The vast majority of NHS charities generate well under 1% of the income of the trust they serve. Ambitious and concerted growth might take an NHS charity to 1% over several years. So how, in the face of much larger operations and developments, might an NHS charity win investment when the prize seems modest? And how, with cuts and budgetary pressures in the tens and hundreds of £millions – and with time a scarce commodity – does one make the case for organisational focus on the charity?
Hospital trusts, however, are continuing to invest time and resource in fundraising, despite budget pressures and much larger developments. Many have asked us to support them as they navigate this route. Why is the NHS charity worth investment?
Firstly, NHS trusts have to have charities of some sort: most hold their own funds, anyway, and all will need to be able to accept donations from the public. So given that the NHS charity will exist regardless, there’s some value in ensuring at the very least that it is well-governed and does what it must (thanks donors well, stores relevant information, and manages and spends funds wisely).
Secondly, fundraising income may be modest, certainly at first, but it is continued, can be unrestricted, unassailable by government nor directives, and can be focussed on areas of the trust’s choosing. A steady £1-2m, or more and growing, each year, opens major possibilities over time. More modest appeals, here and there, enable the delivery of projects that may never be official priorities – but which might make all the difference to staff retention, morale and patient benefit. Once fundraising is well established, targets could rise well beyond the 1% threshold.
Beyond the monetary value there’s a much wider benefit. NHS charities offer the public a way to engage meaningfully with their hospitals, and develop the hospital’s relationship with its community. From enabling people to mark excellent care during life’s big moments with a donation, to hosting supporters to discuss ambitious research or surgical breakthroughs, charities create a positive channel of dialogue between hospital and community. Developing an effective community programme may well help achieve many of the Trust’s PR, patient experience and engagement goals.