San Andreas, CA…Education Summit 2022 was held February 10 and 11, bringing together more than 400 philanthropy leaders and professionals from throughout the United States in a virtual and safe celebration of philanthropic excellence and continued learning. Originally conceived of by Fred Najjar, CommonSpirit’s Executive Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer, and President of CommonSpirit Health Foundation, the summit represents a significant investment in the professional development of each staff member across the 80-plus CommonSpirit affiliated fundraising entities, including Mark Twain Medical Center Foundation.

“The summit is the one time each year we come together, not as individuals, but as one organization and one philanthropy family with a common mission of building healthy communities wherever we are,” says Najjar. “We set these days aside to learn from our colleagues across the ministry and from national thought leaders and we pause to celebrate our accomplishments together.” The culmination of the summit was the 11th annual Phillies awards, a system-wide celebration that recognized the efforts and accomplishments the foundations achieved in the prior fiscal year. Mark Twain Medical Center Foundation was nominated for Largest Gift, and nominated and awarded Foundation of the Year. The Foundation of the Year award celebrates the fundraising office which achieves an increase in dollars raised and the number of donors over the prior year, a cost per dollar raised of less than 35 cents, transfers twice the amount of expenses, embraces best practices, and implements collaborative or innovative programs.

In the fiscal year 2021, Mark Twain Medical Center Foundation, achieved a 573 percent increase over the prior year’s fundraising and a cost to raise a dollar of just four cents. With a transfer rate of seven times their expenses, they have demonstrated that every dollar is making a significant impact within the hospital. By implementing best practices and collaborating with sister foundations, they have shown what can be accomplished when we work together. The foundation serves as a model of a balanced, well-rounded program and demonstrates that each of our foundations, regardless of their size or location, has a path to success. “I am super grateful to our donors, board of directors, and CEO for allowing me to revamp the organization over the past 18 months, and in the process, we were able to make it to the top of the list nationally,” said Charanjit Singh, Mark Twain Medical Center Foundation Philanthropy Director. Mark Twain Medical Center Foundation was honored to be nominated among other respected foundations across the nation, including:
• CHI Memorial Foundation (Chattanogga, Tennessee)
• Barrow Neurological Foundation (Phoenix, Arizona)
• Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation (Kearney, Nebraska)
• Mark Twain Medical Center Foundation (San Andreas, California)
• Sequoia Hospital Foundation (Redwood City, California)
Mark Twain Medical Center Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization that cultivates
philanthropic support from the community to fund the many health care services and programs
at Mark Twain Medical Center. It is part of Dignity Health and the CommonSpirit Health system.
Visit our website for more details: www.supportmarktwain.org.

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