Maitri Aids Hospice

It’s August 2000, and Maitri AIDS Hospice in San Francisco is re-evaluating its approach to fundraising. In recent years, Maitri has been relying increasingly on government, corporate, and foundation grants. Yet Don Spradlin, Maitri’s Associate Director for Individual Gifts who was hired in early 1999 to focus on individual donations and special events, has made some progress in increasing the number of individual donors over the past year and a half. He inaugurated two new earned income strategies, both of which have attracted new donors and positive publicity for Maitri. Nonetheless, individual donations still account for only 8 percent of annual operating expenses, and Spradlin is struggling with defining his purpose, and that of individual donors, within the traditionally grass-roots organization. Teaching Note available.