Hospital for Special Surgery

Inspiring philanthropy through exponential impact

The Hospital for Special Surgery set out to raise $125 million for its new River Building—but first needed to shift perception. Many assumed HSS was an elite New York institution, when in fact its innovations and care benefit patients worldwide. Our creative approach was to position the expansion as a catalyst for exponential impact: a vision that extended far beyond a single building or city. Through a campaign and case statement built around that idea, we helped HSS connect with donors on both an emotional and practical level—fueling momentum that pushed the campaign past its goal by 46% and ultimately raising over $183 million.