Building a grateful patient donor pipeline through strategic events

Abstract

Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a specialty hospital dedicated to musculoskeletal health. HSS is nationally ranked highest in orthopaedics and second highest in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2016–2017), and has been ranked highest in these specialties for the past 25 years. HSS has a US$1bn budget and is in the final year of a historic US$300m Your Life: Our Mission fundraising campaign focused on building support for capital expansion, research and endowment needs that align with the Hospital‘s strategic plan. Central to the success of the campaign has been an effort to engage grateful patients, secure new donors and inspire greater levels of support. This paper provides an overview of our approach to building the pipeline of major donors through strategic events and practical tools for the successful replication of this method, including ways to engage physicians and high-level volunteers in the fundraising process.