What is a grateful patient fundraising programme?

A grateful patient fundraising programme can sound intimidating and scary but it’s really not. It is simply a way for hospitals to enable patients who want to say thank you, to do so. Sounds easy right? Except the NHS is not wired to do that

It is hard for patients to say thank you because:

• The NHS traditionally focuses on the bad things that happen. They are constantly measuring and evaluating what’s gone wrong so are hard-wired to be thinking about negative news, not positive feedback.
• Hospitals are not used to promoting philanthropy.
• NHS staff find it hard to accept compliments!

‍Why should we make it easier for patients to say thank you?

• Saying thank you is important to patients. It can be a vital part of a patient’s healing process - particularly in the aftermath of life-saving treatment. It’s important for them to be able to let go and move on.
• The national NHS staff survey has shown that staff morale is at a critical level. “The fall in staff morale is a real cause for concern, in particular in the numbers of staff who are considering leaving the workforce which has risen to just under a third (31%) since last year.” We know that staff who engage with fundraising see improvements in their wellbeing.
• A by-product of patients saying thank you is that charities find it easier to raise more money. Grateful patient programmes are the most cost-effective, strategic way for NHS charities to fundraise.

‍A grateful patient programme is NOT:

• Chugging! Research shows that two-thirds of British people would cross the road to escape the attention of a street collector or "chugger". We deliberately decided against having face-to-face marketers on our hospital campus. However we have been determined competition from regional air ambulance charities and a large NHS hospital charity doing face-to-face in our region. Now might be the time to re-think given how profitable it is.
• Bucket rattling. **Shudders**
• This is not about charities forcing patients to give. Fundraising is never about that - it is simply about giving patients the opportunity to give, should they want to.
• A one-way street. A GPPis not just about raising money and building a database. It’s about enabling your charity to spend more money on meaningful projects that support patients and staff.

‍A grateful patient programme IS:

• The core component of any NHS charity’s fundraising strategy.
• The simplest way an NHS charity will increase its income.
• About educating NHS staff that philanthropy is a good, positive, emotive thing and patients enjoy giving back.
• A great way of improving staff morale.
• Easy to implement.

‍What does a Grateful Patient Fundraising Programme look like?

1. Simple: Macro-level programme to increase visibility of the charity
2. Involved: The addition of a fundraising strategy and tools to increase your income
3. ‍Advanced: A pervasive programme where philanthropy is intertwined with your hospital at every level

We can develop a bespoke Grateful Patient Fundraising Programme for your hospital whether your charity is independent or corporate trustee, whether you're single-site or multi-site, whether you're a team of one or a team of 20. With a carefully planned grateful patient programme, you can seismically shift your income.