With ease and versatility, Blackbaud solutions
empower hospital supporters through
peer-to-peer fundraising.

Located in the heart of Ontario cottage country, Huntsville Hospital
Foundation was created to raise funds for hospital technology and equipment
not covered by traditional means, such as taxes and government funds. With
visits to Huntsville Hospital exploding between May and October, covering
the cost of technology needed to support the volume of full-time and
seasonal patients requires a great deal of effort and community contributions.

Foundation staff found themselves spending a substantial amount of time
trying to grow peer-to-peer fundraising programs to empower community
members who wanted to enlist friends and families to give to the foundation.
However, the lack of an integrated third-party platform made for logistical
challenges when attempting their first peer-to-peer fundraiser—requiring
donors to run the campaigns and collect funds themselves, then donate the
sum as an individual contributor. With competing priorities taking hold for the
small staff, it was clear the approach was not sustainable long term.

Providing an Easy Solution for Everyone

Finding a solution for peer-to-peer fundraising that offered ease of use,
low-lift set-up, and a professional experience for donors would be key.
After hearing about JustGiving from Blackbaud through a webinar, Natasha
Nieder, development associate at the foundation, realized it would be the
perfect solution to address their needs and volunteered the foundation to
be a part of the early adopter program offered by Blackbaud in Canada.
Thanks to the user-friendly interface and campaign creation guide, the
foundation was able to integrate the peer-to-peer fundraising solution
into their existing workflows with ease, only taking two weeks from start
to finish.

With a seamless product implementation, staff at Huntsville Hospital
Foundation were quickly able to reduce the volume of administrative
tasks, allowing them to reclaim important time in their schedules.
Not only did JustGiving create efficiency for the foundation, it also
empowered some of their most dedicated supporters to launch successful
peer-to-peer campaigns in support of the hospital, and with impressive
results. Two particularly successful campaigns came from members of
the community who felt a personal connection to the cause.

Touched personally by the foundation’s work, a local family set up a
memorial page in honour of Janet Gambrell, who as per her own wishes,
passed away in her home supported by family and Huntsville Hospital’s
palliative team. Through their JustGiving campaign, the Gambrell family
raised in excess of $22,000 to purchase a portable ultrasound machine
to help support the hospital’s palliative patients—this was the only piece
of equipment that had been missing in Janet’s care. Purchasing the
portable ultrasound machine for the hospital was the Gambrell family’s
way of celebrating Janet’s life and honouring her wish to give back to
the community she loved.

Another local supporter and hospital volunteer felt inspired by the tireless
efforts of frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic and wanted
to give something back. Motivated to show his gratitude, he set up a
“Thank Our Healthcare Heroes” campaign, raising more than $13,000 to
purchase food and comfort items for frontline hospital staff, including a
UV sterilizer for personal items to help keep them safe while on shift.
The impact of peer-to-peer events shows no sign of waning, with
advocates continuing to create unique and thoughtful campaigns,
like the long-time supporter who planned a live music event at his
cottage overlooking the picturesque Lake of Bays, with proceeds in
support of “our heroic caregivers.”

Opening the Door for Creativity

With the success of the program so far, Huntsville Hospital Foundation
is excited for what peer-to-peer fundraisers can deliver in the future.
“JustGiving from Blackbaud is a user-friendly, professional tool that helps
empower fundraisers in the community as they support the causes
they care about,” said Nieder. The creativity of local supporters and
the versatility of the solution offer immense opportunity for growth.
When it comes to impact on the foundation’s strategy, they say it has
created a viable stream of peer-to-peer fundraising income that they
feel confident about.

“Our goals have changed as a result of JustGiving from Blackbaud, and
everyone is excited about the program,” Nieder said. “It has encouraged
us to want to grow it that much more.”