Forward Thinking January 2026

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JANUA RY 2026

How digital strategies build lasting engagement and donor growth p. 5

Using gratitude as a strategy to fuel your team’s success p. 10

Right message, right audience, real results: West Park’s story p. 16

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Forward Thinking | January 2026 Published by Association for Healthcare Philanthropy 2550 S Clark Street, Suite 810 Arlington, VA 22202 www.ahp.org Managing Editor Jenny Love Business Editor Michelle Gilbert Peer Review Committee Chair Sarah Fawcett-Lee, FAHP, CFRE Peer Review Committee Murray Ancell, MS, FAHP, CFRE Michelle J. Collins Jolene Francis, FAHP, CFRE Ben Mohler, MA, CRFE Elizabeth Rottman, CFRE ©2026 Association for Healthcare Philanthropy. All rights reserved.

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy.

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New Do no r Ac q ui si t i on s f or H os p i t a l N o np rofi t s Ma xi mi zi ng B u dge t s throug h D ig it a l S t r a t e g y

By Paul St Onge As budgets for nonprofit hospital fundraising efforts shrink and direct mail costs grow, now is the time to lean further into digital philanthropy.

Many healthcare organizations have already implemented digital strategies targeted at patients but are seeing only modest results.

A longer-term strategy that focuses on engagement and relationship building can lead to improved acquisition and retention across giving levels over time. An effective, comprehensive approach requires creativity and patience.

Many nonprofit hospital and health system foundations acquire potential donors by screening their patients’ wealth scores and outcomes, such as those affected by major surgery, compared with those who underwent a routine visit. Once a foundation identifies prospective donors, it is common to contact patients via direct mail and/or email within 30 days of discharge. Emails typically inform the patients of the hospital’s mission, make the case for support, and ask for a donation. Calls to action can include making a one-time gift or honoring a caregiver who made a difference during their stay.

It’s vital for foundations to be selective with direct mail prospects because of the costs involved. That is not the case with digital outreach, which enables nonprofits to target more patients at no incremental expense.

Effective digital outreach strategies can generate revenue and ensure that emails do not go to spam folders.

Some patients may make a one-time gift following a solicitation email immediately after a visit, but most patients require months, or even years, of relationship building and engagement before making a donation. According to a 2023 NextAfter study,1 a nonprofit tested the impact of an email campaign that increased the number of nurturing and impact messages with no solicitations to one group of donors. The result was a 42% improvement in online fundraising from this group compared to the group that did not receive additional emails.

A F oc us on En ga g e m en t Emailing 10,000 recently discharged patients and receiving only one donation could discourage many fundraising or development teams from implementing or continuing their digital grateful patient program. It’s

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Digital outreach allows you to engage more donors without increasing costs.

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essential that development staff have realistic expectations and understand that early emails may yield only modest financial results. The key is to shift from a shortterm focus on revenue in discharge email journeys to a longer-term focus on engagement. The more patients are engaged over an extended period, the more revenue and acquisitions will come from future fundraising campaigns.

Many hospital and health system foundations send solicitation emails following a recent hospital visit, and if they don’t yield results,

patients are often never contacted again. By incorporating more frequent engagement messages, such as monthly newsletters, heartfelt patient stories, research breakthroughs, or community updates, at the start of the patient email journey, hospitals can increase the number of engaged patients and focus on conversion to donors via key campaigns.

Engagement can be measured by clicks or actions taken in emails over the prior six or 12 months. With thousands of engaged patients who have yet to donate, hospitals can convert

more patients in the end-ofyear fundraising season or other significant campaigns.

Patients who do not click or engage are eventually suppressed from email communications to preserve the sender’s reputation, as those emails risk going to spam or being blocked altogether.

C ra fting E ngagi ng C ontent Engaging content includes interactive approaches like digital message boards, dedicated patient newsletters, downloads, resources, quizzes, or voting. NYU Langone Health2 has a message submission form on its website asking people to share their thank-you messages with nurses. Ovarian Cancer Canada’s research website3 allows supporters to browse research by location, research type, cancer type, and research status. Roper St. Francis Foundation4 in Charleston, South Carolina, asks patients to send a message to a caregiver. Patients can complete surveys indicating whether they prefer educational, research, or care content, which allows

hospitals to tailor newsletters and impact emails to build lasting relationships and drive donor conversions.

Foundations can incorporate awareness months into the patient journey to facilitate opens, clicks, and engagement. For example, during heart month in February, users can be offered educational materials on healthy eating and building healthy heart habits via downloads, message boards, and quizzes that also demonstrate the impact the hospital is making in heart care. During September’s childhood cancer awareness month, they can promote an interactive microsite that shares cancer success stories across departments or locations, or a one-question survey to engage potential donors by asking, “Do you believe that childhood cancer should be eradicated?”

Expan d i n g Be yon d Ema i l Sol i c i t a t i on s The patient audience is likely the best source of new donors, but emailing them is only one channel to consid-

A b ou t the Au t h or

Paul St Onge is CEO and co-founder of Doing Good Digital and has over 10 years of experience consulting in digital fundraising for hospitals and nonprofits. He specializes in email marketing, social media, and websites for annual fund, mid-level, and major teams across the United States and Canada. Paul emphasizes the importance of blending strong content and technology for better outcomes.He can be reached at paul@doinggoodagency.com.

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er. A lead magnet strategy benefits hospital and health system foundations with a broad social media reach.

They can offer downloadables, surveys, and resources in exchange for email addresses.

Popular examples include “Send a card to a patient in the hospital” or “Send a message of hope to a child this Valentine’s Day.” Intermountain Foundation in Salt Lake City is one such organization that asks donors and

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potential donors to send a message5 to a child at the hospital on Valentine’s Day. Once a new address has been captured, an engaging email journey can be sent.

Emb r a c i n g Tech n ol ogy Implementing a strong email program requires hospitals’ development and foundation teams to work with their IT departments to ensure that they can collect and use

patient email addresses in a compliant way. A successful lead-magnet program involves strategic collaboration between a hospital’s foundation and marketing department to amplify its messages and content through marketing-owned channels, such as social media.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can facilitate faster and more efficient content generation, allowing hospitals to ramp up their engagement. AI can also bolster segmentation

by identifying what prospects should receive messages, the type of content included, when they can be upgraded, and what type of ask to make. This technology also improves segmentation and content choices to prevent new donors from lapsing or disengaging. AI platforms that identify audiences for specific donor journeys include Dataro,6 which connects to a nonprofit’s customer relationship management (CRM) system and identifies the best acquisition and renewal prospects based on giving data, email engagement, clicks,

and downloads. Another is DonorSearch,7 which obtains and analyzes hospital data for major giving prospects.

According to The State of AI in Nonprofits 2025 Report,8 45% of nonprofits have some understanding of AI, and 26% are not yet using it.

However, as AI adoption grows and nonprofits streamline their budgets to incorporate these new technologies, nonprofit hospitals can build effectively on their donor strategies and embrace a strong, digital approach to acquisitions that can lead to long-term, engaged donors.

One email won’t move the needle.

But a thoughtful engagement strategy will.

Note s 1. Hill, Nathan. “10 Years of Decoding What Works in Online Fundraising.” NextAfter, May 31, 2022. https://www.nextafter.com/blog/10-years-of-decoding-what-works-in-online-fundraising/.

5. Make Valentine’s special for hospitalized kids! Intermountain Foundation, n.d. https://secure3. convio.net/ihchs/site/SPageNavigator/Valentines_card_page.html.

2. NYU Langone Health, n.d. https://giving.nyulangone.org/site/SPageNavigator/nurses_week_message_board.html.

6. “AI for Nonprofit Fundraising.” Dataro, n.d. https://www.dataro.io/.

3. “Research Showcase.” Ovarian Cancer Canada, March 28, 2024. https://ovariancanada.org/research-showcase.

4. “Roper St. Francis Foundation.” Make A Gift - Roper St. Francis Foundation, n.d. https:// secure2.convio.net/rsff/site/Donation2?df_ id=2782&mfc_pref=T&2782.donation=form1.

7. DonorSearch, n.d. https://www.donorsearch. net/.

8. DiGiovanni, Joe, and Janelle Levesque. Rep. The State of AI in Nonprofits: Benchmark Report on Adoption, Impact, and Trends. San Francisco, CA: TechSoup, 2025, 7-8. https://pages.techsoup.org/ hubfs/Downloads/The%20State%20of%20AI%20 in%20Nonprofits%202025.pdf?utm.

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The Gra t i t u d e Ed g e S treng t he ning Ph i l an t hrop ic S uc c e s s Th ro u gh t he We ll- B e ing o f L e a d e r s a nd S t a f f

By Linda Roszak Burton, ACC, HWBC, BBC, BS The noble profession of philanthropy is rooted in humanity—a deep commitment to improving lives and communities. Yet, today’s leaders face a variety of complex challenges, many of which have intensified in recent years due to economic, social, and insti-

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tutional shifts. For example, the Giving USA 2025 report, which shows an increase in dollars, also found a continued decline in the number of donors. Collectively, these challenges and trends underscore an urgent need for philanthropy leaders and staff to understand the impact and potential threats on their organizations. Given these pressing challenges, and in recognition of

philanthropy professionals’ deep commitment to their work, it’s essential to focus attention on the health and well-being of philanthropy leaders and their teams. Prioritizing well-being enables individuals to perform at higher levels, address these challenges, and feel rejuvenated by fulfilling their purpose of serving the common good.

W h y WellBe ing Ma t ters i n Ph ila nthro py A 2025 report by the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) underscores growing concerns around burnout, staffing shortages, and organizational capacity.1 Regarding burnout: • 57% of nonprofit leaders surveyed say that they are “somewhat/ very much” concerned about their own burnout.

• 58% say they are “moderately/significantly concerned about staff burnout.

As one nonprofit leader who participated in the report stated, “The need for our services far outweighs our ability to meet the need in a way that does not completely overwhelm our staff and burn them out.”

Staffing challenges persist: • Nearly half of nonprofit leaders cite staff-related issues, including recruitment or retention, as a significant challenge.

• A third of leaders report that the compensation they offer is not competitive with similar roles at other organizations.

Another nonprofit leader who participated in the report said, “I worry about the ability of our staff to continue being undercompensated; if some have to leave for their own financial well-being, we would not be able to replace them at our current salary levels.”

Additionally, a 2023 survey conducted by the National Council of Nonprofits found nearly 75% of nonprofits reported persistent job vacancies, severely impacting the sector’s ability to serve communities.2

Even the strongest fundraising strategies can falter when wellbeing is neglected.

Amid this level of disruption and the toll it takes on well-being, even the strongest funding strategies, donor relationships, and sense of shared purpose across an organization can be undermined. Because of the prolonged exposure to stress and uncertainty, creating greater stability in daily operations is essential for

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well-being and will positively impact internal and external relationships through greater staff engagement.

Th e Gra titude E d ge Acknowledging the subject of gratitude during challenging times may seem counterintuitive. Gratitude may be dismissed as soft or sappy, much less acknowl-

edged as an approach to successfully meet fundraising goals, but such a view is misguided. Research and evidence-based practices in gratitude have been shown to support overall well-being; enhance leadership effectiveness; strengthen team engagement; and deepen relationships with clinicians, faculty, senior leaders, and donors. The gratitude edge is an approach to connect on

a deeper human level guided by values and strengths that further sets a foundation not only to survive but to thrive.

To achieve any of these outcomes and improvements, the science shows that an individual experiencing the transformative benefits of gratitude is the first step to achieving health and well-being for themselves before they can build and broaden to other key relationships.

Various gratitude interventions have been shown to: • Lower depressive symptoms and perceived stress,3 • Increase sleep quality and reduce blood pressure,4 and • Improve emotional exhaustion, depression, subjective happiness, and work-life balance.5

We l l -Be i n g : A P illa r of P h i l a n t h ro p ic C ul t ure , St r a t e g y , a n d Le a d e r s h ip St yl e Once foundation staff personally experience and embody the evidence-based

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health and well-being benefits of gratitude, integrating the research into organizational culture, “how we speak and interact with each other,” fosters and strengthens a philanthropic culture of gratitude. As a positive psychology construct, gratitude helps create a workplace culture where people treat each other with kindness, dignity, and respect, fostering stronger relationships and overall well-being.

As a strategic imperative, it can create greater alignment with clinicians, faculty, senior leaders, and donors on the foundation’s philanthropy goals. As a leadership strategy, it motivates staff and increases engagement. We found that the expression of leader gratitude was positively related to employee work engagement, which in turn was positively related to employee work engagement and self-development behaviors including asking for feedback from leaders and peers.6 Additionally, research from the fields of positive organizational scholarship and positive organizational behavior

suggests that workplaces aiming to increase job satisfaction can do so through organizationally based gratitude interventions and by institutionalizing gratitude into workplace culture.7 Examples of such interventions include starting a gratitude group for employees interested in learning more about the science of gratitude, a series of weekly sessions using various gratitude practice techniques to improve life satisfaction and positive affect, writing thank you notes, and creating gratitude awards. Additionally, organizational leaders, outside of the philanthropy department, who role model practicing gratitude, such as publicly expressing gratitude can influence the culture, giving employees a greater a sense of belonging.

Wha t G r a t i t ud e Prac t i c e s C a n S upp or t We l l Bei n g ?

While many gratitude practices exist, choosing the most effective ones for individuals and teams requires understanding personal

A b ou t the Au t h or

Linda Roszak Burton, Principal Consultant at Accordant Health, executive coach, researcher, and author.

Linda is committed to bringing well-being and strength-based coaching methodologies to her clients informed by cutting-edge research and evidence-based applications of positive psychology, contemporary neuroscience, gratitude and healthy work environments.

Her gratitude programs aim to improve staff health and well-being and support leadership development initiatives.

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preferences and choosing approaches that meaningfully engage all stakeholders. Consider the elements of practicing gratitude, Reflect, Express, Respond.

Reflect on what would be a meaningful expression of gratitude. Express the benefits, meaning and possible sacrifices made. Respond by acknowledging the expression of gratitude rather than minimizing it. These elements can be and usually are very different for clinicians, faculty, senior leaders, team members, and donors.

Thoughtful regard for each stakeholder will inform how to genuinely cultivate and sustain a culture of gratitude, embed it as a leadership strategy, align it with strategic goals, and positively impact the work environment. Researchers have also found that gratitude collectively strengthens relationships and collaborative interactions.8 And perhaps one of the most significant benefits is a greater appreciation of each other’s role in philanthropy and a stronger sense of feeling valued.

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Cl o s i n g T h oug h t s In healthcare philanthropy, your relationships are your greatest asset, and their well-being directly impacts your mission. As you navigate current day challenges, trends, and cross-functional collaboration, consider how you would respond to the following questions:

• How can you treat your team’s well-being with the same urgency as campaign goals?

• How can gratitude become a daily leadership practice that energizes your staff and strengthens your partnerships with clinicians, faculty, and senior leaders?

• How are you recognizing and celebrating generosity, not just from donors but within your team?

• What cultural shifts could make your foundation a place where people thrive, stay, and give their best?

Gratitude is more than a gesture. It’s a leadership strategy applied both within the philanthropy team and among all organizational leaders, that enhances well-being, engagement, and supports a shared vision.

Embedding the gratitude edge into your culture advances the healing mission you serve.

Strengthening your mission starts with strengthening the people who carry it.

Note s 1. Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Emily Yang, and Christina Im. State of Nonprofits 2023: What Funders Need to Know. Cambridge, MA: Center for Effective Philanthropy, 2025. https://cep.org/report/stateof-nonprofits-2025-what-funders-need-to-know/ 2. National Council of Nonprofits. Nonprofit Workforce Survey Results: Communities Suffer as Nonprofit Workforce Shortage Crisis Continues.

2023. https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/reports/2023-nonprofit-workforce-survey-results 3. Cheng, S. T., P. K. Tsui, and J. H. Lam. “Improving Mental Health in Health Care Practitioners: Randomized Controlled Trial of a Gratitude Intervention.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 83, no. 1 (2015): 177–186. https://psycnet.apa. org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0037895 4. Jackowska, M., J. Brown, A. Ronaldson, and A. Steptoe. “The Impact of a Brief Gratitude Intervention on Subjective Well-Being, Biology and Sleep.” Journal of Health Psychology 21, no. 10 (2016): 2207–2217. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/25736389/

5. Adair, Kathryn C., Lindsay A. Kennedy, and J. Bryan Sexton. “Three Good Tools: Positively Reflecting Backwards and Forwards Is Associated with Robust Improvements in Well-Being across Three Distinct Interventions.” The Journal of Positive Psychology 15, no. 5 (2020): 613–622.

6. Chen, H., Y. Yang, N. Yang, et al. “Positive Effects of Leader Gratitude Expression on Employee Self-Development Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Work Engagement.” Current Psychology 43 (2024): 10998–11012. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s12144-023-05221-9 7. Waters, L. “Predicting Job Satisfaction: Contributions of Individual Gratitude and Institutionalized Gratitude.” Psychology 3 (2012): 1174–1176. https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=26232 8. Algoe, Sara B. “Find, Remind, and Bind: The Functions of Gratitude in Everyday Relationships.”

Social and Personality Psychology Compass 6, no.

6 (2012): 455–469. https://compass.onlinelibrary. wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2012.00439.x

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No M ore G ue s s i ng H ow U HN ’s We st Park Fou nd a t ion Tur ne d D ig it a l Lea ds i nto D o n o rs an d I m p rov e d R O I

By Doug Earle, CFRE

said, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.”

tional advertising guesses.

Digital marketing knows.”

When it comes to charitable giving, this industry adage In recent years, reflecting the can be further adjusted to F ro m H opi ng…to contrast between the old and state, “Traditional fundraising Kn owing the new ways of connecting hopes. Data-driven philanJohn Wanamaker, a 19th-cen- with a target audience, the thropy knows.” My experitury American department Wannamaker quote can be ence fundraising for UHN’s store magnate, famously updated to proclaim, “TradiWest Park Healthcare Centre,

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a rehabilitation hospital in Toronto, Ontario, shows just how true this amended adage is. By embracing audience insights and aligning our outreach with their needs and behaviors, we’ve been able to generate higher-quality leads and significantly improve our donor conversion and ROI.

Tr a ditional Ad vertis ing Mi sses t h e Ma rk

ble, long-lasting memories,”1 While this is valid, it is also true that for certain brands and industries—and for sure, certain budgets—broadcast and mass media advertising are simply not the right channels, especially when the goal is conversions and not awareness.

Media advertising has certainly not been the ideal medium when it comes to fundraising for my hospital.

If Marshall McLuhan, the Canadian philosopher, was correct in stating that, “Advertising is the greatest art form of the twentieth century,” then marketing is most definitely a science in which assembling just the right amounts of ingredients can produce an alchemy-like transformation of one’s ROI.

In traditional fundraising, we are seeking someone who cares.

For many marketers, the temptation is to fall into the trap of believing that brand recognition is king. As Daryl Weber argues in Brand Seduction, “every time you encounter a brand, a little association gets added to the pile…and these associations gained from implicit learning can build very dura-

In 2021, West Park had a 3% name recognition in the Greater Toronto area. From 2021 to 2023, our foundation created a television ad campaign (“I Am Not Done”) to share patient stories on how West Park helped “get your life back” in order to increase brand awareness and grow our donor base.

In data-driven philanthropy, we already know who does— and we know how to move them to act.

Less on s Le a r n e d .

Th e H a rd Wa y.

In traditional fundraising, we are seeking someone who cares. In data-driven philanthropy, we already know who does—and we know how to move them to act.

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Abou t t h e Au th o r

Doug Earle, CFRE, is the CEO of the Waterloo Regional Health Network Foundation (WRHNF). Prior to joining WRHNF in October 2025, Doug served as CEO of West Park Healthcare Centre Foundation for three years. He draws on over 30 years’ experience fundraising for health organizations.

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Our unaided name recognition grew from that 3% to 15% in the Greater Toronto area.2 But despite spending over $1 million on the ads and achieving 74 million impressions and 22,000 visits to our website, we secured just 30 new newsletter subscribers and could not link a single web donation to the campaign.

April 2025 edition of Forward Thinking, “understanding these influences is critical for crafting effective fundraising strategies.”3 Reflecting these behaviors, healthcare fundraising has typically focused on capital campaigns (new wings, equipment, research facilities), grateful patient programs, major gifts, and planned giving.

Having barely moved the needle on this key metric, in 2023 we went back to the drawing board and began a process that would ultimately reveal a key insight into our target audience and one that would allow us to better tell our story.

The patient experience in rehabilitation hospitals, which have lower patient volumes and longer lengths of stay, however, is fundamentally different. Because of the nature of the care we provide, our leadership roles in the health system, and specific expertise in areas such as for West Park, respiratory therapy, the key motivators to giving amongst West Park’s target donors are very different from an acute care hospital.

Th ere ’ s Heal t h c a re … and T h e n T h e re ’ s Heal t h c a re For acute care hospitals and medical institutions with big name recognition, donors often have a deeply personal experience, such as gratitude for life-saving care, support for a loved one, or a strong emotional connection that drives their engagement. As Kara Wagner noted in the

As a rehab hospital, West Park acts as a relief valve that helps reduce the stress on the overall health system by keeping patients out of emergency and facilitating their recovery to return home. More important than adding a new wing, West

Park’s priority is transforming how care is accessed and delivered.

We realized that our impact went far beyond the traditional patient story. It reached the children of the grandparent we helped to breathe better, and the patients and their family members we educated about the care and recovery of chronic conditions like COPD. In short, it offered a larger audience to engage than a traditional grateful patient experience.

Th e Tu r ning Po i nt

3. Instill genuine confidence by being transparent and credible; and 4. Add real value to the conversation of each channel and platform.

When we asked our target audience what “value” meant to them, they described a holistic experience that included consistency, reliability, and ease of use. But one element stood out: audiences now expect brands to personalize their experience.

These insights gave us the foundation of a new strategy, allowing us to reach an audience beyond our direct patient population. We launched a pilot campaign focused on three principles:

Armed with a renewed appreciation of what made us unique in our market, we began to develop a campaign TAILORED. TRUSTWORTHY. that would speak directly TARGETED. to the people to whom our specialities mattered most. It Tai l o re d . would address their needs, reflect their values, and be Trust w or t h y. delivered via the channel Tar ge t e d . that made sense for the content we wanted to share.

Ta ilo re d The messaging had to be: 1. Relevant; 2. Reflect the audience’s need to feel connected;

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) affects more than 2 million Canadians. Nearly 50% of them are undiagnosed, driving

COPD to be the second leading cause of emergency and acute services utilization.4 Leveraging West Park’s reputation in respiratory care, which is led by an internationally renowned expert in pulmonary rehabilitation, we selected COPD as the first of three topics in our campaign.

The campaign featured Facebook ads inviting the target audience to sign up (email and phone) to receive a corresponding information sheet about the condition.

We were also able to take advantage of existing inventory of hospital patient education resources including online video tutorials that had been developed during the Covid pandemic for inpatient and virtual care.

Two other pilot project topics focused on Geriatrics and Stroke, two areas where West Park plays a leading role in serving the rapidly increasing number of Canadians age 65 and older. Both programs featured a well-regarded lead physician, leadership in delivery of care and/or research, and a strong online patient education library.

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COPD Ad

Tr us two rthy Trust has always been a vital ingredient in fundraising relationships. We chose to play to our strengths and reputation to ensure the recipients of our messaging would feel confident in its reliability and authenticity.

Seniors Ad

West Park stands as a national leader in rehabilitation and complex care. Ranked in the world’s top three respiratory rehabilitation research centers, we are home to the largest respiratory rehabilitation program in Canada and Ontario’s Centres of Excellence for Long-Term Ventilation and Tuberculosis.

West Park has a rich 120-year history of innovation and dedWe also recognized that ication to patient care. Today

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trust doesn’t just come from longevity or reputation, but from delivering content people can use. In addition to showcasing our history, we invested in our digital reputation as a credible, trusted source of medical information and helpful resources like patient education videos. We provided credible COPD information even though many interested in

it will never seek care at our hospital.

COPD, healthy aging, and resources for seniors.

We initially launched the program broadly across all demographics but quickly confirmed that engagement with our brand was highest among women 45+, consistent with data showing that older women are more

Targ e te d On August 1, 2023, we launched a pilot campaign on Facebook to raise name awareness and generate leads. The ads focused on three topics: navigating

likely to support health-related causes than other age groups.5 Recognizing that women aged 50 and older are significantly more active on Facebook than other social media platforms,6 we chose it as our primary platform and, over time, targeted this demographic.

C on v e r t i n g a L e a d i n t o a D on or Re lat io n sh ip-b uilding E mails

Recovering from Stroke Every five minutes in Canada, someone has a stroke. 878,000 Canadians are living with stroke, and that number is expected to rise as our population ages. Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in Canada.

West Park Healthcare Centre’s Neurological Service helps people recover and safely return home following stroke, head injury, surgery and other neurological conditions, and has held Accreditation Canada’s Stroke Distinction status since 2016. We offer inpatient and outpatient stroke rehabilitation programs, and are the leading Canadian authority in the treatment of spasticity, a debilitating symptom of stroke and neurological illnesses including cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis.

DR. CHRIS BOULIAS Director, Adult Spasticity Management Program

DR. FAROOQ ISMAIL Director, Neurological Rehabilitation Program

What is a Stroke?

Signs of a Stroke

A stroke results from a shortage of blood flow to the brain caused by a clot (ischemic stroke) or a rupture of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). When either of these things happens, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs. The brain cells most affected by the stroke do not recover. Some brain cells surrounding the damaged area of the brain may recover.

If you think you are having a stroke, call 911 or your emergency number immediately.

Signs of a stroke include:

WestParkFoundation.ca

• Weakness on one side of your body • Numbness or tingling in your face, arm or leg • Difficulty balancing or walking • Trouble speaking or understanding what others say • Vision problems • Dizziness

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Continue reading on next page...

Example of First Follow-up Email: Stroke Fact Sheet

Each lead receives five or six emails with more information on West Park, relevant education and research, patient stories, and a very popular “Share Your Recovery Journey” survey. The lead receives a new email every 10 days. The emails link back to the hospital or foundation website. At the end, the lead is eligible for a fundraising phone call.

Te le -F u n draising Digital marketing and social media campaigns can be highly effective in lead generation, but conversion often relies on human connection.

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In The History of Telemarketing - What’s changed over the years?,7 the authors stress the need for telemarketers to use targeted data to tailor their pitch and build rapport.

This change has transformed telemarketing from a quick, poorly targeted sales tool, into a sustainable, personalized approach to sparking meaningful conversations.

At West Park, we use two list sources for tele-fundraising: 1. Tele-Fundraising-Friendly List A list of hundreds of thousands of telemarketing friendly individuals who have given to charity over the phone sourced through our supplier 2. Facebook Lead List Digital leads are added to our call lists after a welcome email series.

P rog r a m R e s u lt s

Email Campaign Flow and Sample Email

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Our Facebook campaign generated over 23,000 leads at a cost of $7.30 per lead. In the past year, we had more than 139,000 website visits compared to 22,000 during our previous “I Am Not Done”

campaign. The leads generated have resulted in 209 pledges.

Key Ta ke a w ay s • Leads that received the full relationship-building set of emails became part of the Foundation’s tele-fundraising acquisition campaign, starting in November 2023.

• Facebook leads converted to donors at a rate of 6.3% compared to the tele-fundraising friendly prospect list of 5.0%.

• 30% of pledges used a credit card, reducing fulfilment costs.

• Our newsletter subscriber list grew from 4,000 to over 25,000, driven by new interest in topics like COPD and Stroke.

Co nc l usi on Spending more doesn’t necessarily deliver better results. As Markus Kreth, CEO of Asia Media Publishing Group says, “the key… lies in the qualitative aspects of how the money is spent, i.e., by implementing data analytics, converting data into actionable metrics, and mapping customer journeys effectively.”8 This is precisely what we have successfully done. We have created an ongoing asset for the foundation of engaged leads and new donors.

After two years, our results have been very encouraging, with higher engagement and a substantial increase in lifetime value. While we’re still refining our geriatric

targeting, the impact is clear: we’ve shifted our supporter base—and our donor base is following.

When we ask people to donate to West Park to help fund our new hospital building or clinic equipment, we’re not just fundraising for infrastructure. We’re asking people to donate to our strategy to help patients faced with a life-changing injury or illness to get their lives back.

Our tailored, targeted, and trustworthy approach has taken the guesswork out of our marketing mix. The formula clearly resonates with our donors and, in the process, has dramatically improved our ROI.

Note s 1. Weber, D. Brand Seduction. Career Press, 2016, 67.

2. “Internal Report to Board of Directors.” 2023.

3. Wagner, K. “Driving Strategy Through Demographics.” Forward Thinking, 2025.

4. Health Canada. “Public Health Infobase.” March 3, 2018. Accessed https://health-infobase.canada.ca/datalab/copd-blog.html.

5. Fidelity Charitable. “Women and Giving.” 2017.

6. Pew Research Center. 2024. Accessed https:// www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/01/31/ americans-social-media-use/.

7. River B2B Telemarketing Services. “The History of Telemarketing - What’s Changed Over the Years?”

June 2022. Accessed https://www.riverb2b.com/ post/the-history-of-telemarketing.

8. Kreth, Markus. “Maximizing Digital Marketing Spend: Why Spending More Doesn’t Always Equal Better Performance.” Forbes, 2023.

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A b o u t UHN ’ s Wes t P a r k He alt h c are Ce n t re Located in Toronto’s west end, West Park has a 120-year rich history of providing specialized rehabilitative and complex care to patients after life-altering illness or injury such as lung disease, amputation, stroke and traumatic musculoskeletal injuries. West Park Healthcare Centre is one of five hospitals in the University Health Network, Canada’s #1 hospital.

A b o u t Wes t P a r k F ou n dat io n In 2024, UHN’s West Park Healthcare Centre opened a new hospital building, the center of a redevelopment that is improving access to their in-demand rehabilitative and complex care programs and enabling them to transform how they deliver care. The $80 million capital campaign “Get Your Life Back” continues to raise funds towards the completion of the $1.2 billion campus redevelopment. In 2026, they will have grown from 467 to 704 beds and doubled their outpatient capacity to help seniors remain healthy and independent.

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SPONSORED CONTENT

Turn the Page: Making 2026 Your Year of Strategic Philanthropy Growth Bridget Murphy, CFRE, Principal, Graham-Pelton As we enter a new year, healthcare development professionals have a unique opportunity to transform their organizations’ philanthropic potential. The largest wealth transfer in history is underway: over the next 25 years, an estimated $84 trillion will pass between generations, with nonprofits positioned to receive $9 trillion.

The foundation of this transformation is a strategic plan for philanthropy that mirrors your organization’s broader priorities AND positions philanthropy as a priority itself.

Th e D a ta - Dri ven I mpera tive The 2025 AHP Report on Giving reveals remarkable results from high performers: Revenue High Performers reached a median ROI of

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Yo ur R oa d m a p F o rwa rd

Le a d i n g t h e C h a r ge

Start with a comprehensive Development Assessment by a third-party consultant.

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The new year offers the perfect moment to turn the page. Don’t wait for permission. Lead the transformation your organization needs.

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Modern fundraising demands a bold, fresh approach.

clearly

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