As baby boomers become more reliant on healthcare, we begin to wonder if philanthropy can make healthcare more effective? Are generous gifts actually its much needed lifeline?

1. HEALTHCARE, MEET
PHILANTHROPY

2. Healthcare costs are rising. In fact, it's
projected that healthcare costs will
rise by about 5.8% per year, until
2024.

3. As if that's not enough, healthcare costs
are expected to outpace GDP growth by
about 1.1% per year.

4. So, how do
we bridge
this gap?

5. Before we can get any deeper, we need
to address the elephant in the room:
politics

6. Healthcare reform is being hotly
debated on both sides of the aisle. Civil
debate and argument is a defining
feature of American politics, and we
should encourage an open and honest
dialogue between those who agree
with and oppose our views.

7. But healthcare costs don't tow a party
line. Whether the system stays the
same, or even if taxpayers never pay
another dime in healthcare, costs will
continue to rise.

8. Let's also take a moment to figure out
why costs are rising so high in the first
place.

9. The short answer: Baby Boomers who made up
a large part of the workforce are approaching
an age at which healthcare costs shoot up, and
Gen X-ers and millennials are going to have to
foot the bill.

10. However, today’s generation is experiencing
a lower birthrate that has resulted in about
nine million fewer people than their parents’
generation. Fewer working people means
less tax revenue, so when the bill arrives, the
entire generation will come up short.

11. So the crisis isn't born from a young
workforce being lazy. Instead, they
haven't met critical mass.

12. But philanthropic efforts may be able
to help with those costs. In order to
meet them, we'll need to collectively
fundraise twice as much than we do
now.

13. If you're concerned about your
organization's ability to raise funds,
don't be! Data shows that
organization’s fundraising
expenditure budget was the greatest
predictor of fundraising success.

14. Or more simply, the more you spend,
the more you make.

15. Let's do our best to embrace the spirit
of giving!
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