In April 2023, we hosted a webinar to preview Advisory Board's new philanthropy research. We found that over the past three years, the pandemic, economic instability, and workforce shortages have changed the way philanthropy leaders engage with donors, volunteers, and development allies. Even though philanthropy is, by and large, resilient and can withstand short-term economic fluctuations, CDOs must navigate ongoing challenges in a way that requires adaptive leadership.

In the webinar, we discussed the implications of these macro-level changes for healthcare philanthropy and how senior leaders and CDOs can effectively adapt their strategies to the current situation. Here are five key takeaways from the discussion.

1. Embrace adaptability. The strategies that have proven resilient during the pandemic and economic uncertainty are those that have been able to evolve alongside the changing industry landscape. Philanthropy leaders need to create a culture of flexibility, which includes embracing technology and openness to experimentation, and staying abreast of the ever-changing needs of the healthcare industry.
2. Renew relationships with development allies. After the past few years, clinicians are feeling burnt out, volunteers are less involved, and hospital executives are focused on significantly eroded profit margins. Understandably, many development executives have put their engagement strategies on hold out of sensitivity to pandemic pressures. Facing historic fundraising goals to support hospitals’ needs, however, CDOs must now reinvigorate these key relationships.
3. Give relationships with allies time to take root. Building meaningful relationships with allies requires time and patience. Although it can be tempting to try to engage as many allies as quickly as possible, it’s better to focus on building — or rebuilding — long-term relationships.  
4. Prioritize quality over quantity. As development teams face pressure to do more with less, more organizations are opting for deep relationships with fewer committed clinician champions over broad-based engagement.
5. Lead with compassion. The most successful engagement strategies are rooted in compassion for allies and consideration of their needs. During times of crisis, philanthropy leaders need to show understanding and empathy for their allies, as well as a commitment to supporting them in their work.

These five tactics can help healthcare philanthropy leaders renew core development strategies with the intention of navigating current and future philanthropic challenges more effectively. By embracing adaptability, reengaging allies, showing patience, prioritizing quality, and leading with compassion, philanthropy leaders can ensure that their engagement strategies are successful in the long term.