Nanaimo & District
Hospital Foundation
Hospital foundations operate within the charitable sector, yet face an ongoing challenge: fundraising is often highly seasonal, making it difficult to maintain awareness and remain top of mind throughout the full calendar year. Building sustained momentum – and cultivating a consistent, engaged donor base beyond peak fundraising periods – is a critical challenge for all charitable organizations and foundations.
My objective here was to develop a new brand platform for the Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation that connects with donors on a deeper emotional level – one rooted in personal values, daily life, and a strong sense of community. The goal was to move beyond transactional giving and create a long-term culture of support, while helping the foundation sidestep traditional donor fatigue.
By partnering with community ambassadors and drawing inspiration from the foundation’s surrounding island landscape, I developed a brand platform and an integrated evergreen brand campaign that reflects the region’s natural environment and the values of its donors. The result is a brand expression that feels authentic, inclusive, and future-focused – fostering a lasting culture of giving.
The new brand and campaign has successfully captured the attention of the community and has demonstrated measurable impact, helping the foundation exceed its year-end fundraising goals. And will be used to grow a culture of giving, throughout the foundation’s operating communities – into the future.
Digital Community App
As an extension of the brand campaign, I also developed a digital community app built to deepen year-round engagement and connect the foundation with a younger, future-focused audience. Currently in beta, the app is fully designed and structured as a living brand experience – combining community, storytelling, and giving in one intuitive platform. Key features include My Nature, a personal gallery celebrating local landscapes; My Impact, which allows users to track their contributions; Our Stories, highlighting real community and hospital narratives; along with Quests, Events; and a seamless Donate experience. Together, the app reinforces the campaign’s core idea – It’s in My Nature – while creating a scalable digital foundation to cultivate long-term engagement and lifelong supporters.
