Veteran fundraising professional Greg Gissendanner has been named regional associate chief philanthropy officer, campaigns, for Providence Southern California, a not-for-profit health organization committed to expanding access to quality health and wellness care, especially to vulnerable populations.
Gissendanner joined Providence on Sept. 1 and will have leadership responsibility for comprehensive and capital campaigns, as well as principal gifts across the region’s 11 acute care hospital campuses, 11 ambulatory surgery centers and physician enterprise. He also will help define fundraising priorities and strategies for the region’s eight Clinical Institutes, including initiatives aimed at advancing excellence in patient care through collaboration, innovation and shared expertise.
“Since our founding Sisters came to the West Coast, the communities we serve have helped build Providence with life-saving gifts,” said Kenya Beckmann, regional chief philanthropy officer. “We are so happy to welcome Greg, a leader who will use his talents to help set goals, develop a high-performance, collaborative culture and enhance relationships with donors both inside Providence and in our communities.”
Providence was built upon generous donations of all sizes that fund hospital construction and renovations, life-saving state-of-the-art equipment, professional education to continue advancing excellence and other programs.
So far this year, the Providence foundations have raised $80 million, surpassing the 2021 goal with a transformational $50 million contribution from the Donald and Andrea Friese Family to build a new patient tower at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in the San Fernando Valley.
Gissendanner said he was drawn to Providence by a culture of Mission, values and service.
“I see Providence as a place where people can thrive because they support one another,” he said. “You feel the spirit of unity here, of collaboration in working toward the same goals. In this environment you can do amazing things. I feel blessed to join this team and this organization.”
Gissendanner most recently served as senior vice president and chief development officer for the Hoag Hospital Foundation, raising funds for the Providence-affiliated Hoag hospitals in Orange County. He and his team recently concluded a $760 million fund-raising campaign.
Previously, he led development teams at the University of California, Irvine, and at Iowa State University.
Gissendanner was born and raised in upstate New York. He holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and bachelor’s degrees in psychology and business, both from Iowa State University. Greg has lived in Orange County since 2003, where he and his wife of 22 years, Beth, have three children, 15, 12 and 9.
