Headwaters Health Care Foundation has ‘big plans’ for hospital in 2020

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

With the start of the new year,  Headwaters Health Care Foundation CEO Dora Boylen-Pabst looks back on the organization's many accomplishments from 2019, while highlighting what we as the community, can look forward to in 2020. 

Q: What are some big accomplishments from 2019 for HHCF? 

A: Headwaters Foundation hosted three record events in 2019, in terms of revenue generation - our Gala, House Tour and the Golf Tournament at Devil's Pulpit. Additionally, we launched our first-ever large-scale matching gift challenge, thanks to The Galt Family Foundation, raising over $374,000 over the holiday season. Finally, we will have granted over $3M to the hospital for urgently needed equipment and infrastructure needs not covered through Ministry funding.

Q: Was there anything that could have been done differently?

A: There are always things that can be done differently, but this year was a year of experimentation and testing for Headwaters Foundation, and thankfully all of our tests panned out! Particularly our efforts around an admail campaign in the community of Mulmur comprised of 3 mail drops over 6 months and the matching gift effort.

Q: What are some future fundraising goals for HHCF going into 2020?

A: 2020 will be a big year for Headwaters Foundation. Our revenue targets will be the highest ever outside of a campaign, we will be hosting over 550 guests at our annual Gala for the first time ever, and we will be launching a Diagnostic Imaging Special Fundraising effort in the Fall of 2020 to bring upgraded imaging equipment and facilities to Headwaters, specifically a completely new X-Ray room, a new Ultrasound, and a  Tomosyntheses.

Q: How will 2020 be an improvement from 2019? 

A: We had some staffing changes in 2019, and it was my first year at Headwaters Foundation as the CEO. We have a great team that complements each other and works well together, and we have hit our stride, now it is about how far we can go with the support of our generous community.

Q: Are there any new initiatives that the community look forward to in 2020?

A: Yes! The 2020 Tour de Headwaters (September 19, 2020) will include activities to engage the broader community, not just our supportive cycling community. The Gala was redesigned to accommodate 200 more guests at a spectacular new venue, Mount Alverno Luxury Resort, and we are introducing Have a Heart for Headwaters month in February, engaging businesses across our catchment to partner with us, at a typically slow time of year in terms of fundraising. We can't wait!

Tim Peters, Board Chair of HHCF, also shared a message on the organization's website looking back on the previous year. 

“First off, I want to thank you, our community. You have been so generous in supporting our local Hospital. We had our first matching gift campaign over the Holidays, and the community stepped up to not only match the Galt Family Foundation's $180,000 but exceed it by contributing over $194,000 in support of the Hospital's most urgent priorities!” said Peters.