Our way of life and ways of connecting changed at a pace faster than anybody could have anticipated, Providence’s Philanthropy group rose to the occasion and found new ways to connect with donors and serve our communities. 2020 provided us with learned lessons and a newfound resiliency that will allow us to meet challenging circumstances in 2021.
From donations to research to education, the pandemic response has shown our communities coming together to support the fight against COVID-19. In 2020 we saw:
- Over $48 million donated to Providence Saint John’s Health Center in efforts to support the Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI) Brain Health Center and the Rosalie Harold Brown Cancer Immunotherapy Research Program.
- St. Joseph of Orange receive a $15 million donation, its largest gift in history.
- Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medica Center receive a single $1 million donation by the Kashani family, also its largest donation to date.
- Providence Foundations of Oregon receive $3.5 million in donations to support Providence’s COVID response and research. Providence Cancer Institute began its first in-human clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine after FDA approval in late October, made possible by donor support.
- The Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CORE) launch three projects aimed at improving care for Providence’s COVID-19 patients and identifying long-term impacts of the pandemic.
- A large effort to raise funds for Providence’s local ministries’ Helping Hands Fund to support caregivers and their families who may face financial challenges such as job losses.
- Philanthropy raised $12 million in COVID relief funds.
- Providence leadership became national media COVID experts, educating the public on vital information to stay safe and next steps.
Providence Alaska Foundation hosted a free, community-wide virtual presentation to discuss mental wellbeing and raised more than $90,000 in sponsorships and Providence Montana Health Foundation helped funded the construction of a new cardiac cath lab, a 10-bed Clinical Decision Unit and the buildout of a new Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Unit. In Northern California, St. Joseph Hospital Foundation was able to fundraise more than $210,000 for the hospital’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, leading to the purchase of 12 ventilators and expansion of hospital capacity.
While the world’s focus is on the pandemic, Oregon, Southern California, and Washington continues its work to expand care for all needs and patients – Providence Heart Institute was granted approval from the federal United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to begin a heart transplant program and Southern California announced meeting regional fundraising goals and launched eight new foundation websites. Providence Health Care Foundation in Eastern Washington adopted SilverCloud, a behavioral health app designed to increase access to critical mental health treatment, with the help of a $35,000 gift from the Avista Foundation.
