NACCDO/PA&MN Mind Meld in Miami
Jarrard Inc. Senior Vice President for Strategic Positioning Tricia Geraghty caught up with cancer center development, marketing, communications and public relations professionals from across the country at the recent NACCDO-PAMN Conference for three days of idea-sharing and networking. Here are her observations.
WHEN & WHERE: The National Association of Cancer Center Development Officers & the Public Affairs and Marketing Network convened their annual conference May 19th-22 in Miami
THEME: One Big Team
In too many non-profit health care organizations, the relationship between Marketing and Fundraising seems strained, even siloed. Do any of these scenarios feel familiar?
- System MarComm prioritizes bringing in new patients – and now the Foundation feels that the marketing communication needs of donors aren’t being met.
- The Foundation needs to find creative ways to raise money through the annual fund – and now Marketing feels like the value of a consistent brand is being left behind.
- A donor reacts badly to the PR fallout from a crisis – and now both teams feel that they’re on the hot seat.
The recent joint NACCDO & PAMN conference offered an entirely different model for collaboration – and the level of camaraderie, shared topics and mutual respect among the 500 attendees was clear. In conversations over breakfast and lunch, and at the Jarrard table (where we handed out a LOT of branded Band-Aid swag), we heard about teams jointly tackling goals. Specifically, the shared goals of greater awareness, increased fundraising support and more impact on the health of their communities. Since team structures for this critical work can vary quite a bit from organization to organization, many participants sought out informal conversations about best ways to conduct an effective team assessment. And on how to structure goal setting so that everyone feels energized and supported.
PAMN also broke some news during the gathering, announcing that the organization would now be known as the Cancer Marketing Communication Association. The audience met that rebranding announcement with a standing ovation. As marketers everywhere have been burned by the trauma of unveiling a new name, we all cheered especially hard for our colleagues on what was clearly a win.
Meanwhile, Theresa DiNardo Brown, a long-time board member and former cancer center chief marketing officer, received the organization’s Laurel award. She closed her remarks by reminding the group that while most of us have never worn a stethoscope and rarely cracked open a science book, these teams of fundraisers, communicators and marketers have done their part to advance lifesaving work.
It was a fitting tribute to the professions of both development and marketing communication and a subtle call to continue to work as one team.
Interested in working with Jarrard on strategic positioning or change management – including building a One Team culture across MarComm and philanthropy services? Learn more here.
