A Time for Reflection

by Peter Ghiorsi &  Dan Sorrenti

For those of us who are involved in fundraising or enmeshed in the day to day operations of the healthcare, education, and all other non-profit industries, it is natural to focus on the business of giving and occasionally lose sight of the results of giving.  As we become immersed in the warmth and glow of the Holiday season, perhaps we should take a moment to reflect on the real value of all that you do for all that you serve.

Tens of thousands will reap the benefits of the Elizabeth M. Pfriem SWIM Cancer Center, an Emergency Department expansion and the new Ambulatory Surgery Center that St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, CT is undertaking.  Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ is in the midst of a major initiative that will greatly enhance oncology, emergency, and cardiology services and ensure the well-being of patients throughout the region.  Capital Health System in Trenton, NJ is building a brand new medical center that will make available the very latest in medicine and technology for their expansive community of patients.

Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), headquartered in San Francisco, CA, and the eighth largest hospital provider in the nation, has built an outstanding reputation implementing the latest innovations and playing a critical role in the health of millions throughout their history.  They prepare today to lift those standards to an even higher level with projects and programs designed for future generations with the dollars being raised all across the more than 30 foundations throughout the system. 

Cancer patients and their families in Hunterdon County, NJ will thank Hunterdon Medical Center for their enhancements in oncology, surgery and other initiatives.   Better access and expanded facilities at Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough, NH will benefit thousands of patients and their families.  Saint Clare’s Health System embarks on a new capital campaign to support a series of projects, all designed to improve the health of the people in the Denville, Boonton, Dover and Sussex areas of New Jersey. 

At Morton Plant Mease in Clearwater, FL, the Morgan Heart Hospital has taken cardiovascular care to a new level, and enhanced women’s services are addressing a critical healthcare need.  Over in nearby Tampa, St. Joseph’s Hospital will be building a new hospital to better serve its community.   

Winchester Medical Center in Winchester, VA is greatly expanding their campus and all services because they need to care for more people.  McLeod Health System in SC wants to expand their Cancer Center because it is necessary for the people of the Pee Dee region.  In the same State, it is also a critical need in Greenwood County, so Self Regional Healthcare endeavors to build the Self Regional Cancer Center.

A new emergency department at Stamford Hospital will bring a new generation of emergency care to the people in that part of Connecticut.   Boys Town in Omaha, NE continues to look for groundbreaking ways to help troubled youths with plans for two new facilities.  Our friends in Bozeman, MT at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital are expanding their Emergency Center, and that will help save lives.  Among the many projects underway at Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport, MA is the creation of private patient rooms, and the expansion of outpatient emergency services for the many patients and families they serve.  Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point, NJ is building a new Surgical Pavilion that will have an enormous impact on thousands of patients who will have access to latest and best surgical facilities.  Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London, CT is constructing a new Outpatient Facility that will improve access for many of their friends in the community.  Vassar Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, NY is responding to community need with a new Ambulatory Center.  The groundbreaking discoveries of tomorrow and the lives they impact is the focus of Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, NY with their new free-standing Research Institute. 

Bishop McDevitt High School is building a new school on a spacious campus and ushering in a new era of education in Harrisburg, PA.  The Immaculate Heart Academy will enhance their facilities in Washington Township, NJ for the benefit of their students. The YWCA in New Britain CT expands their facility to better secure the safety and future of children.

We are barely scratching the surface here.  These above represent only a few from our client family.  But there are literally thousands of such projects and capital campaigns across this country, raising hundreds of million dollars, that require the passion and forethought of people such as yourselves and the response from thousands of donors before others can be helped. 

And what is the ultimate result? For this Holiday season and hopefully many to follow, there’ll be people gathered around their Christmas trees, or at Chanukah gatherings, or anywhere else Holidays are celebrated that have survived and lived healthfully as a direct result of that forethought and that generosity. 

On behalf of them all, we thank you during this period of seasonal reflection…we thank you all.

Please share your holiday thoughts with us here, and Happy Holidays from all of us at Ghiorsi & Sorrenti, Inc.

What a Difference a Year Makes

by Dan Sorrenti

Well, it’s a year now since our economy fell to its knees taking the financial services, banking, automotive and how ever many other industries with it. 

In short order, we lived through the fall of the venerable Lehman Brothers, the mammoth Citigroup plummeting and trading at around a dollar, the U.S. government rescue of AIG and General Motors, Bernie Madoff’s $65 billion dollar Ponzi scheme, the tumble of college and retirement savings, and much more.

Amidst these battlefield conditions, our industry has had to carry the flag, besieged with heavy artillery fire in raising money for our schools, hospitals, museums, social service organizations and the like. Our charge always is to raise more money, but under these circumstances, one might just want to raise the white flag. 

But we didn’t!

Yes, the numbers showed that giving declined in 2008 and the prognosis is that 2009 could be similar.  But, our industry has persevered and persisted in winning the battles that ultimately will win the war. 

How? From our corner of the world at GSI, we have seen that organizations which have resisted the cries to retreat have been successful.  Maybe they haven’t raised as much as they would have in different economic times, but, they raised money because they continue to ask, strategically and with integrity.

Last November, Peter Ghiorsi wrote an article posted on GSI’s website that used this metaphor in describing the economic turmoil: “The field is burning but it will come back greener.”  We all know you can get dizzy trying to predict the economy, based on all that’s happened, but here we are 12 months later and what a difference a year makes.  It would appear, though with fingers crossed, that we are emerging from the burning field. 

Recent news reports confirm the recession is technically over and leading economic indicators rose in September for a sixth straight month.  This augurs well for economic growth and expansion, albeit slow. 

Record profits have been recorded by Goldman Sachs, the stock market’s resurgence, generally one of the first signs of economic recovery, is staying strong, and our banks seem to have the capital to start lending again. With all of this, it’s a renewed confidence that we need most to see giving come back and propel upwards again. And, while we have a ways to go, we can sense from our friends in the industry that donor confidence is returning!

What a difference a year makes and if all continues on pace, what a difference another year will make. This is what we see one year later at GS “Eye” on Philanthropy.  What do you see and envision for giving over the next 12 months?

Of Healthcare Reform and Healthcare Philanthropy

by Peter W. Ghiorsi, MBA, FAHP

Recently, at dinner with a major contributor and his wife I asked them how they thought healthcare reform would impact philanthropy.  Frankly, my sense was they hadn’t given it much thought, which was telling in and of itself.  But after a minute, their reply was a provocative one that any fund raiser would hope to hear.  Summarizing:  The needs are so great and ever-increasing that philanthropy will need to play an even greater role going forward, especially if significant healthcare reform occurs, primarily because resources will be even more scarce. There was not one word concerning the tax aspects of giving.

We have seen a glimpse of this mindset in educational fund raising.   In the past we have had potential donors to a state university offer the following concern: “Doesn’t the state fund this institution?  Why are you approaching me for a philanthropic gift, when the state should be providing the necessary capital to make this happen?”  To wit, we were able to turn the situation to our advantage, channeling their objection toward a response focusing on the diminishing support from the state, leading to the tried and true “margin of excellence” argument.  State funded educational institutions seem to have done just fine.

The big difference in healthcare is that governmental “support” of our healthcare system will by no means diminish.  Rather, it will increase exponentially.  Expanded entitlements, more government mandates, etc., will compound exploding deficits and grow healthcare to a progressively increasing share of the country’s GDP, already at roughly 18%. 

Regardless of where you stand politically, it is possible that the government’s aggressive search for new sources of revenue might result in the government’s diminished “support” for healthcare philanthropy.  We have observed for years now the attacks on the tax-exempt status of healthcare providers, and hospitals in particular.  Most recently, the idea of limiting tax deductions for wealthy donors has been tossed around.  Will these headwinds negatively impact healthcare philanthropy?  Or is it all political blather and posturing?

GS “Eye” on Philanthropy will be querying President Obama and his staff about the impact his plans will have on philanthropy, and we will be reporting back to you in this space.

What do you think?  What are you hearing? .  Let us know what would you ask our President about this issue?

Welcome to GS “Eye” on Philanthropy

To Our Colleagues and Friends,

For more than 20 years Ghiorsi & Sorrenti, Inc. (GSI) has been honored to partner with thousands of non-profit organizations in raising billions of dollars all across America.   During this time, we have never witnessed a period more exciting or challenging for fund raisers than today.  And never before has our work been given such priority and scrutiny!   Fortunately, there is a myriad of information sources and tools available to us today to communicate, network, and dialogue about the world of philanthropy.

That’s why we have developed GS “Eye” on Philanthropy, a forum for fund raising enthusiasts to share thoughts and ideas about everything philanthropic.  We want to know what you are experiencing and what you are thinking on matters important to our industry…. and, frankly, it will be wonderful to speak with you outside the boundaries of a conference or a conference room.  We will also be inviting guest bloggers to dialogue on subject matter that falls into their particular area of expertise.

So please keep an open line of communications with us.  Our goal is to help all GS “Eye” on Philanthropy participants stay on top of the very latest developments, fund raising strategies, best practices and the like, and to have some fun in the process!

Thank you, and we look forward to blogging with you here!

Peter & Dan