HonorHealth Foundation

Funds raised by HonorHealth Foundation enable HonorHealth to provide: 1) vital medical services ranging from state-of-the-art, lifesaving Level I Trauma Centers to a neonatal intensive care unit for premature or ill newborns, 2) leading-edge medical technology such as equipment for performing minimally invasive procedures and germ-zapping robots that use powerful ultraviolet light to disinfect hospital areas and prevent infections, 3) a robust research institute that develops innovative new treatments and provides hope for patients with cancer and other conditions, 4) medical and behavioral care and support services to vulnerable uninsured and underinsured populations, 5) nourishment to hungry children and families through a food bank, 6) adult day healthcare and enrichment for seniors, 6) early childhood education to at-risk children, 7) trauma medical training that helps military personnel and local first responders save lives, 8) forensic nurse examiners who care for victims of interpersonal violence and facilitate prosecution of their attackers/abusers, 9) new facilities, such a Neuroscience Institute to provide comprehensive, convenient care to patients with everything from brain and spine injuries to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis, and an expanded Cardiovascular Center of Excellence.

We work passionately, professionally and in partnership with our benefactors to ensure that their individual philanthropic goals are fulfilled while also meeting the needs of the patients, families and communities served by HonorHealth.

Every dollar raised is distributed to the HonorHealth healthcare system. Working collaboratively with system leadership, we jointly determine areas of strategic fundraising to meet the healthcare needs of our community and serve the philanthropic purpose expressed by our donors.

HonorHealth Foundation focuses on ensuring that donors are informed of the specific use of their gift and its impact on others. This includes financial reporting related to their contribution, as well as providing regular communications and updates about the use of their donation. Opportunities also are provided for donors to see their gift in action firsthand during tours, site visits and interactions with appropriate program stakeholders.

HonorHealth Foundation has a dedicated team of 40 staff members who are united in their donor-centric focus and relationship-based fundraising approach. The team includes development professionals who work closely with donors to ensure their individual philanthropic goals are met.

Other members of the HonorHealth Foundation team include finance, technology, communications and support personnel who properly acknowledge and account for gifts, update donors on the impact of their gifts, and inform potential donors about meaningful opportunities to support HonorHealth’s many programs and services.

HonorHealth Foundation has a capability that many nonprofit organizations lack; we allow donors to do the most good and help the most people with their gifts. In fact, each donor can be assured that 100 percent of their gift goes directly to the HonorHealth program or service they desire, rather than administrative fees. This is made possible by HonorHealth, which covers HonorHealth Foundation’s operating costs entirely.

The healthcare system offers a solid reputation backed by a history of more than 140 years of continually investing in new and better ways to serve the community and its healthcare needs. HonorHealth is well-known in our community and beyond for innovation and quality care. As evidence of this, five of HonorHealth’s six medical centers have earned Magnet status, which is the gold standard for excellence in nursing and a designation held only by approximately 8 percent of the nation’s hospitals (the sixth hospital is not yet eligible, as it is new and has not met the Magnet requirements for time in operation).

Among our many testaments of embracing innovation to benefit patients and our community, HonorHealth was first in Arizona with the da Vinci robot for performing minimally invasive surgery, as well as first in the Southwest and second in the nation to implant an MRI-safe pacemaker. Our Breast Health and Research Center was the second breast center in the entire nation to use 3D mammography, and our cancer clinical trials program at HonorHealth Research and Innovation Institute is home to one of the nation’s leading early drug development programs—a distinction normally held by large academic centers rather than community hospital systems such as HonorHealth. HonorHealth is also home to the largest fleet of germ-zapping robots, which use UV light rays to disinfect patient rooms and equipment, resulting in measurable improvement in hospital-acquired infection.

Over the years, HonorHealth Foundation has raised more than $450 million to support HonorHealth’s many programs and services and advance its mission.

HonorHealth Foundation provides millions of dollars to fund capital projects. These range from micro-vascular surgery instruments, ultrasound machines and medical imaging devices to pediatric cribs, state of the art cardiovascular suites, and high-tech manikins used to provide realistic simulation training to military medical personal and local first responders. The new Bob Bové Neuroscience Institute opened in 2021, largely funded by generous community donors and now providing comprehensive, expert services under one roof to ease the way for the growing number of patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, brain and spine injuries and other neurological issues.

Additionally, generous gifts to HonorHealth Foundation have enabled HonorHealth’s community programs to serve individuals of all ages facing a myriad of vital needs. As evidence of this, in 2021, philanthropy helped HonorHealth Desert Mission to provide 18,580 food boxes to neighbors in need and early care and education to more than 400 at-risk children. Desert Mission’s adult day healthcare program served as a safe place for seniors, more than 80 percent of whom exhibit some form of dementia and 27 percent of them are Veterans. Through philanthropic support, HonorHealth’s forensic nurse examiners perform an average of 230 medical-forensic exams monthly on victims of interpersonal violence. Philanthropic support also makes it possible for investigators at HonorHealth Research and Innovation Institute to develop promising new treatments for cancer, heart disease, trauma and GI conditions.

Looking ahead, HonorHealth Foundation will raise the funds needed to support HonorHealth’s programs and services, as well as expand its facilities and ability to conveniently meet community needs. Key among these efforts will be an expanded Cardiovascular Center of Excellence, to meet the growing population of adults with heart disease. We are also focused on our partnership with the city of Scottsdale to improve the health of all residents through the Blue Zone initiative. This community health improvement initiative will create the policy, healthcare and built environment that leads to better health for all.