How UCSF Benioff Hospitals effectively communicates the impact of a therapeutic modality for children.

While storytelling is a proven approach for conveying the impact of donor funding, narratives of patient journeys in the healthcare sector can be especially helpful for explaining challenging medical conditions and complex treatments.

But when a modality addresses the emotional support of youth who may be navigating serious and even terminal illnesses, nonprofit teams might benefit from the use of graphics in their donor communcations to preserve patient privacy while helping donors better understand the impact of their giving.

UCSF Benioff Hospitals Foundation’s Fall 2024 Connections Newsletter offers an excellent model for using a “graphics-first” approach to create a compelling treatment overview in the article, “Puppy Love: The Healing Power of Animal-Assisted Therapy.”

An infographic depicting the animal-assisted therapy.y program at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals. From inpatient rounds to physical therapy and even palliative care, dogs can provide comfort for children, families, and medical staff. — *A visual journey of the animal-assisted therapy program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.*

Why this approach works:

Donors learn how furry friends can help children through uncomfortable medical procedures, physical therapy, and even pallitative care. The illustrations of kids eliminate the need for actual photos while effectively communicating the emotional and physical toll endured in a young patient’s journey.

In addition, the blend of copy and graphics effectively “chunks” critical stages in a treatment modality, providing donors with an easy-to-understand overview of a multi-faceted program.

Marketing tips 2 impact:

If your organization serves youth in any sector, consider how your team can use graphics to convey program details or even reinforce anonymous quotes from the children and families you serve.
The best marketing copy ties the “why” to impact. In this example, the impact of donor funding is communicated by describing the problem (“all those needle pokes can take a toll”) and why the funding (“Arnie’s calming presence reduces anxiety and distracts from pain”) addresses the problem.
Shorter is always better, for multiple reasons. When read in its print newsletter form, the graphic depiction of this treatment program assumes only a 1/2 page, packing in a complete program overview within a small promotional space.
In addition, with online readers spending an average of only 52 - 54 seconds on a given web page, this succinct article has a better chance of being read by donors.

The full UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Foundation Connections Newsletter infographic and article, “Puppy Love: The Healing Power of Animal-Assisted Therapy,” is available for public viewing online.

Using Graphics to Communicate Program Impact with Youth