Escalating globalization, the growing economic importance of small businesses, and the need to develop innovative sources of funding will be the top drivers for supporting the future of healthcare fundraising, says a new study.
The emerging trends study was released Monday by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), a not-for-profit organization whose more than 4,700 members direct philanthropic programs in 2,000 of North America's not-for-profit health care providers.
"Small businesses, the economic engines of the future, are highly motivated to provide hands-on support to organizations that benefit their workers and their communities," said AHP President and CEO William C. McGinly. "Hospital development professionals will need to be more entrepreneurial in their efforts to nurture productive relationships with this sector, such as co-sponsoring wellness programs with small business associations."
AHP researchers say increased globalization of healthcare through telemedicine, cross-border medical cooperation and international medical travel is changing how grateful patient donors view their ties to medical institutions. Fundraisers in North America will need to foster cross-border and multinational alliances, the report says.
The report also points to the emergence of immigrant households as new philanthropic sources and the opportunity to strengthen these relationships through ties to medical facilities in their native lands.
"American fundraisers need to realize that even local community fundraising efforts will increasingly reflect global considerations. 'Cultural awareness,' the ability to understand the attitudes and behaviors of other cultures, will become a key factor to promote donor awareness," said J. Gregory Pope, AHP chairman and vice president of philanthropy for the Saint Thomas Health Services Foundation in Nashville, Tenn.
Click here to download a full copy of the report.