Seattle Children’s hospital serves a four-state area and is one of the top ten children’s hospital’s in the United States.

Situation

• To meet growth targets over the next 20 years, Seattle Children’s needed to double the size of its in-patient facility and faced organized opposition from vocal neighbors close to the hospital. 

Solution

• Created a multi-tiered outreach program aimed at coalescing support around the hospital’s need to grow.
• Established, grew and maintained “Friends of Children’s Hospital,” a grassroots advocacy group of more than 1,200.

Results

• Created a “toolkit” for supporters to help articulate why they supported the hospital and then directed this advocacy to a host of target audiences.
• Changed the conversation from a one-sided growth argument to a nationally-recognized pediatric specialty hospital in Seattle.
• After a more than two-year process, the hospital received unanimous approval from Seattle City Council in April 2010 and Phase I construction will being in early 2011.