Sick Kids Friends Foundation spends a day saying thank you to donors for £3m
Howard Lake | 30 January 2017 | News
Edinburgh-based charity The Sick Kids Friends Foundation devoted last Thursday, 26 January, to saying thank you personally to any individual, group or company that has helped it contribute £3 million towards the hospital’s move to Little France in spring 2018.
A 13-strong team of staff and volunteers took on the major task and spent the day telephoning, emailing and sending out cards and videos in a bid to say a huge thank you to as many supporters as possible. Last year, the charity that supports children and young people, received a total of 32,175 donations.
On #Thankyou day here we want to say thank you for tweeting,sharing and supporting us! pic.twitter.com/X41XSO9WaV
— Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity (@echcharity) January 26, 2017
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Rachel Baxter, Director of Fundraising and Marketing at the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, explained why the charity decided to give such a personal response. She said:
“We were, and continue to be, overwhelmed by the huge amount of support that we received throughout 2016 and we want to express how grateful we are to everyone who was involved with fundraising and donating.
“We want anyone who helped the Sick Kids Friends Foundation in any way last year to know just how much their support is appreciated, not just by us but by the children and families who visited the hospital and used its services.
“As a result of the support we receive, children and young people’s lives are less interrupted by illness; they are less scared of hospital and a have a positive experience.
“Dedicating one whole day to expressing our gratitude is the least we can do compared to all that our supporters have done and continue to do for us. So from all of us at Sick Kids Friends Foundation, we’d like to say a huge thank you!”
Other charities have devoted a day to say thank you, often in creative ways with videos, Vines, tweets and images, notably charity: water.
Some of the team at SKFF saying thank you to donors
Impact of giving
As a result of the donations, in 2016 SKFF was able to approve 82 grant applications and funded over 22 departments at the hospital, as well as all hospital wards and some services within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). It also funded projects and services delivered at St John’s Hospital, Livingston, Borders General Hospital and the Royal Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.
This year's #thankyou card showing children's suggestions as to how to move the hospital to its new site @catetheartist pic.twitter.com/Zeq8aGhn26
— Roslyn Neely (@neely_r) January 26, 2017
Another wee #thankyou message to our supporters from @edtheatres. Thanks to you we are able to fund our Arts Programme in hospital! pic.twitter.com/0g3bvyAtmX
— Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity (@echcharity) January 26, 2017
A message from @HibsOfficial to say thank you to everyone who has helped us transform the lives of children and young people in hospital pic.twitter.com/0GsVIlNeLq
— Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity (@echcharity) January 26, 2017
Although #SKFFthankyouday is about us thanking others, we are really appreciating the thanks we're receiving back…thank you pic.twitter.com/8Q6fNKGyWY
— Roslyn Neely (@neely_r) January 26, 2017
Main image: SKFF CEO Roslyn Neely says thank you
- Does your charity devote a day to thanking as many donors as possible? Let us know about it in the comments below.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.