For several years, Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity had been experiencing peaks in fundraising income driven by standout legacy and capital appeals but without consistent, repeat income to underpin sustained growth. Wanting to build a more consistent fundraising strategy, Director of Fundraising & Marketing Katie Walker began exploring ways to make lasting improvements. In 2023, a conversation with More Partner Tim Johnson sparked a collaboration that continues today, with Katie now in the role of CEO.

The brief
Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity is the NHS charity that supports 10 hospitals in Bristol city centre, South Bristol and Weston-super-Mare. The funds they raise help transform patient experience by enabling a range of programmes, from state-of-the-art equipment and youth spaces at the Bristol Heart Institute, to free shuttles buses and arts and music therapy. With fundraised income at around £2-2.5million a year and amid a competitive fundraising landscape in Bristol, Katie found herself in need of some independent advice.

“I was already aware of some of the barriers to income growth internally but chatting with Tim made me realise there was far more I needed to consider,” explains Katie. “After attending their ‘More In Tune’ NHS Charity forums I was aware of More Partnership’s extensive networks and breadth of experience in the NHS and health charity space. Naturally, they were the first choice to conduct a fundraising review for us.”

Identifying the barriers and opportunities
A More Team involving Tim Johnson, Thom Hipwood, Tim Wells and others set to work understanding the barriers and opportunities for income growth at Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity.

Between November 2023 and March 2024, the team conducted a comprehensive review of the Charity’s materials, strategy, processes, and recent fundraising performance. This was supported by in-depth interviews with 18 individuals – including Charity staff, Trust staff, and Trustees – as well as a survey of Trust leadership, staff, and Charity supporters.

“It was clear that Katie had done a brilliant job establishing robust fundraising systems, and there was a skilled, motivated team in place,” says Thom Hipwood. “The Charity had recently rebranded, which was boosting visibility, and had invested in a dedicated data analyst – a critical role for making informed, strategic decisions.”

However, one key challenge stood out: the team was spread too thinly, trying to reach too many audiences at once. “This is a common issue across NHS charities,” Thom explains. “But sustainable growth depends on being able to focus time and energy on the audiences with the highest potential.”

The Charity had successfully launched a lottery programme, but careful analysis revealed a clear opportunity to improve donor retention in other areas – particularly across Individual Giving, Community, and Events. A key recommendation in the More report was to strengthen stewardship and audience journey planning to increase retention and return on investment.

“From our experience, around 90% of income for similar charities typically comes from existing donors,” says Thom. “Yet, we often see efforts skewed toward acquiring new supporters, rather than nurturing those who have already shown their commitment. Prioritising key fundraising segments with the strongest ROI was a central recommendation for Bristol & Weston.”

Encouraging a ‘one team’ mentality
The fundraising review also highlighted a major opportunity for the Charity to work more closely with its Hospital Trust partner – aligning fundraising priorities and identifying potential for larger, more impactful grants from the Charity.

“In our experience, this kind of alignment is key to inspiring donors to give transformational gifts,” says Tim Johnson.

A central recommendation was to strengthen the partnership between the Charity and the Hospital Trust by identifying shared strategic priorities.

“Trust staff play a crucial role in the success of hospital charities, both as grant applicants and advocates for the Charity and its fundraising,” Tim adds. “It became clear that Katie and her team would benefit from a closer relationship with the Hospital Trust, growing the number of charity champions and advocates at all levels within the Trust and developing a plan to engage and support them.”

The review emphasised the importance of closer collaboration between Charity and Trust leadership teams. While Trust leaders were aware of the Charity, there was limited understanding of its strategic goals.

As the Charity developed its own strategy, More recommended aligning its goals more closely with the Hospital Trust’s vision and purpose. This included joint Board sessions and senior Hospital Trust representation at Charity Board meetings to foster deeper alignment and collaboration.

The impact
“What started as a fundraising review has really gone far beyond that, to informing the development of our wider Charity strategy,” says Katie. “Within a year, we’d implemented the recommendations that were quick wins and when our strategic period ended, More’s report formed the bedrock of our next five-year strategy.”

“We’re now much more focused across fundraising and grant-giving, working in closer partnership with the Trust to identify the areas that need to overlap in order to unlock opportunities for high value fundraising. In the end, this work has not just transformed fundraising but our whole charity approach.”

“The report itself was a gift that kept giving,” explains Katie. “The Board used it to shape away days, and it has aligned us behind a more data and insight-led approach to tracking partnership and performance.”

Working with More
“The sector insight More brought was golden,” says Katie. “They hit the ground running, tested ideas with us, and truly felt like part of the team. They brought the credibility to be listened to by our Board and made sure we got real bang for our buck on the budget too. I can’t speak more highly of More – and Tim continues to be a trusted advisor for me now as CEO.”

To find out more about the bespoke support we could provide your organisation, contact us on info@morepartnership.com or 01382 224730.