The complex structure and politics of many organizations can make uniting around a common goal very challenging. Yet, the achievement of an audacious goal requires the focus and commitment of the entire community.
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A campaign launch provides a powerful opportunity to transcend silos by focusing on a common set of institutional values.
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Case in Point – Massachusetts General Hospital
Similar to a university in structure and politics, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) asked EdwardsCo for help strategizing the launch of a $1.5 billion campaign. The organization expressed concern about taking a story-based approach because of a perception that MGH donors were exclusively focused on individual doctors and areas of medicine – “How can we tell enough stories to capture the imagination of people with so many different experiences and interests?”
Through market research, EdwardsCo identified shared values that were deeply held and transcended departments. At its core, a medical center is not about those different departmental areas; it’s about life, death and the quality of life. It’s driven by aspiration and empathy to be intimately involved in the fate of others.
The stories at the campaign launch event delivered at that level of shared values. The overall narrative arc of the event conveyed how MGH had emerged as the nation’s largest hospital-based research enterprise, while maintaining and strengthening its cherished heritage of providing unsurpassed patient care and compassion.
A sequence of eye-opening, briskly told vignettes established the impact of MGH’s research breakthroughs and linked them to patient care in telling ways – a strategic imperative to achieve the ambitious financial goals of the campaign.
To encourage the breaking down of silos and forge a sense of shared identity across the expanding and evolving institution, the event was first staged for an internal audience of campaign leaders and volunteers. This helped to build buy-in and momentum, and to inspire cohesion, energy, and excitement for the public launch to the broad campaign prospect group.
Based on the positive response from internal and external audiences, MGH asked EdwardsCo to create an ongoing series of new, individual stories to continuously reinforce the shared values at all development events scheduled for the year.
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Learn More
Read more advancement and fundraising insights…
- Emotional connection inspires philanthropy
- The unmatchable power of stories ignites passion and commitment
- A shared experience builds commitment to the cause
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