Reach for the Stars: The 2014 Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards Winners

The whole effort was bolstered by a continuing sense of camaraderie and friendly competition. In all, 67 percent of staff made an outright gift or pledge. When counting honorariums, the medical center reached a 90 percent participation rate. Employee gifts ranged from $5 to $15,000.

"We also improved staff morale and helped staff find the joy in giving," Budding says. "And that employee who could only afford to donate $5? She won $100 in the Kuiper Challenge. After the drawing, she made a gift to GRMC's hospital helpers fund, which provides a little extra for GRMC families in need at the holidays. I'd like to think she paid it forward a little bit. Creating a culture of giving, indeed."