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Description
The project aims to develop the sustainability and fundraising capacity of the ARNIS association, the National Association of premature or sick newborns and their families, by developing and implementing the SUS-TIN Communication Platform, for 21 months, with the role of fundraising mechanism and reporting of donations obtained, but also a tool for increasing the quality of medical and social services provided to newborns (through communication and education). In this project, in the first 8 months we will develop and test the SUS-TIN Platform (fundraising interface and donation communication, communication interface with parents and childcare training interface) that is part of the organizational development, and it can be used later in other Maternity Hospitals, at national level. We will install the live streaming video network in a NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit) in a Level III Maternity that will have a maximum usage by 600 parents (in a secure way, respecting GDPR), we will also be able to educate through childcare courses a maximum of 5000 parents (with full-term babies, premature or sick babies) and we will carry out fundraising activities for 13 months. The project team will benefit from a fundraising training and mentoring process to adapt the fundraising strategy to the context of the restrictions of the COVID-19 Pandemic and for efficient use of the SUS-TIN Platform. With the donations generated by this online fundraising mechanism, we will be able to support the cause "Little human in therapy" at our Maternity Partners, so that the care of these vulnerable children is in accordance with European Standards, family-centred care, and children''s rights to health, social assistance and family membership to be respected. At the same time, for the sustainability of this fundraising mechanism, using the donations we will expand the SUS-TIN Platform network by adding one Maternity annually and generating new and new recurring donations.
Summary of project results
The need identified by ARNIS was to establish a sustainable fundraising mechanism, while parents in the community expressed a desire for better communication and access to educational resources. The project aimed to enhance the Association’s fundraising capacity by developing and implementing the SUS-TIN Communication Platform, which functions both as a fundraising tool and a resource to improve the quality of medical and social services for newborns.
Over the 21-month implementation period, three team members received training in fundraising, and a three-year fundraising strategy was created. The platform infrastructure was set up, including a video network to stream live images of babies in incubators to their parents, educational video materials for parents, and a chat feature to facilitate communication between parents and physicians. A user-friendly mechanism for both online and physical donations was established, accompanied by transparent communication of project outcomes.
A comprehensive communication plan promoted the platform’s benefits for parents and raised public awareness of the importance of recurring donations to sustain ARNIS’s mission. During its first 10 months of operation, parents actively engaged with the platform, resulting in 310 new accounts, 305 hours of live streaming, and 240 hours of educational content consumed on the SUS-TIN platform.
ARNIS successfully gathered 1,282 tax redirecting forms (3.5%), 863 direct debit agreements, and two sponsorship contracts. These contributions will continue to support the “Pui de om în terapie” / ”Little Human in therapy” cause in maternity units, ensuring that the care of these vulnerable infants adheres to European Standards, is family-centered, and upholds the child’s rights to health, social assistance, and family connection.
The project directly benefited 170 full-term newborns and 80 infants in long-term intensive care at SCJU Cluj-Napoca, along with their 310 parents who utilized the platform. Indirect beneficiaries included 50 medical staff who experienced improved working conditions.