Common questions about recruiting hospital foundation executive directors
Q: Should we confine the search to only candidates with a hospital fundraising background?
No. It certainly helps to have hospital fundraising experience because it indicates that the candidate is attracted to the hospital mission and can work in a hospital environment. However, many hospital foundations actually have weak fundraising programs in comparison to other nonprofits. Therefore, limiting the candidate pool to those with a hospital fundraising experience limits the list of candidates with a strong fundraising background. The principles of effective fundraising are transferable from non-health organizations to hospitals.
Q: Are University Endowment departments the best place to look for experienced fundraising talent?
Not necessarily. There is no question that universities and colleges have been in the fundraising arena longer than most hospitals. Therefore they have a more mature development program. This provides a rich environment for gaining fundraising experience. However, candidates that come from a University endowment operation with hundreds of thousands of alumni and a large specialized staff can struggle when moving to a hospital situation where there are no alumni and the development staff must wear many hats. Often, at a hospital foundation, the development staff must “scratch” for prospects and have a small donor base. Candidates coming from a university background can have difficulty adjusting to a very different development environment.
Q: What is the most important trait we should look for when examining a candidate’s fundraising/development background?
Background in capital campaigns. Capital campaigns are major fundraising efforts that involve setting a high goal, engaging volunteers and soliciting many individuals to reach the goal. They are perhaps the most effective fundraising tool that exists for raising large dollars. A campaign will “jump start” the overall development program. Some development officers are hesitant to go into capital campaigns because they involve a lot of work and risk. Those that have shown the willingness to do so have a leg up.
Q: What else should we look for when recruiting hospital fundraising leadership?
Planned Giving skills. The beneficiaries of hospital services are often older individuals. It is important that candidates can work well with this age group. Because of these demographics, hospital fundraising has great potential for planned gift fundraising, e.g. charitable bequests. Candidates who enjoy older adults and understand planned giving are often a good fit for hospital fundraising.