Thanks to the generosity of 72,000 donors to Northwell Health’s “Outpacing the Impossible” campaign, which publicly launched last October, the nonprofit has surpassed the halfway point toward its $1 billion goal.
To date, Northwell’s campaign – its first system-wide, comprehensive fundraising campaign to propel innovations to advance health care – has raised more than $522 million, and includes all funds given by individual donors, corporations and foundations since the campaign’s inception in January of 2016.
“Donor support helps save lives,” said Michael Dowling, Northwell Health’s president and CEO. “We are setting the pace that will propel us into a healthier, better future. Support for Northwell helps us grow, discover and define the highest standards of care for everyone.”
A record $21 million to support Northwell’s burgeoning endowment program was raised during the last weeks of December 2018. Endowments provide continued financial resources for designated positions and programs. Endowment dollars are invested and pay out a percentage of the value each year, which will sustain key leadership and faculty positions within Northwell’s research, education and clinical programs. The original gift and any investment returns above the payout amount each year help endowments to grow over time and provide continuous support in perpetuity.
“In an ever-evolving healthcare environment, we rely on philanthropic support to drive innovative research, help educate the future generations of health care professionals and ensure excellent clinical care,” said Brian Lally, Northwell’s senior vice president and chief development officer. “Endowment support drives this vision and helps us sustain our mission to continually innovate to improve health care.”
The campaign supports capital projects, improves hospitals and clinical programs, advances research and funds endowment for teaching and research initiatives. It spurs donor support and engagement and in 2018, helped Northwell raise $133 million in gifts for its hospitals and programs – nearly $40 million of which came in the two months following the public launch of the Outpacing the Impossible campaign.
More people than ever before supported Northwell in 2018 – 30 percent more than 2017. Among them, 16,000 are new supporters of the organization, through Cohen Children’s Medical Center, and more than 5,000 Northwell employees contributed over $1 million to support a variety of initiatives across the health system. Since the campaign’s inception, nearly 6,000 Northwell employees – including 99 percent of Northwell’s leadership – have given close to $8 million.
Additionally, many of Northwell’s 2018 signature events – including the Northwell Health Walk, Feinstein Institute Summer Concert and the Constellation Gala, as well as regional hospital fundraising events – broke fundraising records and saw significant increases in donor support.
“More donors than ever are supporting Northwell Health and we can’t thank them enough for helping us to reach this milestone. Their belief in our mission inspires us. Every gift to the campaign accelerates potential cures,” Lally added. “Philanthropy is critical to Northwell Health, and helps us to take better care of more people.”
