Philanthropy professionals who work on behalf of hospitals listed hospital major donor fundraising development, retention and upgrades and refilling the donor pipeline as their top three fundraising priorities, according to a new study. But while the hospital community reported successes within each priority, a few concerns linger regarding technology’s impact on major donor relations.

Nearly eight out of ten (79%) hospital-focused fundraisers, including those working on hospital major donor fundraising, with “very well integrated” annual and major giving programs reported increased year-over-year revenue, according to Digital Fundraising Benchmark Report for Hospitals, a new report from the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy and Digital Health Strategies.

Give personalized renewal and reactivation messaging some credit for that. More than 60% of foundations that used these tactics reported increases in revenue, helping to fuel a 20% year-over-year boost in online donor retention rates. Overall, the percentage of online donors rose to 16.1% during 2024 from 14.6% in 2023.

Online giving has accelerated during 2024, with the average reported online gift (with two months left in the calendar year) coming in at $373, up from $178, and overall average value of online donors nearly doubling from $224 in 2023 to $417.

The Limits of Tools for Hospital Major Donor Fundraising

But even the most sophisticated tools have their limits for hospital major donor fundraising, especially with major donors who are accustomed to high levels of personal touch. Just 15% of respondents felt major donor tools played a significant role in converting high-value prospects. And three-quarters indicated their major giving tools were not supporting their organizational goals as well as they had hoped.

That’s cause for alarm, as major gifts from hospital major donor fundraising were the largest source of income, trailed by grants, low- and mid-level gifts, planned giving, events and corporate partnerships and peer-to-peer fundraising.

Overall, 62% of foundations reported increases in fundraising revenue, with just under 15% reporting declines.

The study’s other findings include:

  • Digital channels are increasingly playing a role in major gifts in hospital major donor fundraising, with online gifts in excess of $10,000 seeing nearly a 10% increase over 2023’s level.
  • Personalization works, with the 60%+ of organizations basing asks on the most recent gift date realizing increased revenue from donors with whom they had previous relationships.

Read the full article about hospital major donor fundraising by Richard H. Levey at The Nonprofit Times.