VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation:
Reaching New Markets Through Integration
VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation raises funds to advance patient care at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehab Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, and Vancouver Community Health Services. VGH is the largest adult acute care hospital in BC and the province’s main referral centre for adults facing complex and serious medical challenges.
The Challenge
VGH’s ‘Angel’ holiday campaign first started more than a decade ago. HMA has helped build the Angel campaign over the past 7 years from a Direct Mail only campaign to a fully integrated fundraising campaign that brings in a substantial percentage of annual giving revenue for the Foundation. In 2014, the goal was to continue with the successful integration from the past few years and reach new markets that had strong donor potential.
The Solution
Knowing there are a lot of Chinese-speaking people in Metro Vancouver, HMA helped VGH develop direct response materials in both Chinese and English. A bilingual mailing pack was inserted into local Chinese newspapers in conjunction with editorial and front page coverage.
Direct Mail packs were mailed to house and prospective donors, along with emails, social media posts/advertising, a campaign microsite, and hospital signage, all with consistent imagery and messaging. The campaign culminated with a cultivation and recognition event at the hospital.
The Results
The integration in 2014 paid off as online revenue was more than double that of 2013. The Chinese prospecting pack proved to be very successful as well and helped boost overall prospecting revenue, which was 32% higher than the previous year. And with a very small spend of only $200, VGH was able to generate more than 35,000 impressions through social media advertising.
Overall, the Angel campaign brought in close to a half-million dollars for the hospitals, and 95% of the revenue received during the campaign was unrestricted, ensuring they can fulfill all of their most urgent needs.
Client: VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation
Services: Direct Mail, Campagin Microsite, Social Media Posts/Advertising, Hospital Signage
