Established in 1978, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation is dedicated to advancing the mission of Children’s Hospital Colorado through family-centered care and cutting-edge research and treatment. The goal of the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation is to care for and cure children through the provision of high-quality care, education, research, and advocacy.

The Foundation had to strengthen their online storytelling with content closely aligned with their in-person experience to be positioned as the charity of choice in the Denver area. The organization needed to rethink its digital ecosystem from the ground up and optimize how they are attracting, engaging and growing their target audiences, including donors and supporters.

Building a strategy to show value

To build a base for our work and ensure the Foundation’s overarching goals are met, the Forum One team spoke with current and potential donors, as well as other stakeholders, to fully understand the needs and behaviors of the people at the heart of the Foundation’s digital strategy. We conducted a comprehensive landscape analysis and full audits of their technical ecosystem, communications, and analytics. Once we had a good sense of our starting point, we conducted workshops to clarify our understanding of the target audience and determine the goals and priorities for the Foundation’s new digital strategy.

Stakeholders across the Foundation now have a shared understanding of the value of digital philanthropy as a critical program. At the executive level, the digital ecosystem and corresponding marketing efforts are seen as an investment in revenue and growth, rather than an expense. Foundation team members are working together cross-functionally to develop marketing and technology solutions to engage with supporters online and enhance revenue.

Katelyn McArdle, Digital Strategy Manager, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation