Case From Data to Impact: How the Montreal General Hospital Foundation Transformed Its Fundraising Performance

A Clear Identity Rooted in Impact

At the heart of the Foundation’s evolution is a strong and intentional positioning:

Support

Connect

Transform

Inspire

MGHF’s mission is to inspire the philanthropic community to invest in transformative initiatives led by medical experts, projects that directly improve patient lives while advancing the pioneering legacy of the Montreal General Hospital and its partnership with McGill University.

But beyond mission, the Foundation recognized that trust is built through action.

Technology is transforming how we work, but it hasn’t changed why we exist. At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to our donors’ trust and to advancing innovations that improve patients’ lives, today and for the future. What’s changing is our ability to move faster, think bigger, and scale impact in ways that were not possible before.

— Brian Thompson, CEO of the Montreal General Hospital Foundation

In a competitive philanthropic environment, donors increasingly expect:

🔍 Transparency in how funds are used

⚡ Efficiency in operations

💎 Clear demonstration of impact

To meet these expectations, MGHF undertook a deep organizational transformation, modernizing its database, refining internal processes, expanding its team, and launching an extensive rebranding.

Today, impact reporting and personalized donor communications are central pillars of its approach, ensuring donors feel informed, valued, and connected to outcomes.

The Starting Point:

A Limited and Risk-Prone System

A decade ago, the Foundation operated with a small team of approximately 10 people and a limited number of targeted annual campaigns.

However, several structural challenges constrained growth:

These limitations not only affected operational efficiency but also introduced reputational risk, particularly when communications were inaccurate or poorly targeted.

The need for change was clear: to grow, the Foundation needed a solid data foundation.

Building the Foundation: Data, Structure, and Strategy

The transformation began with a fundamental shift: investing in data integrity and infrastructure.

Working with SimpliPhi, MGHF implemented and optimized its CRM system (Raiser’s Edge), starting with a complete database cleanup and the establishment of structured data capture practices.

This foundational work enabled the team to:

For a healthcare foundation supporting diverse initiatives, from mental health to surgical innovation, this was critical.

From Manual Work to Strategic Focus

A key strategic decision shaped the Foundation’s operating model: Keep strategy in-house. Outsource administrative complexity.

By outsourcing functions such as gift processing to SimpliPhi, the Foundation freed internal resources to focus on:

Campaign strategy

Donor engagement

Content and communications

Combined with Charity Automator Data Flow, which automates data movements across the systems, this enabled a lean team to significantly increase its output.

Today, collaboration across functions of annual programs, communications, and development is central to execution. The integration of AI tools for writing, editing, and translation has further accelerated production, allowing the team to move faster without compromising quality.

— Sylvie Riendeau, Vice-President, Communications & Marketing

A Transformation That Delivered Measurable Results

Operational clarity takes time and MGHF’s journey reflects that reality. It took two years to clean and structure the data, and launched the structured annual programs in 2017.

The long-term impact is even more significant:

Support

This growth was supported by major fundraising campaign platforms that strengthened public visibility and storytelling.

Smarter Segmentation, Stronger Campaigns

With a robust data structure in place, MGHF transformed its campaign execution across both direct mail and digital channels.

The Foundation can now segment audiences based on:

Donor interests

Recency of Giving

Giving Capacity

Engagement History

This level of segmentation is supported by AmpliPhi, enabling faster list creation, clearer visibility, and more controlled segmentation logic. It enables more personalized and relevant communications, improving donor experience and campaign performance.

However, the team remains disciplined:

Each new segment requires tailored content and operational effort. With AmpliPhi, the focus remains on strategic segmentation that adds real value, rather than complexity for its own sake.

— Sylvie Riendeau, Vice-President, Communications & Marketing

Data-Driven Decisions and Organizational Confidence

Clear and always up-to-date data has fundamentally changed how decisions are made across the organization.

In short, data is no longer a constraint; it is a strategic asset.

MGHF now tracks key performance indicators in a Power BI dashboard such as:

Donor retention

Average gift value

New donor acquisition

Segment-level performance

This visibility is enabled by Charity Automator Data Warehouse, providing a centralized, analysis-ready source of truth. This clarity enables:

• Data foundation for strategic decision-making
• Stronger alignment with leadership and finance
• Increased confidence in reporting and governance

Looking Ahead: Technology, Personalization and Human Connection

As donor behavior evolves, the Foundation is actively adapting its approach.

Key priorities for the future include:

🔑 Expanding digital and email solicitation capabilities

🔑 Developing automated donor journeys using tools like Luminate

🔑 Enhancing internal autonomy in segmentation and campaign execution using AmpliPhi

🔑 Improving reporting in a more detailed dashboard

🔑 Delivering the right message to the right person at the right time

At the same time, MGHF is clear on one essential truth: Technology enables, but people drive impact.

Even with automation and AI, human expertise remains critical to:

🗣️ Craft meaningful messages

🗣️ Ensure strategic coherence

🗣️ Maintain authentic donor relationships

Because ultimately, philanthropy is, and always will be, about human connection.

A Model for Modern Philanthropy

The Montreal General Hospital Foundation’s transformation demonstrates that meaningful growth does not require a significant increase in resources, but rather clarity of strategy, disciplined execution, and the right technological foundation.

This evolution was part of a broader digital transformation strategy, designed to improve organizational clarity, data-driven decision-making, and cross-team alignment.

By investing in data, embracing segmentation, and aligning operations with its mission, MGHF built a model that is efficient, scalable, transparent, and impact-driven.

And most importantly, trusted by the donors and communities it serves.