Philanthropy Leadership Master Class
The economic, social and philanthropy landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade. Philanthropy strategy, donor acquisition and retention, multiple engagement platforms and the dramatic need for talent and professional development are priorities across the industry.
Eddie Thompson leads this 90-minute discussion with four industry leaders, Bill Littlejohn, David Flood, Susan Doliner and Randy Varju. They share their professional journeys, insights and lessons learned to help the next generation of philanthropy leaders meet the challenges of a new era and environment.
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Questions Answered
In a world of many priorities, what strategies do you use in determining the top priorities for your philanthropic organizations?
Bill Littlejohn: The philanthropic component of the Sharp HealthCare’s Five-Year Operating, Cash and Capital Plan is a nationally recognized best practice. The plan is relied upon by Sharp’s outside rating agencies, Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s, in their evaluation of Sharp’s financial strength and growth over each five-year horizon.
The rolling 5-year (add a year/take off a year) strategic and financial planning process involves all the entities, including the Foundations. The 5-year capital and operating financial plan is updated first, where the system projects:
- Net income from operations
- Borrowing
- Cash distributions from the Foundations for capital and operating projects and initiatives
The total amount available (the capital constraint) from the 5-year financial plan is then allocated to priority projects that are in the current strategic plan. The Foundations’ cash distributions are identified for priority capital and operating projects by entity (we know about them years in advance from the planning process). There is a cash distribution goal for every five-year period (current plan is $125 million in cash distributions over five years).
David Flood: In our health system, we have made it a point to closely align our Foundation’s messaging and outreach with the health system (as opposed to trying to raise for things we think we can raise money for, which is not maximizing mission potential). A few ways we have hard-wired this practice:
- Each development officer works with their respective hospital leader annually to define approved needs that we believe to be attractive for philanthropy.
- This same local CEO’s also shares a fundraising goal with their gift officer as part of their evaluation.
- As CDO, I also serve on the system’s Executive Leadership Team, so I am at the table where developing interests of the system are being discussed, while also sharing in the capital request committee. This creates a lot of alignment, while bringing the voice of the donor to the table.
Susan Doliner: We continuously monitor the strategic priorities of each service line. We determine funding needs at all levels from $10,000 to over $1 million. As we track those strategic priorities, we keep the senior leadership team at the hospital informed. Any initiative of significant funding value would need to flow through a vetting process with the finance and leadership team of the hospital. Until project capital or operational is approved, philanthropic dollars cannot be directed. This assures that philanthropy doesn’t drive decision making and hospital leadership has full responsibility for aligning and prioritizing strategic priorities. Onetime expenses at lower levels can be approved at the service line level, as long as it doesn’t impact ongoing operational cost – which philanthropy cannot and will not own going forward. The vision statements for each service line are the most helpful documents we have.
Randy Varju: The first step is to align with strategic priorities that the system is committed to. Health Equity and Environmental Sustainability are two examples. The capital allocation process is also a key resource for us. This brings the bigger projects seeking funding at the system level through a vetting process that aligns projects with the direction of the system. In many cases, the larger building projects will incorporate a component of philanthropy in the proposal. For those projects that don’t meet the capital threshold, we look to the presidents in each of our regions or program and service line leaders to determine fundable initiatives at the 1, 3, and 5 year timeframe.
In healthcare fundraising, building partnerships with clinicians is vital to fundraising success. What tactics do you all use to build relationships with clinicians to drive a grateful patient referrals?
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To aid your board members, do any of you create personal partnership plans with trustees so that they agree where and how they can help for the year and your teams know how to support them? What do those lists of opportunities for participation look like?
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What, if any, advanced degrees or certifications really matter for philanthropy leaders?
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What do you think is more appropriate - Office of Development or Office of Philanthropy?
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What is the risk of AI to the philanthropic sector? Is it a blessing or curse in your opinion?
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Do you apply the HML performer process with your teams?
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What is the best pathway to increase staff professionalism?
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Why is Advancement and Promotions such an issue?
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Can you work yourself out of the opportunity to advance?
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Would you be willing to be a little vulnerable and share some things you each are working on in your continual desire to be an outstanding philanthropy leader?
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What is the best example of a direct mail appeal for planned giving? We send emails, but our donors prefer analog
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Engaging Institutional Allies -- are the allies donor prospects or colleagues? Or both? How are allies different from cultivating and stewarding relationships?
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What are the two or three challenges in leading a high-performing team and program?
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What are the best ways to improve donor acquisition and retention?
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How does one create a successful philanthropic strategy?
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Do you have strategies to maintain stability and momentum among turnover? There's turnover internally within the Philanthropy team and turnover in external key partners, like clinical chiefs and chairs, hospital exec team and even board members that have been key influencers.
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How does one drive the improvement of philanthropic and institutional culture?
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What are the best practices for achieving support from corporate marketing?
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David, you have centralized your Board and consolidated governance. How much time and money has that saved your organization?
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Bill, how do you measure the activities of the Board that are outlined on slide 14?
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Communication continues to be a highly valued trait across our team and our organization. What's your approach to transparency and information sharing with hospital leadership as well as within the internal philanthropy team?
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What are the historic modeling tools that Sue mentioned? She said there are tools that can show you who your donors were when they were younger.
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Bill, if your organization does not have a high quantity of provider donors, even after conversations, how would you better engage with doctors?
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For a development officer looking to grow, how should you approach conversations with leadership when you want to have a more active role in principal gifts? It is my experience, that most of these gift strategies are led by the executives which, in some cases, can be a list growth opportunity for the development officer.
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As someone who is leaving a long tenured career with a smaller entity for a new system- what is the best advice you would give to start with a new donor and system to be successful and start another long tenured career.
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Other Resources
About the Host & Presenters
Eddie Thompson, Ed.D., FCEP
While Eddie attended Vanderbilt University in the 1970’s for his doctorate degree, the country was experiencing hyper-inflation. Inflation was rising faster than universities could raise tuition. Eddie wrote his dissertation on fundraising in higher education comparing the 13 most successful organizations with 13 less successful organizations.
From his findings and own experience working in development shops, Eddie formed Thompson & Associates in 1996 with a unique values-based estate planning model. It provides a way for people to dedicate the necessary time to consider important life decisions and to engage in thoughtful discussion that leads to optimal results for supporters, their families, and their favorite organizations.
Eddie has planned thousands of estates, which has generated billions of dollars to charity during his thirty plus years working with nonprofits. He speaks to organizations from coast to coast on successful fundraising techniques, nonprofit management and charitable estate planning and has garnered many honors during his distinguished career.
Bill Littlejohn
Senior VP and CEO // The Foundations of Sharp HealthCare
Bill Littlejohn is one of the nation’s leading health care philanthropy professionals. With more than three decades of experience, Littlejohn has led and directed philanthropic programs that have generated nearly a billion dollars.
Littlejohn joined Sharp HealthCare in 2002 as senior vice president and chief executive officer of the Foundations of Sharp HealthCare. He oversees the entire philanthropic program for Sharp, and under his leadership, Sharp has generated more than $300 million in philanthropy and launched ENVISION: The Campaign for Sharp HealthCare, a $2 billion investment in the future of health care in San Diego.
David Flood
Senior VP & Chief Development Officer President // Intermountain Foundation
Recognized as an industry thought leader, Dave Flood shares his knowledge with charitable organizations and forums throughout the United States and abroad.
Dave joined Intermountain Healthcare in 2013. As Chief Development Officer, Dave drives innovation through the direction and oversight of Intermountain Foundation, a comprehensive healthcare fundraising network designed to meet needs of Intermountain’s hospitals, and related healthcare services.
Randy Varju
Foundation President and Chief Development Officer // AdvocateAurora Health
Randy has executive responsibility for the vision, planning, implementation and management of charitable giving and fundraising for all 27 Advocate and Aurora hospitals, and system-wide development initiatives.
Randy has served the not-for-profit sector in development roles for three decades, initially in the human services sector with Easter Seals and United Way and later in higher education with institutional advancement for Lewis University. In 1999, he moved to the health care sector, joining Advocate Charitable Foundation as vice president for development for South Suburban Hospital. In 2002, he transitioned to Advocate Christ Medical Center and Hope Children’s Hospital as vice president of development.
Susan Doliner
Vice President of Philanthropy // Maine Medical Center
Sue is one of the nation’s leading health care philanthropy professionals. Sue has led philanthropic programs that have generated nearly half a billion dollars throughout her career.
Sue joined Maine Medical Center in 1990, building a distinguished career in philanthropy over more than three decades, including shaping one of Maine’s most comprehensive development programs at Northern New England’s largest health care provider Maine Medical Center and The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center.
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