publication date: Oct 10, 2012
Donors to Canada's health care institutions
increased contributions by $151 million last year, 12.5% more than in fiscal
year 2010. Cash donations and pledges in FY 2011 totaled $1.355
billion, according to the
AHP Report on Giving-Canada issued October 3 by the
Association for Health Care Philanthropy.
"It has been four long years since Canadian
hospitals and health care systems were able to exceed the $1.337 billion raised
through philanthropy in 2007. This had been the high-water mark for giving to
health care institutions in Canada since the year 2000," noted
Jory Pritchard-Kerr, AHP regional
director for Canada and executive director of
Collingwood General & Marine Hospital Foundation.
Updated equipment accounted for more than 53 cents
of every donated dollar. Other important purposes for which
donations were expended included construction and renovation projects (13.3%), resources
for research and teaching (9.8%) and general operations (8.3%).
Individual
donors dominate
As in past years, more than 8 of every 10 donors
were individual givers. They contributed almost 6 of every 10 dollars raised.
Most such donors were from the health care institution's surrounding community,
while persons with direct ties to the facility, such as patients, staff,
physicians and board members, represented more than 37% of all individual
donors.
Slightly more than 1 in 10 donors were businesses
or foundations. Their contributions exceeded 3 of every 10 dollars raised.
The FY 2011 report indicates more fundraising success
was achieved through major gifts and annual giving than the previous year,
while the portion of funds raised dipped for special events and planned giving,
but remained about the same for capital campaigns.
Fundraising
ROI better in smaller facilities
The cost to raise a dollar rose to 30 cents in 2011,
up two cents from a year earlier. On average, fundraisers brought in $3.36 for
every dollar of fundraising expenses last year, 20 cents less than in FY
2010.
This overall average ROI varied depending on the size of the
health care facility. The ROI for facilities with 100 to 199 beds actually
jumped $1.24 to $3.38 over the year, while slipping 75 cents to $3.60 for
institutions with more than 400 beds.
The AHP Report on Giving is based on a survey of
North American health care institutions affiliated with the Association for
Healthcare Philanthropy, a not-for-profit organization established in 1967
whose 5,000 members direct philanthropic programs in 2,200 of North America's
3,400 nonprofit health care providers, including 211 in Canada.
Survey results for the U.S. indicated that
philanthropic fundraising by nonprofit health care institutions totaled $8.941
billion in fiscal year 2011, up from $8.264 billion in FY 2010. Giving patterns
are similar in the U.S. and Canada, with individual donors accounting for most
contributions and most money raised.
U.S. hospitals and health care systems
devote a smaller portion of donated dollars to buying equipment and larger
portions to physical plant improvements, general operations and community
benefit programs than their Canadian counterparts.
