Pursuant helps Children’s Medical Center 

Grow Mid-Level Giving

Children’s Medical Center partnered with Pursuant to coach the hospital’s development officers, resulting in significantly larger sums raised in less time

Client Profile
Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas is a private, not-for-profit hospital dedicated to making life better for children with serious illnesses and injuries. The facility is one of the nation’s largest pediatric healthcare providers, and its specialty programs have been ranked among the best in the country.

Challenge
For years, the development team at Children’s followed a traditional approach to fundraising that focused primarily on direct mail appeals and major gift cultivation. Pursuant audited their fundraising practices and revealed an opportunity to significantly increase mid-level giving. In-person visits to mid-level donors had been infrequent and culminated in mixed results.

Solution
Children’s tapped Pursuant for its Charitable Partners™ program. Pursuant began training Children’s development officers on a proven methodology to cultivate mid-level donors and to secure larger gifts during in-person visits. The program began with an intensive initial training session to cover fundraising essentials. It continues with quarterly training on best practices and weekly performance coaching. During the weekly coaching sessions, Pursuant’s top development officers and healthcare fundraising consultants meet with the team at Children’s in person or over the phone. They discuss hospital fundraising goals, give status updates, share ideas and success stories, and prepare for upcoming appointments.

Results
Within just a few months of coaching, the development team at Children’s began securing significantly larger gifts after each donor visit. In 2011, they raised more than five times the amount raised in 2010, with average gifts of over four times larger.

“Pursuant has been a true partner, enthusiastically embracing our mission right from the start. They bring creativity, sound methodology, and enthusiasm to their work. They know exactly what is at stake, and together we are saving kids’ lives.”

- Bill Braem, senior director of annual giving

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