$6 Million to Construct Multi-Use Facility

Situation and Goals

The Medcen Foundation, now the Medcen Community Health Foundation Navicent Health in Macon, Georgia, was started in 1973. PRIDE’s partnership began in 1990 when a refresh and expansion of philanthropy was needed to meet the needs of an exponentially growing market. At that time, The Medical Center of Central Georgia, now The Medical Center, Navicent Health, had been prominently named in national news as "5th most profitable hospital in the country", so constituent messaging of “Why give them money?” was extremely  time-sensitive. The organization wanted to offer more community outreach opportunities with more easily accessible health information, so Pride’s first campaign was $6 Million to construct a multi-use facility to house needed services not covered by insurance.

Strategy

• Feasibility studies to set financial goals, priority projects, potential lead donors, and campaign volunteers

• Significantly expand the Foundation board structure to 50+ diverse community leaders, tasked with educating their peers and community-at-large about importance of their hospital's continued financial strength to maintain excellence and achieve their “beyond just the four walls outreach" initiatives

• Their older donor base offered opportunities to promote benefits of planned gifts and recognize those donors, establishing a solid platform for more estate gifts

Results

• Focusing staff and campaign volunteers on mid-to-high-level asks was effective in all five campaigns: community outreach, hospice house, cancer center, heart center, and children's hospital, with each exceeding increasingly higher goals

• $50+ Million raised during PRIDE’s partnership

• One feasibility study interview discussion with a $5000 one-time donor resulted in a multi-million dollar gift for heart center just three weeks later