Garnet Health Foundation
Foundation Raises Money for Emergency Fund with Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Healthcare Organizations
“I think everyone agrees that we’re all in this together, and we’re all going to get out of it together. We were capturing the passion around that.”
As the hospital system it supports cared for hundreds of COVID-19 patients, Garnet Health Foundation used a new peer-to-peer fundraising solution to spotlight its Emergency Coronavirus Fund, which raised nearly $150,000 within six weeks.
Foundation raises money for emergency fund
with peer-to-peer fundraising.
Located 60 miles north of Manhattan, Garnet Health Foundation needed to
take swift action when the hospital system it supports turned into an early
COVID-19 hotspot. Once the hospital’s first confirmed patient with the virus
was admitted, the cases escalated as did the demand for personal protective
equipment (PPE) and other supplies.
A Blackbaud customer for more than two decades, the foundation had transitioned to cloud-based solutions the autumn before the crisis and was trying out JustGiving® from Blackbaud® for the first time when staff established an Emergency Coronavirus Fund, largely to cover PPE costs.
“We were able to jump in and use it quickly,” said President William Dauster,
adding that having cloud-based solutions helped staff adapt in a variety of
ways during the pandemic.
Generating Funds and Goodwill
Available at no subscription cost, JustGiving can be used by any social good
organization as a stand-alone solution, though it integrates easily with other
Blackbaud fundraising solutions that incorporate relationship management.
Garnet Health Foundation first directed supporters to the fund’s online page
through an email blast launched with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® and
reinforced the messaging through social media. In less than two months, as
the hospital discharged nearly 1,000 COVID-19 cases, the foundation tallied
$150,000 for its Emergency Coronavirus Fund.
With the capabilities provided by JustGiving, staff could add in offline donations to the total, while using the page to acknowledge a variety of in-kind donations, from pizza and other meals for staff, to protective masks a family made on their 3-D printer. Donors could post their inspirations for giving in their posts on the emergency fund’s page and easily share with friends and families through social media.
One preschooler gave $18 in honor of his late grandfather, who had been a longtime hospital volunteer and foundation board member, while a registered nurse shared the following as she donated $100 for her co-workers and community: “Not all heroes wear capes. We are all being put through the truest test of our lives and making the biggest difference in our patients’ lives along the way. Keep strong, the world is depending on it.”
“Not all heroes wear capes. We are all being put through the truest test of our lives and making the biggest difference in our patients’ lives along the way. Keep strong, the world is depending on it.
Capturing Passion, Nurturing Community
When a nurse from the ICU stepdown unit and an ER technician each died
from COVID-19, the foundation created peer-to-peer fundraising pages for their families. And when a food service worker sought to lift up colleagues by creating angel wing pendants, the foundation added a page to help cover the costs of materials.
With JustGiving, the foundation could encourage and spotlight philanthropic expression, according to Dauster, a Certified Fund Raising Executive. In six months, the foundation collected nearly $300,000 in total gifts through its COVID-19 campaigns.
“I think everyone agrees that we’re all in this together, and we’re all going to get out of it together,” Dauster said. “We were capturing the passion around that.”
Ready to power your passion?
Request a customized demo to see how Blackbaud is made for your unique challenges and needs.
All fields required
Thank you for your inquiry.
A Blackbaud representative will be in touch with you shortly.
Prefer to chat now?
Click here if you’d like to speak directly to a Blackbaud representative, today.