabilities were completely knowledgeable in data-driven decision-making. But, almost 60% of respondents consider their organization’s reporting and analytics capabilities to be expert or leading-level, with the biggest challenge related to an organization’s donor database cited as inconsistent, inaccurate, or incomplete data (63%).
Overall, 64% of healthcare institutions reported that their number of donors increased.
Many organizations discuss the concepts of diversity, equity and/or inclusion (DEI) in conversations with donors, but not at a high rate compared to other sectors.
57% of healthcare institutions increased fundraising staff in the prior fiscal year or plan on doing so in 2023, which was among the highest reported rate of staff acquisition across the sector.
The data on this page was curated from a questionnaire taken by nearly 1,200 organizations during the fall of 2022 reporting on FY21 results.
