3 Traits of Successful Hospital Fundraisers

It's tempting to dismiss healthcare fundraising and development professionals as little more than specialized salespersons. But it would be a mistake to underestimate the full array of skills they must have to meet your organization's financial goals.

The announcement last week that Johns Hopkins' Kimmel Cancer Center has received a gift of $65 million earmarked for a new patient care building, isn't just good news for future cancer patients—it also highlights the importance of fundraising efforts and healthcare philanthropy.

The benefits of having a dedicated, in-house fundraising team depend largely on recruiting and hiring the right professionals. Knowing a candidate is in possession of the full complement of skills can be tricky. Some experts share their insights:

1. More Than Just Sales Experience
It's tempting to dismiss a fundraiser as a glorified salesperson, but don't stop there—look further. While a similar skillset is needed, the best fundraising professionals and development specialists are motivated not only by earning bigger commissions and crushing their sales goals and competitors, but by something else.

Fundraisers absolutely must feel passionately about the cause they're raising funds for, says Sarah Gnarre, vice president of Development at Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport, MA.

If someone were to attempt to raise funds for a cause they didn't believe in, "It wouldn't work out," she says. A fundraiser must have a deep connection to healthcare philanthropy, either due to a personal experience, a sense of altruism, or other personal reasons.

2. Human Touch
While fundraisers often earn decent and at top levels handsome compensation packages, they rarely earn as much as sales professionals, so those who seek work in the field of healthcare philanthropy are often pursuing more than a paycheck.

"It's a rare combination [of traits] Bill Mountcastle, president of Health Philanthropy Services Group, told me. He believes the most important attributes of a professional fundraiser in healthcare are personal integrity and confidentiality. "You're dealing private financial information and the sanctity of the patient-doctor relationship."

Another trait Mountcastle lists as desirable is a high level of empathy. "We're looking for that unique individual who knows how to sit and talk with very educated surgeons and doctors, but also has the empathy to sit and talk with an 80-year old widow who recently lost her husband."

Bill McGinly, president and CEO of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, agrees. "You want enthusiasm, a can-do attitude, and the ability to be a closer. [You want] someone who doesn't just ask, but follows through to make sure they're paying attention to the donor's needs and matching them to the needs of the community," he says.

Candidates must also have a firm understanding of what's going on in healthcare and the inner workings of hospital and health systems as well, he adds.

3. The Right Stuff
The most important skill of all is probably the ability to ask for—and get—money from donors.

"Someone can't just be committed to a cause with no follow through [and be a successful fundraiser]. They must be able to ask for a gift," says Gnarre. She suggests looking at job candidates' results in their last jobs. "How many visits, proposals, and gifts did they generate each year?"

Another factor to look at is how long a candidate has stayed with former employers and their reasons for leaving previous jobs—a 2013 study by CompassPoint found that 50% of development directors plan to leave their current organizations within the next two years and 25% of executive directors fired their last development director.

While that high turnover rate is unfortunate in any office, it's especially bad in fundraising, where it is essential to cultivate strong relationships with donors. "The relationships you have to grow are very longterm. You want your fundraisers to stick around," said McGinly.

In short, the strongest candidates for fundraising positions have industry knowledge, sharp sales skills coupled with an ability to display empathy and develop relationships with donors and potential donors.

The $65 million announced by Johns Hopkins last week, while among its largest gifts, is only the organization's latest. Earlier this year it received $90 million from a benefactor who had previously given $20 million. While it can be said that Johns Hopkins has been fortunate, it's unlikely these gifts would have happened without the active hard work, persuasive skills, and empathy of fundraising professionals.