Summary / objectives

The objectives for the special campaign edition of the Urban Angel newsletter were:

• To announce the successful conclusion of a three-year, CAN$140 million fundraising campaign.
• To thank the donors to the campaign and to show the benefit of their support for specific areas and programmes at the hospital.
• To thank the volunteer fundraising team who worked with the Foundation to achieve this success.
• To demonstrate the value of philanthropy to staff by showing the extent of its impact across the hospital.

Background

St Michael's Hospital Foundation is launching a newspaper to tell the St Michael's story to people who come to the hospital. This newspaper supports our strategic direction to build a culture of giving at St. Michael's by demonstrating the impact of giving upon patient care.

Its audiences include

• Our patients, their families and visitors
• St Michael's Hospital physicians and staff
• Our donors
• Our volunteers
• Friends of the hospital

This issue was a vehicle to announce and celebrate the successful conclusion of our $140 million campaign. It highlighted the impact of the campaign on patient care in various areas of the Hospital, supporting equipment, renovations and building, and new research and educational initiatives.

The special campaign edition was a broadsheet, folded to 8 ½ x 11. It was given to everyone coming into the Hospital on 26 November 2009, the day of the campaign wrap-up event, and was available in high-traffic areas, including brochure boxes by all the elevators.

Influence / impact

The special campaign edition of the newsletter raised awareness at St Michael's about what donor support can do.

Results

Work done by focus groups revealed that Hospital staff didn't really understand what the Foundation did. As a result, the piece was a real 'eye-opener' for staff who didn't realise that their new equipment or area renovations were funded by donors.

Merits

It is a powerful and highly visual summary of the impact of philanthropy.