AHP Recession Survey of Nonprofit Health Care Officials Finds Almost Half Expect Reduced Giving in 2009, Leading to Cuts in Hospital Construction and Equipment...( WASHINGTON Jan. 5 -- Despite a deepe...),Health

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Despite a deepening recession, only eight percent of hospital fundraising executives who expect to raise less money this year than in 2008 said their institutions would have to curtail critical health care services for the poor and underinsured, according to a new survey issued today by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (www.ahp.org).

The overwhelming majority of AHP members surveyed said they will continue to provide vital community services, which range from free mammography and cancer screenings for the poor to community clinics, hospice facilities and immunizations for the uninsured.

AHP Board Chair Lisa Hillman, FAHP, said, "Even in challenging economic times, the AHP recession survey shows our members will not cut back on critically needed programs that communities depend on for the well-being of all their citizens." Hillman is senior vice president and chief development officer for the Anne Arundel Health System based in Annapolis, Md.

Instead, budget trimming will come from construction and equipment purchases, according to the first major recession survey of 2009 compiled by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP). More than three-quarters of fundraisers for nonprofit hospitals and health care systems say the current recession is negatively affecting their programs, with many predicting reduced donor expectations in 2009 leading to sharp cuts in construction and equipment purchases.

The Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (www.ahp.org) conducted the survey, which had almost 800 member respondents. AHP's members direct philanthropic programs in 2,200 of North America's health care institutions.

Almost half of the survey's respondents have reduced their giving forecasts for funding from grateful donors
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