SUCCESS STORY
Emory Health
How Emory University rediscovered the human side of healthcare fundraising
Overview
What happens when a leading academic medical institution realizes that its data-driven approach to fundraising is missing a crucial element? For Emory University’s School of Medicine, the answer lay in returning to the fundamentals of human relationships while maintaining the advantages of modern analytics.
The Situation
After nearly three decades of evolution in healthcare fundraising, Emory University found itself heavily reliant on data analytics, AI, and wealth screening to identify potential donors. While these tools were valuable, Susan House, Managing Senior Director of Development, noticed a concerning trend: the institution was losing touch with one of its most valuable assets – the relationships between faculty physicians and grateful patients. The traditional approach of building strong connections with medical faculty, who often received direct expressions of gratitude from patients, had been overshadowed by the push toward data-driven decisions.
It is most often the faculty member that the patient expresses gratitude to as their care provider, so I really kept thinking how we were missing out on those referrals from our faculty because we were no longer concentrating on building those relationships.”
Susan House, Managing Senior Director of Development, Emory Health
The Solution
Emory partnered with Graham-Pelton to implement the Beyond Gratitude™ program, but with a unique twist that acknowledged both their institutional culture and budgetary realities. Instead of following a traditional consulting model where external experts would conduct all training sessions, they created a sustainable internal program tailored specifically to Emory’s needs.
What was important to us was that Walt and Graham-Pelton listened to us. They didn’t come to us with a package program, but they listened to our issues, our barriers, our blockers.”
Susan House, Managing Senior Director of Development, Emory Health
This customized approach meant Walt Edwards, Principal and Healthcare President, worked closely with House to transform her role from frontline fundraiser to Emory’s dedicated Beyond Gratitude coach. Through a series of carefully structured sessions, Walt observed House conducting faculty training, provided feedback, and helped refine her approach. This “train the trainer” model ensured the program could continue long-term within their budget constraints while maintaining the institutional knowledge and relationships that House had built over her decades at Emory.
Understanding that successful cultural change requires strong institutional backing, Walt emphasized the importance of securing visible leadership support before rolling out the program to faculty. “His recommendation emphasized that it’s important from the top down… that we couldn’t just start meeting with faculty one-on-one,” House explains. “The faculty had to know that leadership was bought into this.”
This strategic insight led to a high-profile kickoff event hosted by Emory University’s President at his home. The intimate dinner gathering brought together 50 faculty members and seven key healthcare leaders, creating an atmosphere that emphasized the institutional commitment to the program while fostering genuine dialogue about its potential impact.
The event established clear expectations that engaging with grateful patients wasn’t merely optional but an institutional priority. More importantly, it helped reframe the conversation around healthcare philanthropy. The program emphasized that fundraising wasn’t merely about financial transactions but about building meaningful relationships and providing various ways for grateful patients to engage with the institution – whether through charitable giving, volunteering, or becoming advocates within the community.
The Success
Within months of implementation, Emory saw a significant cultural shift in how faculty viewed development efforts. Physicians who had previously been reluctant to engage with the development office expressed newfound interest in the program, appreciating its more relationship-centered approach. The Beyond Gratitude framework helped faculty understand that their role wasn’t about asking for money but about fostering genuine connections that could lead to various forms of support – from philanthropic gifts to community advocacy and volunteering.
The program’s success has led Emory to plan for its expansion over the next several years, with leadership fully committed to supporting its growth. By creating a dedicated coaching position and implementing a sustainable training model, Emory has positioned itself to continue building these crucial faculty-development partnerships well into the future.
Most importantly, the program has helped restore balance to Emory’s fundraising approach, creating a powerful combination of data-driven insights and authentic human connections – proving that in healthcare philanthropy, the most compelling stories often begin with gratitude.