A simple 10 point action plan to set up a Grateful Patient Fundraising Programme in an NHS hospital

1. Write a business case and get buy-in from your Trustees
2. Take your Chair to present your business case to your hospital CEO / Chair
3. Plan a Pilot in one department
4. Pick your department carefully - consider the three essentials;
   1. Some evidence of historic giving
   2. Hospital staff who are pro-fundraising / pro your charity
   3. Engaged clinicians who will participate in fundraising
5. Allocate your best fundraiser or your own time to work on this if you’re a sole fundraiser
6. Write down how you’re going to measure success and evaluate your current position
7. Host briefings for ALL staff involved in the department before you start. Educate them about the importance of philanthropy to patients. Bring a patient to talk to them. Answer their difficult questions - they will some, likely around patient confidentiality / are we pressuring patients / what do we do if people are upset / I don’t have time -  win them over.
8. Develop your materials and a process for capturing referrals. Will you be happy with contactless donations but no donor data, would you like donors to return a donation envelope, how will you handle introductions from the ward? Will you be present on the ward / available on the phone?
9. Be highly visible. Know your pilot department inside and out. Be their “go to” person who knows exactly how much they’ve raised, how they will spend it, how donations have been previously spent. Become part of the team.
10. Learn about what works in your hospital - it will be different from others. You might have 5 different hospital sites across a city, you might be a sole fundraiser in a small, rural hospital with no A&E. Once you have completed your pilot, you can develop a plan for further roll-out.

[Step 11] Get advice from someone who’s already learned by doing and has made all the mistakes you want to avoid!