Building Partnerships, One Conversation at a Time
- 24 hours ago
- 2 min read
One of the questions I am asked most often after a physician or grateful engagement training is, “What should we do next?” The answer isn’t another workshop or a longer presentation. It’s a conversation.
I have found that philanthropy professionals often leave training energized and inspired, but once they are back in the day-to-day demands of their work, it can be difficult to maintain momentum. The organizations that see the greatest success are not necessarily the ones with the most resources. They are the ones that commit to building relationships through small, intentional touch points over time.
That means making time to connect not only with physicians, but also with nurse leaders, service line executives and administrators across the health system. Even a brief 15-minute conversation can strengthen trust and reinforce the foundation as a collaborative partner in advancing patient care and organizational priorities.
The best conversations are not about fund development. They are about listening. Try asking questions like:
What challenges or opportunities are top of mind for your team right now?
Where do you see opportunities to enhance patient care or the caregiver experience?
What inspiring patient stories have stayed with you recently?
Is there an initiative or vision that philanthropy could help bring to life?
How can the foundation better support your goals?
These questions ignite conversations that create familiarity, build credibility and open the door to future collaboration. More importantly, they help clinical and operational leaders understand philanthropy is there to support their work, not add to it.
This is especially true when it comes to grateful engagement. Our goal is never to turn physicians or nurses into fundraisers. Instead, we empower them to recognize moments of gratitude, honor the patient relationship and know there is a trusted partner in the foundation who can continue the conversation when the time is right.
When that foundation of trust exists, gratitude can be acknowledged in a way that feels natural and authentic for everyone involved. Leaders become more comfortable sharing ideas, celebrating patient stories and inviting philanthropy into conversations about innovation and impact.
The most successful organizations I have worked with didn’t transform their culture overnight. They did it one relationship at a time, through consistent outreach, genuine curiosity and a commitment to showing up long after the training ended.
Because in the end, sustainable grateful engagement isn’t built in a classroom. It is built in hallways, over coffee, after meetings and through the intentional conversations that demonstrate partnership, create trust and ultimately advance the mission we all serve.
About the Author: Susan Attwell, CFRE, is a Principal Consultant with Accordant. She specializes in creating and implementing strategic plans for front line fund development initiatives, donor cultivation, board relations and clinician engagement in philanthropy. You can reach her by email at Susan@AccordantHealth.com or by connecting through LinkedIn.
