September 30, 2004 | Read Time: 2 minutes
American hospitals and other health-care institutions raised an estimated $5.9-billion in the 2003 fiscal year, up 6.5 percent from 2002, according to a new report by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy.
For Canadian hospitals, the increase was even bigger, 10.2 percent, for a total of $1.12-billion.
William C. McGinly, president of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, attributes the increase to three factors: chief executives playing an increased role in fund raising, a strengthened economy, and the public’s general awareness of health care, especially leading up to a presidential election.
“In the last two to three years, CEO involvement in philanthropy has grown tremendously,” said Mr. McGinly. “Some CEO’s are being asked to spend 20 percent of their time on philanthropy, which is pretty significant.”
Mr. McGinly said the gains seem to be continuing in 2004. “What our people are telling us is that there’s an awful lot of optimism out there as far as health-care fund raising goes,” he said.
He added: “Awareness about health care, particularly in a political year, gets people to pay more attention to it.”
250 Institutions
The report is based on a survey of more than 250 institutions in the United States and Canada.
More than one-third of all funds raised in 2003 came from people who gave in response to annual-fund appeals (17.5 percent) or who made major gifts (16.5 percent).
Money raised through special events accounted for 14.2 percent of donations, and 13.7 percent was from gifts for capital campaigns.
Grants from foundations and corporations and planned gifts each accounted for about 11 percent, while investment income, memorial gifts, and online donations made up the remainder.
The total number of donors last year grew by 1.5 percent, and the number of gifts received grew by 0.4 percent.
Individuals provided the largest share of all funds raised — 61.4 percent.
Canadian Donations
At Canadian health-care institutions, cash contributions accounted for $857-million, or 76.2 percent, of the donations received. Contributions from individuals also accounted for the bulk of the money raised by Canadian organizations.
A summary of the report, “USA/Canada Association for Healthcare Philanthropy Report on Giving FY 2003,” is available to association members, and a CD-ROM of the entire report is free for association members who completed the survey. Additional copies cost members $100 each. Nonmembers may purchase the report for $150.
To order, contact the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, 313 Park Avenue, Suite 400, Falls Church, Va. 22046; (703) 532-6243; fax (703) 532-7170; http://www.ahp.org.
