A case for giving. Stressing its mission to care helps an inner-city hospital attract charitable donations

In the current economic environment, voluntary not-for-profit hospitals must rely increasingly on private philanthropy. At St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center, New York City, leaders in the Division of Development and Public Affairs have found that emphasizing the commitment to mission in all the hospital's fund-raising, public-relations, and marketing efforts is an effective way to attract philanthropic support. For more than a century, St. Vincent's has been actively engaged in efforts to raise funds to support its philanthropic projects. However, since the creation of a formal development office in the 1940s, organized fund-raising efforts have flourished. And the inclusion of the hospital's development, public relations, and marketing departments in the same division in the 1980s further enhanced its philanthropic projects. The coordination of these departments' efforts has made it possible for St. Vincent's to highlight its commitment to mission in all of its communications, from letters soliciting funds from potential donors to paid advertisements in the New York Times. And the response to these coordinated efforts has been a significant increase in charitable donations.