Chief executive Ginny Green said the hospice was re-establishing its earlier closed day programme for patients and carers.
The Kowhai Programme will be based on individual needs and will include seminars and other types of education.
Also "back on the agenda" was working with other organisations and health professionals offering palliative care to implement the Liverpool Care of the Dying Pathway, designed to improve care for those in the final days of life.
Only a third of about 400 referrals to the hospice died there with most dying in the community.
Ms Green said with the ageing population and the burden of chronic diseases the hospice was noticing a change in the types of patients referred to it.
Four years ago, only 4% of patients had diagnoses other than cancer.
That percentage was now about 12%.
Ms Green described the financial result as " fantastic", praising the support of the community which had raised $1.2 million of the $3.5 million budget last year.
It was particularly encouraging given the state of the economy in the past two years, she said.
The hospice was finding that it had more donors giving smaller amounts, or donors giving in a variety of ways, such as by buying items for the hospice's "wish-list".
The willingness of people to continue to give to the hospice indicated their "real sense of ownership. It truly is a community asset".
The hospice, which receives 62% of its operating expenses from a government contract, hopes to raise another $1.2 million this year.
Fundraising for the year had received a welcome kick-start of $65,000 from the Bendigo Valley Sports and Charity Foundation, she said.
Foundation chief executive Lance Pearson said the hospice was an essential organisation and one of the most worthy services to support.
The foundation was aware of the threat to services from under-funding and its giving was designed to help ensure all of the services continued, he said.
Forthcoming fundraising events include Gareth and Jo Morgan speaking at the Dunedin Town Hall on September 21, High Tea at the Savoy Restaurant with "That Blind Woman" Julie Woods on October 19, and the annual street appeal on October 15.
