The Guide for Giving to your Hospital's NICU

September is Neonatal Intensive Care Awareness Month. 10-15% of all infants will spend time in the NICU this year and yet a disparity still exists in support programs available for families of NICU patients across the country. 

How can you help? Consider giving back to your local hospital, medical care home or housing facility. There are many ways in which you can do this. The following are just some tips for getting started!

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1. Why Give? 

A good way to begin is to reflect on why you are giving back. This will help you realize your goals and how you would like to connect with your local hospital and community.  Some questions to ask yourself to get started.

• What (or who) is motivating me to give to my community?
• What time am I able to give to this project?
• What resources do I have available to me (hint: think of social and financial support)?
• What limitations or challenges might I face?
• What do I hope to accomplish from this project? (See next tip)

2. Ways you can give back

Before contacting your hospital facility, create a clear plan of action and timeline for what you would like to accomplish within your community. The following are some great ways you could provide for the needs of your hospital.

• Raise Funds for equipment and other items needed in your NICU. Most NICU's will have a wishlist of items that would improve the quality of care provided in their unit. 
• Deliver in-kind donations for families of babies in the NICU. Families experiencing a NICU stay will find comfort in items donated to benefit their health and the well-being of their baby. Read more in our Giving the Gift of Comfort article. 
• Host an event in which families can connect with one another. Consider planning an event at your hospital in which you provide a meal, crafting event, support group, photo session or other service that promotes interaction. Families will benefit from connecting with others that have endured a similar journey. 
• Support the professionals who have dedicated themselves to caring for patients in the NICU. Bring meals or special gifts to let them know you appreciate all of their work.

2. Contacting your local hospital

After you have a proposal, contact your hospital's child life department, volunteer services, Chaplin, or unit director and let them know you are interested in donating. You can almost always locate their telephone numbers on the website. And if that doesn't work - try calling the hospital and ask a service rep. This is often the most difficult part in the process because it may take some time for the hospital to connect you with the right personnel and even more time if they have to approve your efforts. Policies vary greatly from facility to facility. Some may have an open donation policy and some have very specific guidelines on what can be donated or services that may be provided. 

3. Meeting your goals

So you've decided how you would like to give back to your local ICU but how do you make it happen? Will you need to raise funds? Host a volunteer day? Spread the word? 

• Host an item drive: Host a fundraiser to collect specific items! In general donation drives are better received when you are only requesting a few select items.  Being clear and concise will help orient those who would like to give back. Utilize social media like Facebook events to help spread the word. 
• Raise money: Goal oriented funding generally will help you raise more funds. Make a budget for what you anticipate spending and make that budget your goal. Be open to sharing your budget with others so that they know where their money is going. Motivate others by creating teams and/or providing incentives. Use a website like www.fundrazr.com and your social media to honor contributions made by others.
• Reach out to local businesses: Local businesses are generally very receptive to helping out community members. Check in to see if they would be willing to donate items or sponsor an item monetarily. Make sure to follow up with the businesses if they are willing to donate by sending your thanks and by showing them what resulted from their donations.
• Team up with organizations and individuals: Oftentimes, there are groups of individuals in your community that share a common mission. Reach out to them and see if they would be interested in working together. Some great groups to consider partnering with include churches, schools, moms of multiples clubs and labor and delivery support professionals.
• Sell items to raise funds: Host a bake sale, or a craft fair. Buy items wholesale like flower bulbs, jewelry, t-shirts, ornaments, and sell them to supporters. Contact an independent (Thirty-one, Avon, Miche, etc) consultant to see if they might be willing to work together. The possibilities are really limitless!
• Host a fundraising event:  Fundraising events can yield a large profit but they can be very time consuming so make sure to start early. A lot of businesses are willing to work with local individuals and groups to reach their fundraising goals. Contact local bowling alleys, restaurants, zoos and other attractions to see what kind of event fundraising they have to offer. If they already have a program in place, then it will make organizing the event much easier. If you are feeling ambitious, organize a walk, a polar plunge or other large community event. Stephanie Olivarez, co-founder of Project Sweet Peas, knows the value of organizing a fundraising event: "Doing Project Sweet Peas' Polar Plunge at the end of November helps with our Christmas Delivery. By participating, supporters truly know they are helping with this delivery." For these type of events we recommend that you start at least 9-12 months in advance. 

Above all, remember that the service you are providing, big or small, is making a difference. Best of luck in all of your efforts.