From Grateful Daughter to Fundraising Champion a Conversation with Development Committee Chair Lynn Abeshouse
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Winter 2017 through Philanthropy at LifeBridge Health LifeBridge Health Board Member and Development Committee Chair Lynn Abeshouse at the Family Society Dinner From Grateful Daughter to Fundraising Champion A Conversation with Development Committee Chair Lynn Abeshouse ONE LOOK AT THE RESUME OF LYNN back to LifeBridge Health—and why she’s were both urologists who practiced at ABESHOUSE and you’ll begin to wonder working so hard to inspire others to do Sinai. When I was a little girl, my father how she does it all: Managing Principal the same. would take me with him as he made Oof Abeshouse Partners, LifeBridge Health his rounds on Sunday mornings. Those Board Member, Chair of the LifeBridge Tell us about your personal ➤ continued on page 2 Health Development Committee, Co- connection to LifeBridge Health. chair (with all past Co-chairs) of the 2018 What makes this organization so ‘Magic of Life’ Gala. Her contributions to special to you? the community are seemingly exhaustive Lynn Abeshouse: I was born at Sinai (and exhausting!). Hospital. I am the third generation of my To kick off our annual donor honor family to be a part of LifeBridge Health. roll issue, we sat down with Lynn to dis- My paternal grandfather and my father cover why she always makes time to give From Grateful Daughter to Why is fundraising so important to How does the LifeBridge Health Board Fundraising Champion LifeBridge Health? and the other Hospital Boards support It’s simple: we are a nonprofit organi- the Development Committee’s work? continued from page 1 zation and philanthropy accounts for a Board members, just like physicians, are special times made a lasting impression minimum of 30 percent of LifeBridge very important to our efforts. Our board on me, seeing my father at work; I learned Health’s net income. The funds we raise members are philanthropists and sup- what it meant to really care for people. are critical to enabling us to fulfill Life- port LifeBridge Health in any way they Bridge Health’s purpose statement of can. They have deep relationships in the Did that inspire you to give back? caring for our communities together. community, and they help us identify and cultivate new donor relationships through Yes. I got involved in philanthropy in the What’s your biggest fundraising their personal and business networks. community at a young age. I made my challenge right now? first significant gift to LifeBridge Health What’s the most rewarding thing about 25 years ago in memory of my LifeBridge Health has a long tradition you’ve witnessed since joining the father. He had just passed away, and I was of multi-generational giving among Development Committee? so grateful for the wonderful care he had families. Nationwide, the younger gen- received at Sinai. When my mother be- erations are moving away from the I’ve loved seeing the dedication and came seriously ill, LifeBridge Health was communities they were born in. In ad- commitment that so many community there for my family once again. It became dition, Generation X and Millennial members have for LifeBridge Health. important to me to give back to those who donors have a diverse portfolio of phil- Also, it has been very rewarding to wit- did so much for my parents’ care. anthropic interests and there is a lot of ness first-hand the direct impact our “competition” for these donor dollars. donors’ dollars have on LifeBridge Health. You’ve also contributed your time and At LifeBridge Health, we are keenly leadership to LifeBridge Health over aware that we were at risk of losing that To your point earlier, there is so much the years. What drew you specifically stable, generational donor base that has competition for donors’ dollars these to the Development Committee? supported us for so many years. days. Why do you believe community members give to LifeBridge Health? I’ve been volunteering in various roles How have you worked to overcome at LifeBridge Health for over 25 years! The same philosophy of personalized care those generational differences? I was a board member at Levindale, then that we extend to every patient, we also at Sinai, and now the LifeBridge board. Two years ago, we made a concerted extend to every donor. In other words, I had a wonderful experience chairing effort to establish a Leadership Society we are “donor-centric.” When someone the Magic of Life Gala in 2008. That to focus on educating and cultivating the supports LifeBridge Health, the dollars are role inspired me to become more active younger generation for future philan- directed to whatever program or service in fundraising. When I accepted the thropy and leadership roles. This year, matters most to that philanthropist. position of Development Committee we are expanding the Society from 18 to I believe that there is nothing more im- Chair in 2013, I knew that I was sur- 25 members, and our members range in portant than helping those who are faced rounded by an extremely experienced age from 27 to 45. It’s been a win-win with health care challenges. No one should team of committee members, executives, for LifeBridge Health and for the young have to struggle through the journey alone and development staff that could do a leaders we are mentoring. and at LifeBridge Health, we stand to- lot of great work together. gether as one team to make sure all com- Physicians also play a critical role in munity members know they have a health your fundraising efforts. care partner they can rely upon. l Absolutely. The relationships our phy- sicians build with patients and families inspire so many generous gifts. Grateful patients want to express their gratitude to the physicians who help them through difficult times; it’s part of the healing process. At the same time, many of our physicians are also donors because they believe so strongly in the LifeBridge Health mission. 2 www.lifebridgehealth.org/giving Carroll Hospital Foundation Board Chair Amber Dalgreen Curtis at the Family Society Dinner Q&A with Amber Dahlgreen Curtis, Esq. Chair of the Carroll Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees WHEN CARROLL HOSPITAL JOINED and realize terrific cost savings and bene- What kind of tangible effects have FORCES WITH LIFEBRIDGE HEALTH in fits that we couldn’t achieve on our own. you seen from the Foundation’s 2015, LifeBridge Health president and It’s what you hope for when you join fundraising efforts? CEO Neil Meltzer noted that “Our with a larger organization: a good mar- W Our Tevis Center for Wellness and number one priority is to make sure that riage of cultures. William E. Kahlert Regional Cancer we preserve what makes Carroll Hospital Center [both of which opened in 2014] so special…The pride people have in this Some may assume that the partner- immediately come to mind. These are hospital is palpable. We don’t want that ship means everything is “good,” two state-of-the-art additions that to change.” As Carroll Hospital Founda- financially speaking. Is that the case? wouldn’t have been possible without all tion chair Amber Dahlgreen Curtis tells We are stronger together, of course, but of our incredibly generous donors. There us, it’s a promise that’s been well kept. there will always be a need for philan- are still many people in this community thropy. Medical technologies are always who can remember when we didn’t have How has the partnership with changing, and that requires continuous a hospital, so it’s amazing to see how LifeBridge Health changed the investment. There are also countless far we have come by working together. way philanthropy works at Carroll services that we provide simply because [Carroll Hospital was built through Hospital? it’s the right thing to do. Services like community grassroots fundraising and Amber Dahlgreen Curtis: It didn’t change women’s and children’s care and hospice: opened in 1961.] anything. LifeBridge Health has been these programs are costly, they aren’t wonderful in terms of supporting our revenue producers, but they are some- If you had to summarize why some- Foundation and ensuring the dollars thing we absolutely must have in order one should give to Carroll Hospital raised in Carroll County stay in Carroll to care for our community. Philanthropy and LifeBridge Health in just a few County. At the same time, the partner- keeps those types of services going. words, what would you say? ship has allowed us to share resources Your gift has the ability to save lives. Again, our cancer center is a great LifeBridge Health has been wonderful in terms of example of that. Patient use has grown by 18 percent since the center opened supporting our Foundation and ensuring the dollars its doors—that’s more than we ever raised in Carroll County stay in Carroll County. anticipated. Think of how many lives that touches. Your gift does that. l AMBER DAHLGREEN CURTIS www.lifebridgehealth.org/giving 3 $100,000 OR MORE CUMULATIVE SUPPORT The Family Society recognizes donors who have made gifts of $100,000 or more to Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Northwest Hospital, Carroll Hospital, Carroll Hospice and Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital since 1998, the year the health system was formed. Donors are invited to join the Society in perpetuity once they have given at least $100,000 cumulatively. LifeBridge Health honors and remembers those donors whose visionary gifts have provided the foundation upon which our affiliates have been built. 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