Philanthropic Fundraising Activities in Stimulus Bill Preserved Thanks to the Efforts of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy

In a fact sheet distributed to lawmakers, now available on www.ahp.org, AHP President and Chief Executive Officer William C. McGinly warned that if the language had passed, fewer philanthropic dollars would come into nonprofit hospitals, straining operating budgets and limiting financial resources. The ultimate result would have been cuts in free services to the poor such as clinics, mammography screenings, hearing tests, and child immunizations, he warned. McGinly stressed with lawmakers that "with the Nation in a recession and America's health care needs increasing, now is not the time to impose obstacles to philanthropic fundraising that do nothing to enhance patient privacy and will ultimately diminish and discourage philanthropy."