This past week I had the opportunity to join my colleagues from Givzey and Version2.ai in San Diego for the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) International Conference. It was great to find myself amongst such passionate fundraisers and their leadership.
The conference focused on key trends and innovations in healthcare fundraising, providing insights for fundraisers worldwide. Here are some of my main takeaways:
Leveraging Technology and AI: Sessions highlighted how artificial intelligence and data analytics can help healthcare organizations tailor donor engagement and enhance fundraising effectiveness. Zack Kass led insightful discussions on the future of AI in philanthropy during the opening keynote session which was very relevant to the work we are doing at Version2.ai as we wrap up the 5th week with our Innovation Partners, introducing the very first fully autonomous fundraiser, the Virtual Engagement Officer.
Donor Relations and Stewardship: Many sessions emphasized strategies for cultivating deeper relationships with donors, focusing on major gifts, planned giving, and stewardship. Personalized communication and gratitude practices were stressed as essential for retaining donor loyalty and we saw Givzey customers who were happy to report that they’re ahead of these issues and using Intelligent Gift Documentation Management to elevate world-class donor experiences.
Ethics in Fundraising: Ethical considerations, such as maintaining donor privacy and transparency in financial reporting, were discussed as crucial for maintaining public trust in healthcare philanthropy.
Diversity and Inclusion: Emphasizing the importance of inclusivity, the conference explored strategies for engaging a broader donor base, ensuring fundraising practices and campaigns resonate across diverse communities.\
From a personal perspective, two specific sessions stood out to me the most:
Roundtable Discussion - Donor Engagement Through Stewardship: Building Long-Term Donor Relationships: It was incredible to join the conversation between multiple healthcare organizations, of various sizes, as they shared best practices and ideas around mid-level annual giving. (Thank you for letting this former fundraiser listen in on the discussion - Kelle Schalin and Jennifer Schlobohm of PeaceHealth, Ann Broudy of Brooks Health Foundation, Krista Miller of Cameron Hospital Foundation, Amy Hanfler of CentraCare, Randi Bagley of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, LeAnn Mouw of Minnesota State, and Eric Proffitt of Mercy Health Foundation!)
Bridging the Gap: Philanthropy’s Role in Advancing Health Equity: I enjoyed the conversation moderated by Polly Breit of CCS Fundraising around the importance of dismantling barriers and providing access to healthcare to all. Both Crystal Potter Rivera of Foundation at Denver Health Foundation and Preston S. Walton of Alameda Health System Foundation offered great perspectives on the topic and how impactful every gift in their department can be, including Preston’s proudest moment of securing a $5,000 gift to provide blood pressure cuffs that resulted in unbelievable outcomes for their patients.
All in all, it was a great week to network and connect back to my fundraising roots. I enjoyed being surrounded by individuals who are working endlessly to create change all across the world, especially in the healthcare sector. Now being on another side, where I am not securing gifts but in return helping fundraisers become more efficient in order to do so, it just further showed me how much technology can help improve the lives of those on the frontline. Whether it is streamlining processes, scaling up multi-year gifts, providing personal, donor-centric communication, growing capacity for the team, you name it - it was very apparent how excited fundraisers were to discover the all-in-one gift documentation platform that Givzey provides.
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