The Woman Behind Southwest Washington Medical Center Foundation’s Big Fund Raiser

Jean Rahn laughs now at the fear she felt two years ago when she was told to find $50 million for the Southwest Washington Medical Center Foundation.

After 28 years raising money for universities across the West, Rahn had left higher ed to become the foundation’s executive director. She had to learn medical jargon, find her way around Clark County, and figure out how to come up with the money.

“It was a little nerve wracking,” Rahn says today, pleased with her success.

Photo by Dave Olson /The Columbian

Now the Firstenburg Tower, named for the couple that gave $15 million towards its completion, is open. A new Breast Care Center is in the works, with $2.5 million from Connie and Lee Kearney in backing. Ray Hickey Hospice House now has a $3 million endowment, thanks to a donation from Hickey, who had given to hospice before. Ed and Dollie Lynch gave $1 million with no specifics for how it should be used. And millions of other dollars have poured in to support the medical center and its programs.

Vancouver is unusually generous, and raising funds for the hospital has been easier than she expected, Rahn says modestly. Still, $50 million is big money. Bringing it in took hard work and a few sales techniques that come straight from the for-profit world.

“Yes, we are sales people, but we are not trying to sell someone a product,” Rahn says. “We see the relationships we build as something that could last a lifetime. Our product is a little different, but many of the techniques or approaches you use in sales are used in fund raising too.”

Building relationships

Every donation is important to the Southwest Washington Medical Center Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to support the medical center and manage contributions on behalf of donors. Rahn places a premium on treating even the smallest donors with courtesy, including personalized thank you cards. But it’s the big donations that have the most power to make an immediate difference, and big donors and potential donors get the most personal attention from the foundation.

“About 95 percent of the money comes from 5 percent of the donors,” Rahn says. “You have to be able to find that 5 percent, the people who have the commitment and the wealth to make those kinds of big gifts.”

When she arrived in Vancouver from Colorado, one of Rahn’s first priorities was to identify those potential big donors. She turned to the foundation’s board of directors and leaders at the hospital to make recommendations and introductions. She also looked at past donation history, with the belief that people who had supported the hospital before would be likely to do so again. Meeting and getting to know potential donors was a top priority.

“I think the problem with many fund raising operations is that they are reluctant to spend a lot of face-to-face time with their donors. They do direct mail and a lot of events, which can at times be impersonal, and they don’t take the time to build relationships with the people who are really going to be able to step forward with a large gift,” she says. “When people are going to give at a high level of support, they want to know if our hospital is in good hands, what the chief executive is like. They need to spend some time with him and know what’s going on here.”

Tailoring the pitch

As potential donors get to know the hospital, Rahn develops a feel for their interests as well. Long before she broaches the subject of money with donors, she starts behind- the-scenes conversations with medical center employees about the value a gift would hold.

Photo by Janet L. Mathews/The Columbian

“With Ray Hickey, for example, he is passionate about our hospice program, it wasn’t difficult to know what would be the area he would consider,” Rahn says. “The staff of Hospice House, the CEO and others have a lot of conversations. I ask, ‘Where do you see the program going? If you had $3 million, what would you do with it?’ Out of those kinds of brain storming sessions come wonderful ideas, and we then start to put those into proposals.”

When she knows much money she’s going to ask for, and how it will be used, Rahn plans her approach. “Sometimes we will sit down with a husband and wife in their home. Sometimes we will sit down with the CEO of the hospital, maybe have a tour of the hospital first and then end up in his office. Sometimes we’ll go to the donor’s office. Sometimes we’ll have lunch in a restaurant,” she says. “It’s different with every major donor.”

Closing the deal

Talking openly about money figures can sometimes be uncomfortable, but once Rahn is ready to ask for a donation she prefers to be frank and specific. “We say, ‘we would like to have you be part of this program, and if you would consider a gift of X dollars, this is what your gift could accomplish,’ ” she says. “It’s always different, but that’s thegist of it.”

Sometimes she gets a yes or no answer right away, but at least as often potential donors need time to consider and consult with family and advisors. “Often they have questions, they want to see the facility again, you just keep talking.” Donors want to hear about how their gift might be used from the people who fulfill the foundation’s mission, and doctors can play a very persuasive role here. So can Joe Kortum, president and chief executive officer of Southwest Washington Medical Center, who has talked to virtually every big donor over the past two years.

People do sometimes say no, and when that happens Rahn accepts it. “We’re not here for the hard sell,” she says. She stays in touch with people who choose not to give, and sometimes approaches them with other opportunities a year or more down the line.

Finding new donors

After two years bringing in big donations, it’s easy to think, “Oh my goodness, is all the money gone?” Rahn says. “It never is. There is always so much wealth that has not been tapped yet. It’s a matter of building relationships.”

As the two-year $50 million campaign winds down, Rahn plans to take time to seek out new prospective donors. Money will still come in, but the pace of big donations will likely slow as she networks and introduces new people to the medical center. She knows where she plans to start. “In the nonprofit world in Vancouver, the unique challenge here is to involve a lot of the Portland people who moved over here,” Rahn says. “Many have great wealth, and we need to encourage them to build connections to the charitable community here.”

5 TIPS FOR FUNDRAISING 1. Make sure people know the value of your organization. Be as visible as possible, and show how you serve the community. 2. Spend your time efficiently. Cultivate relationships with the 5 percent of donors who make 95 percent of gifts. Face time trumps big events and mass mailings. 3. Draw on the key people in your organization. Donors want to hear about how their gift might be used from the people who fulfill your mission – doctors, social workers, professors, musicians. 4. Use technology. Databases can help you understand your donors better, and reach out to them in a more personal way based on their interests and their history. People can learn about your programs on the Web, and should be able to make online donations, as well. 5. There’s always more money out there. After finishing a big campaign or receiving a big donation, it can feel like the well is dry, but there’s a lot of untapped wealth in Clark County, you just have to find it. Jean Rahn ● POSITION: Executive director, Southwest Washington Medical Center Foundation. ● PAST EXPERIENCE: 28 years fundraising at three universities: Western Washington University, the University of Montana Billings and Colorado State University. ● WHY THIS JOB? Looking to get back to Washington, and be closer to family. ● FAMILY: Two grown children, three grandchildren. ● BIGGEST SPENDING VICES: Books and plants. ● PLANTS: “I love hostas. I would have every kind of hosta if I possibly could. And hydrangeas. I really like those.” ● TYPICAL WEEKEND: Time in the garden, then a trip to Seattle to visit infant grandson. ● NOW READING: “Harry Potter, just like everyone else.”