Success Stories

GRANTS: SUCCESS STORY

PROBLEM:

Organization operating in 88-year-old buildings urgently needed to renovate because moving their facility wasn't a practical option.

SOLUTION:

They secured a $400,000 lead grant for their $1 million renovation project, phased the work over several years to enable them to develop matching grants. Despite the economic crisis, they have secured the funding from grants, donations, and special events to enable them to complete 80% of the work, while continuing to raise the remainder of needed funds.

COMMUNICATIONS: SUCCESS STORY

PROBLEM:

A community hospital was in the process of merging with another nearby hospital. Although the merger would result in superior care for the patients of both through combining resources and achieving economies of scale, the public perception was that it would threaten their hospital. The Foundation found it increasingly hard to raise funds in this atmosphere and needed to change the perception.

SOLUTION:

A brochure that explained the benefits of the merger to all, in simple terms anyone could understand. The brochure was developed by the Foundation and included with three of its mailings that year. The result: A 12% increase in donations.

Merger Brochure

COMMUNICATIONS: SUCCESS STORY

PROBLEM:

A nonprofit organization wanted to increase awareness of the number of ways a charitable contribution could not only memorialize someone, but also honor occasions like birthdays and anniversaries, and also act as a memento of appreciation for those who had provided exceptional service. The goal was twofold: to increase affiliation between donors and the institution, and also to increase contributions from this source. They had a special envelope for making such donations, but the options were hard to read and only those who already had the idea of making a memorial gift would ask for the envelopes.

SOLUTION:

Create a flyer explaining the many ways to use a donation to honor or memorialize a loved one, caregiver, physician, friend or family member. Highlight the two-way benefits of recognizing someone important and benefiting the organization that helped. The flyer was included in all mailings and distributed at events and onsite, with the result that contributions from this source increased and many donors made this form of gift a regular part of their annual giving.