Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation

Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation Uses Blackbaud NetCommunity Grow to Enable and Enhance Internet Marketing Strategies

Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation was established in 1977 as a means through which grateful patients and loved ones could give back to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH). The Foundation began actively fundraising in 1991 in response to the rising cost of delivering quality healthcare on Central Vancouver Island. Since then, the Foundation has raised nearly $28 million for NRGH and its residential healthcare facilities.

The Challenge:

• Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation was using a custom-built content management system and a website that was created by a local advertising agency. Staff members at the Foundation found that the system was too basic for their needs since they could not easily update the website.
• When the website was built in 2006, it satisfied the Foundation's needs. However, over time, staff members wanted to customize the website to the organization's marketing strategies and objectives. The website and content management systems were simple and easy to use, but the simplicity actually hindered their capabilities and growth.
• The organization was already using The Raiser's Edge® to track and manage relationships with constituents. Staff members decided that they needed a website that would integrate and work seamlessly with The Raiser’s Edge.

The Solution:

• Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation wanted to work with a partner that had experience in the nonprofit industry, understood the Foundation's mission and goals, and could build processes and solutions to fit.
• For these reasons, the Foundation chose to work with Blackbaud and decided to implement Blackbaud NetCommunity Grow, which includes software, strategy, design, and consulting services. Because the solution offered a complete Internet marketing package, The Foundation was able to establish a solid process for the entire project from start to finish, and the organization's website was up and running in a matter of months.
• Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation had an existing electronic marketing strategy set in place, and Blackbaud's consultants took a hard look at it to provide additional recommendations.

The Results:

• With Blackbaud NetCommunity Grow, Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation has given supporters the ability to update their profiles, see their giving histories, and feel a personal connection with the organization through its website. The Foundation has also streamlined and enhanced its online event registration processes.
• The solution's content management system has given Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation the flexibility and creative elements they needed to create a truly interactive site. The Foundation is able to communicate a much more powerful message rather than having the static pictures and text it had before.
• The Foundation's staff, volunteers, and board members are very impressed with the website's professional-looking and engaging layout and design. It is much easier for end-users to find information, and there is more variety of content and interaction on the site.