FHN Foundation

FHN Chooses Blackbaud and Target Analytics to Combat High Attrition Rate

FHN is a regional healthcare system committed to the health and well-being of the people of northwest Illinois and southern Wisconsin.  On average, 1,700 people visit FHN daily for their healthcare needs (more than 600,000 patient visits per year).  FHN is the only healthcare provider in its service area that offers affiliations with all three major Rockford, Illinois hospitals, as well as the University of Wisconsin Hospital and clinics in Madison, Wisconsin.  Each patient interaction is taken as a serious responsibility that requires clinical expertise, the latest in medical technology, and a level of trust and commitment that is earned by FHN people, products, and processes.

The Challenge:
When the FHN Foundation was established in 1991, it found that more than 80% of donations received were from memorial gifts.  At that time, the Foundation did not have an active solicitation program in place.  Its only direct mail efforts were sending out the annual report along with an attached giving envelope, which resulted in a response rate of less than five percent.  The organization was asking the same people for the same amount of money at the same time every year and quickly realized it needed to formalize the Foundation into three focus areas: major giving, annual giving, and planned giving.  Staff wanted to develop a plan to connect with the appropriate donors in each area accordingly.

The Solution:
The Foundation sought Blackbaud's ProspectPoint statistical modeling and Wealthpoint screening to evaluate its donor database and prospects.  It also chose to engage in Target Analytics consulting -- a major factor in helping to develop a cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plan for each of its three focus areas.  The goal was to significantly impact the organization’s high attrition rate.

The Results:
The information received about donors and prospects was abundant and instrumental to the Foundation’s successfully formalization of all three of its focus areas.  Staff also utilized the results to implement a comprehensive moves management system.  The first retention mail appeal targeted a specific group of prospects and resulted in a 28% response rate the first year and a 34% response rate the second year, which is significantly impacting its attrition rate!  An overall increase in donations the first year reached 32%!